The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-03-30


their money and watches, and were then set
to work-at the peril of their lives if they
refused to obey orders-opening the letters
that had been emptied from the mali sacks
upon the ground. The passengers say that
many letters were found to contain small
amounts of money, drafts, and postoffice
money orders, and one letter was found to
contain probably not less than one thousand
dollars in bills. The drafts were all taken
and only the money orders left. The names
of the passengers are as follows:
r. Mckenzie, OF Louisville, KY, lost
$50 in money and a watch and chain valued
at $3.50. His brother, X. Mckenzie, of
Ohio, $135 and a watch and chain worth
$500.
Dr. H. c. Parker, of Houston, lost a
watch and chain worth $40, and small
amount of money.
One of the robbers, the most affable one,
seemed to know the Doctor and did not
want to rob him of his watch, but the other
said, take it, want it," and the Doctor
had to give it up.
Mr.. J. E. Howard, of st. Louis, had
money with him in vest pocket, but he
worked it up under his necktie and it was
not found and he got off without loss.
Fl. JUST, jr., Of Louisville, lost but four
or five dollars, and we could not learn
what W. H. Smith, of Brushy, and Sam
Mullins, Of Kentucky lost. Alderman pas
senger, who lives in this city, and whose
name we could not learn, met with the
loss of $50 in money and valuable watch
and chain. So soon as the robbers had
finished their job and secured all
their booty, they allowed the pas
sengers to pick up the scattered
contents of the mail bags, and they
helped themselves to the lead stage
horses and lit out, saying they would turn
them loose at midnight. The only disguise
these bold highwaymen wore VISA pair of
goggles each. They were of medium
weight and apparently both were young
men. One was about five feet ten inches
high, ard the other not more than five feet
eight or nine inches.
This bold and outrageous deed should and
no doubt will have Its effect. Certainly it,
together with the many crimes that are
daily committed all over the country, calls
loudly for early and more rigid Legislation
on the part of the new legislature soon to
assemble. The very fact that people are
forbidden by law from carrying weapons
emboldens the reckless and desperate
characters of the country, who neither fear
law or respect the rights of others, to go
prepared to rob and plumber those who, re-
speeding the laws, are totally unprepared to
face such emergencies. We have no sug-
gestIons whatever to make at present, but
we know we reflect public sentiment
when we say that something must
be done at the beginning of the
legislative session for the enforcement of
law and order and perfect peace and secu-
rity. Texas has never experienced such a
carnival of crimes as in the last few months,
and there is certainly feeling of personal
insecurity.
TRAVIS COUNTY WHEAT FlELDs.-Cotton
and corn now constitute the leading pro-
ducts of Travis county of an area of about
one thousand square miles; but the produc-
ton of wheat, oats and grasses attracts an
nually larger share of attention. Fol
twenty miles above and west of Austin the
Colorado river falls from six to fifty feet pei
mile, and wheE utilized, as it must be, fol
purposes of irrigation, two and even -four
crops annually will be produced in the same
fields. Therefore the infinite anticipated
value of farms along the rivers beautiful
valley. But from the narrow mountain
range that crosses the county, perennial
streams traverse the plans, and, penetrating
the valleys, make the country about Austir
the very paradise of wheat growers. The
wheat producing capacity of The State is es
timated at IFS, 900, 900 bushels, while the
cotton crop of last year, about 800, 0O(
bales, was worth one-fourth the value o.
this possible grain crop. Thirteen of 16t
counties produced last year SO, 600. 600 wortl
of wheat. 1t is drier, and the heaviest known
containing less moisture than any wheat
produced west of the Rocky Mountains
1t therefore bears shipment through
the Southern States aud to South AmericS
and the Indies, better than any other
and Travis county farms may be prop
erly appreciated. This Travis county
wheat contains more muscle -produc
ing qualities than that grown in Hi
nois, aud reaches market from four IL
six weeks earlier than flour made east Of
the Rocky Mountains. 1t meets in tn,
worlds markets last years crop, and there
fore commands the highest prices. The
average wheat known to commerce a
\ grade No. /, weighs sixty pounds to HI
/ bushel, and contains about nine pounds o
water. As the measured bushel of whea
increases in specific gravity, it contains
greater proportion of nutritious properties
and less quantity of water, and the les
water It contains the more perfectly it j
adapted for Southern shipment when groun,
into flour. No. Texas wheat weighs six
ty-one pounds to the bushel; No. . from
sixty-three to sixty-four, and No. 1 owe
slxty-fye pounds. These qualities of Travi
county wheat are mainly due to the pecu
liar circumstances Of soil and climate unde
which it is produced, and as our farmer
gain experience the average quality o
wheat Will be improved. TIE skillful sta
tistician OF Galveston, A. N. Hobby, de
clAres that Texas both in fecnndi,y o
crops and in the nutritiousness of esel
grain of its wheat is unsurpassed. Th'
average wheat yield throughout the Unitee
States is fifteen bushels per acre. The av'
erage product of thirteen counties OF Texa
last year was twenty-fOuT and half bush
els per acre; thirty-6ve and forty bushel
were not unusual. These counties had il
/ cultivation last wear in wheat sol OOo acres