FARM OWNERSHIP AXD TENANCY IN TEXAS. 
37 
fortuitous sources before attaining tenancy or as much as $500 be- 
fore becoming owners. 
Table 20. — Time required (lining different decades to attain the share tenant 
and owner stages, and the amounts of wealth used on beginning each stage, 
for operators who have received no fortuitous assistance. 1 
Conditions under which operators who 
are now tenants or owners attained 
tenancy. 
Conditions under which operators who 
are now owners attained owner- 
ship. 
Decade. 
Number Years to 
of ! attain 
operators.' tenancy. 
1 
Average 
wealth 
used 
when 
beginning 
as a 
tenant. 
Per cent 
of wealth 
borrowed. 
Number 
of 
operators. 
Years to 
attain 
owner- 
ship. 
Average 
wealth 
used 
when 
beginning 
as 
owner. 
Per cent 
of wealth 
borrowed. 
Before 1889 
42 7.1 
$424 
564 
794 
788 
52.6 
17 
16.1 
13.0 
9.4 
4.3 
S6 141 
49.2 
1889-1899 
51 4. 9 
56 2. 2 
43 1.3 
46. 2 , 18 
58. 1 ! 16 
52.9 ' 
5,463 | 59.7 
6,804 62.8 
1899-1909 
1909-1919 
6', 317 
1 Any value of $200 or more received by gift, inheritance, or marriage, before or at the time of becoming 
a share tenant was considered fortuitous assistance to tenancy, and any amount received thus, of $500 value 
or more, before or at the time of becoming an owner, was considered fortuitous assistance to ownership. 
These data on share tenants are for men whose sole reliance in 
financial advance has been their earnings, and since they attained 
tenancy each decade in a shorter time and owned more wealth at the 
time of becoming tenants, it follows that ability to accumulate wealth 
had increased each decade, this increase, no doubt, being primarily 
due to an increased earning power. 
The data on owners are not based on sufficient numbers to be 
conclusive, but the fact that they show the same tendency that is 
shown in the case of tenants is presumptive evidence of reliability. 
With each decade, from the time prior to 1889, the total value of the 
farm has changed but little, which means that the size of the pur- 
chased farm has been reduced each decade. But there was a tendency 
to borrow a greater proportion of the wealth used with each suc- 
ceeding decade, which would itself tend to shorten the time required 
to attain the owner stage. However, there is a difference of 6.7 
years in the time required to attain the owner stage prior to 1889, 
as compared with the decade between 1899 and 1909, while the in- 
creased amount borrowed is only $1,251, which could not account for 
the entire decrease of 6.7 years. Therefore, these data would indi- 
cate that in these groups, also, increased ability to accumulate wealth 
has shortened the time required to attain the owner stage. 
SPECIAL CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE INDIVIDUAL'S TENURE STATUS. 
One of the most important special conditions affecting the indi- 
vidual's tenure status is the receipt of wealth from fortuitous 
sources — inheritance, gift, or marriage. There were in all 50 owners 
who had received $500 or more from fortuitous sources either at the 
