Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-06-25
from the wisconsin istatsrJournal.
The aTexas Country.,'

1 w est Is 10 Us duu dDOub as NOkECCk AdSoS 90
entertained about it by the masses OF the
people. The territory comprised within its
boundaries, is about equal to FIVE states OF
the size of Wisconsin. As its geographical
position, typographical aspect, climate, and
general physical condition differs much from
any of the more settled states, it win not be
out of place to devote short article to gen.
eral description, with caution that, in
local sense, it must be received with many
grains of allowance.
In general terms, then, this country is
plain rising from the margin of the Gulf OF
Mexico, having its axis of elevation nearest
its northern boundary, upon what is called
Indian Territory" upon the maps. The
highest lands are rough, broken, and attain
the altitude of mountains. 1t is not necessa-
ry here to speak of its northern slope, border
| ing upon Red River. 1t is too inconsiderable,
if not too worthless, in an agricultural point of
view. The southern side or slope is the Tex
| as of this article, and has a variable width OF
from three to five hundred miles, and a
| length east and west, from six to eight hun
dred.
glance at the map shows numerous riv-
ers rising in the high lands, all having courses
!, east of south towards the Gulf At first
view, and without investigation, it would be
taken for granted that such country must
be admirably watered and teeming with a
richness of soil and vegetation which its To-
cation upon the continent would seem to en-
title it. Experience and fact, however, put
a different complexion upon the matter, and
exhibit full half of this large area as deficient
in several of the most important requisites
to permanent use, and consequent settlement.
1t is doubtless a piece of pedantry to al
lude constantly to meteorological deductions
and facts, as is done in these articles-but it
would be mere folly to attempt to describe
section of country, without giving some of
the causes which determine its fertility or
barrenness. 1t would be quite as ridiculous
as the act of some parties who constantly
parade the great number of acres of unoccu-
pied lands in the United States, as basis of
wealth, without an allusion to the conditions
their estimates the supreme of folly and alb
surdity. 1t is best to get at the truth, even
if Mrs. Grundy's sneer at the reproduction of
scientific facts-else these articles had best
not be written.
1t is difficult for dweller at the North to
conceive of country, margined throughout
by sea, whose pillows break necessarily up
on its long beaches, destitute, or largely des-
titute of water 1t is even more so, to con-
ceive of an immense region, traversed by
numerous rivers, through hundreds of miles
of plains, where drouth is nearly constant,
and rains rare In some former article it has
been explained that the Gulf winds are for
about ten months in each year nearly uni
form and continuous from the southwest.
They come from the Pacific, across Central
America, where the mountain barrier is low,
and strike the Texas coast near Matagorda
Bay, continuing inland over all the coun-
try eastward, while another currant fol-
lows more inland, keeping closer to the
mountainous regions of Mexico, and following
the same general direction. These air cur
rents are loaded with moisture. What is
wanted is condenser of cold to make them
give down their treasures, and this is the
emission" of the mountains, to milk the
clouds and they do this more or less
thoroughly, as they are giants or dwarfs.
The Texas mountains, though pigmies, are
still sufficiently elevated to reach and con-
dense the lower stratum of moist atmosphere
which rides over them during a portion of
every season, and during the balance of the
time are themselves too much heated to full
fill their mission properly. The aggregate
result, however, is, plenteous rains in the
mountain country and table lands, giving rise
to rivers which traverse long stretches of
plains, for the most parched or barren.
The climate of Texas, therefore, as a
whole, is deficient in necessary moisture-the
eastern part tolerably well watered-the
western, except as to the higher lands, rain
less and barren. The rivers in Eastern Tex
as, receiving more rain, have broader bot
toms than those further west. These bot
toms furnish most of the wood lands of the
lower country. When cleared up, they make
the sugar country of the State, but their to-
tai area is of very limited extent. The
country between the streams and water
courses, is, in the main, dry, rolling prairie,
blessed with good soil, and lacking moist
ure only to produce everything needful in I'M
limited abundance. Along the heads of the
rivers towards the west, large German settle
ments formerly existed, and probably do now,
though they have suffered greatly by this
rebellion, Theirs is grain growing country,
and it is well authenticated that their fields
have often yielded an everage of 20 bushels
of wheat, of first class, to the acre. 1t is
from this source the rebels are supposed to
obtain their chief supply of -four.
But the main agricultural interest of Texas
is stock raising In the multitude of its cat
tie, horses and sheep, it far surpasses every
other section of the Union. The dry plains
of the interior are covered with nutritive
grass and, as there is practically little of
winter, the cost of an animal is merely that
of occasional herding, marking, and shearing.
When the enormous wool-crop of Texas, for
several years past unavailable, is once thrown
upon the market, it is reasonable to antici-
pate such fall in present swindling prices as
will collapse some of that class of patriots