Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1914 — A .Letter From A. S. Parcels of Mc-Lean, Texas. [ARTICLE]

A .Letter From A. S. Parcels of McLean, Texas.

McLean Tex., Dec. 3, 1914. Editor Democrat: As you requested me to write- a letter concerning our travels and also of our country and of our crop conditions this year will say that we left Indiana Dec. 29, 1908, and arrived at Friona, Tex., Dec. 31, at noon. Our car, being a week ahead of us, arrived the same morning at 4 o’clock. Well, we proceeded to unload. By

January 1, at noon, we were ready to start out to our land of promise. Myself* son and two young men that came with our car, started with wagons, the distance being about 15 miles. We drove until night overtook us and had to pitch our tent. We got our tent up and gathered up cow chips for camp fires. Along about midnight the wind came up, as we people call it, “a northerner,” and not having our tent well staked it spread out like an old hen trying to cover her brood.

We lived through till morning, then went on our journey, reaching its end about noon. We again pitched tent, five miles being our nearest neighbor. As soon as our car of lumber arrived from Houston, Texas, we built our house. We lived there about eighteen months, then deciding that the country was too dry for farming, we again loaded our goods in a covered wagon, on Aug. 10, 1910, and started with our cattle for McLean, Texas. Was thirteen days on the road. Here we bought out a crop and rented a farm the coming season. This place is about 200 miles northeast of the former location. We traded our land at Friona for 340 acres here, half way between McLean and Alanreed, Texas. Since living here I don’t know as we have reason to complain. Last year crops were shorter than for 30 years. Our principle crops are kaffir corn, milo maize, feterita and German millet. One man and four mules can handle 150 acres of row crops till time to gather. I do not see why more people from the north do not come to this country where they can buy land from $8 to S4O per acre, owing to location. We have just bought 246 acres more land here. I think this country is better* for stock farming than most any I have seen, but people that crop the land do not seem to get much ahead. On coming here I decided to take the way of the ranchman—a pair of high heel boots, spurs and a “covt” horse. I try to handle as many cows as I am able. I sold our calves for $26 per head at weaning time. Buyers from Muncie, Ind., come here to buy calves and ship them there to put on feed. They shipped about 1,500 at one time.x We have been having fine weather so far this fall, a little ice a few nights. Will close, hoping to see the Xmas number filled with many good letters, also wishing you a Mery Xmas and Happy New Year.

A. S. PARCELS.