San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-07
Hays County, continued.]

ficiept to run all the machinery in
Texas, or that may be here within the
next fifty years, makes it wonderfully
attractive and valuable. 1t now has
many mills and gins in successful
operation located upon it. Water can
also be found by digging from 20 to 40
feet, but it is very hard from lime anc
mineral substances. Cistern water is
therefore preferred for domestic use'
Iii the best in all countries, but more
indispensable iu Texas than in some
others.
Hays county stands prc'eminent, we
believe, in this portion of Western
Texas, as combining the grand essen
tials of good soil, and sufficiency OF
timber and water. in convenient prox-
unity. There is also an abundance OF
building stone, Of fine quality and
easily worked. Stone is also used ex-
>tensively for fencing.
POPULATION, ETC.
The population Of Hays county in
1870, as reported by the United States
census, was 4O88, of whom 1917 were
colorcd. The county it is believed now
contains q population Of over 7,OOO.
The colored population has no doubt
relatively decreased since 1870, and
the tendency is steadily in the direc-
ton of a continued decrease OF that
element. The population, aside from
natives Of Texas, is mostly from the
older Southern States, but nearly
every State in the Union probably las
rs representatives.. Foreign born peo-
ple are rare. except Germans, who are
numerous, and a most vnluable ele'
mont. The voting population is about
1900, of which more than three-fourths
are Democrats.
SOCIETY, SCHOOLS, TAXES, ETC.
The county is noted for the good
morals and intelligence of her people,
rs a general rule. As to education
while good private schools are sustain
ed, there is as yet no well organized
system of public schools. Ample pro
vision has been made in the State by
law for an ultimate large public school
fund derived from appr' priations OF
the public domain, but thus Tar,
through. official mismanagement and
unfaithfulness, it has not been made
available, and it is difficult to say
when it will be. The school lands be-
longing to Hays county however, are
advertised for sale. We have new
Free School house, in which a school
was taught the greater portion of this
scholastic year. Taxes are light, but
increasing and likely to continue to in
crease. The State tax, however, is
only so cents on the 500, and having
new county buildings, all paid for,
no railroad bonds, aud consequently
no bond tax, there is no good reason
for heavy county taxes. The county
il at this writing out of debt with q
small balance in the treasury.
CLIMATE-HEALTH.
The climate is great Improvement
on that of the Northern States, the
winters being much milder and short.
'er, while the summers, although long
and rather enervating, are not. owing
TO the prevalence OF the Gulf breeze,
so oppressive as they are at times, at
the North The nights are nearly al
ways comparatively cool and pleasant.
The range of the thermometer is from
20 to % desrees above zero-seldom
as low as the former, and not very Of
ten above the latter. Yet the climate
is not as perfect AS some portions OF
California aud Mexico, but We think
only second to them, During the
winter and spring it is the most change.
able we have ever known. 1t exhib-
It's, in fact, all the leading character
istics Of the Atlantic States generally.
only mitirated by latitude. \ polar
wave" at the North is nearly always
speedily followed by a "norther' and
cold spell propOrtionate to the eli
mate here. so that the state Of the
weather here is pretty sure general
index as to what il Is there. Frosis
sccur down TO the first Of Msy, making
the fruit crop very uncertain. and ne
cess;'atinc frequent REPEATING oicrops.