FAR}! OWNERSHIP AND TENANCY IX TEXAS. 
35 
be more clearly shown in connection with the comparisons of the rates 
of accumulation of wealth by operators of the different tenure classes. 
In comparing these figures on reverses in the different tenure groups, 
it should be borne in mind that a tenure reverse from the owner stage 
is a more serious reverse than a reverse from the share-tenant stage, 
and that a reverse from the cropper stage is the least serious of all 
reverses. 
WEALTH USED AND PROPORTION BORROWED AT TIME OPERATORS ENTERED EACH 
TENURE STAGE. 
Very little wealth was needed for operators to begin the share- 
cropper stage. In fact 20 of the 28 reporting had no wealth to begin 
with (Table 19). These 20 croppers doubtless were half hands, who 
depended entirely on labor performed for the landlord, and advances 
he made to them, for their living expenses during the year. The 8 
croppers reporting wealth owned an average of $380 and borrowed 
$191:, or about one-third of the total wealth used. 
Table 19. — Average wealth used and amount borrowed at tlxe beginning of the 
share cropper, share tenant, and owner stages, operators classified by present 
tenure. 
Items classified by present tenure of 
operators. 
Operators at begin- 
ning of cropper 
stage. 
Operators at begin- 
ning of share- 
tenant stage. 
Operators at begin- 
ning of owner 
stage. 
Oper- Oper- 
ators who ators who 
owned owned no 
wealth. wealth. 
Oper- 
ators who 
owned 
wealth. 
Oper- 
ators who 
owned no 
wealth. 
Oper- 
ators who 
owned 
wealth. 
Oper- 
ators who 
owned no 
wealth. 
Share croppers: 
8 
1380 
S194 
33. S 
20 
21 
. S287 
S2S4 
49.6 
136 
S525 
S415 
44.1 
67 
$346 
S203 
36.9 
15 
6 
SI, 167 
SI, 908 
62.0 
36 
$2,436 
S3, 910 
61.6 
103 
$2,780 
S3, 397 
54.9 
1 
S77 
S149 
S720 
Per cent wealth used that was bor- 
Share tenants: 

55 
Average wealth owned 
( 2 ) 
S2S2 
Per cent of wealth used that was bor- 
rowed 
Owners: 
Number 
24 
2 
Average wealth owned 
( 2 ) 
Average wealth borrowed 1 
$184 
$550 
Per cent of wealth used that was bor- 
rowed 
1 Borrowed wealth includes amount borrowed for operating and living expenses during the first year in 
the tenant stages, and wealth borrowed for these purposes and land debt during the first year of ownership. 
2 No data secured for share tenants and owner's at time of beginning as a cropper. 
It will be noted that over one-third of operators who are now 
croppers, and of operators who are share tenants and owners, owned 
no wealth when they began as share tenants. These operators either 
began on a very small scale or had concessions such as free use of 
teams, tools, etc., from kinfolk. 
