Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-04-24
[From the Anderson Intelligeucer.]
Something About Texas.

Mr.. EDITOR: Having business in North.
western Texas, in company with my brother,
James B. Moore, left Anderson Court
House on the evening of the 17th of March
last, aud went by the WY of Atlanta to
West Point, ut which place we changed
cars for Montgomery, Mobile, New Orleans,
Morgan City, and from thence by steamer
across tho Gulf of Mexico to Galveston,
thence up the Galveston Bay to within six
miles of Houston, making tho remainder
by rail, and from Houston to Dallas, on the
Galveston aud Texas Central Railroad, and
from there to Forth Worth, end thence
by stage to tho city of Weatler-
ford, in Parker County, and Jacksborough,
in Jack County. Our business being in
this county, We remained in it for four
days, upon lands on the Trinity River
the only time spent in tho State outside of
the timo spent on steamboats,, railroads and
hack lines. Therefore, under the circum-
stances Of such rapid passage, it is not
to be expected that we can give very
accurate account Of the soil, climate aud
business of the sections of the State through
risk in saying that the soil is by far the
qualities are not likely to he over estimated
and an average crop in Northwest Texas is
claimed to be from Is to 20 bushels of
wheat, from 80 to 60 of corn and about
three fourths of II bale Of cotton per acre
No manure is used. We never saw single
sack of fertilizer of any kind 10 the STATE.
Hhe lands in Northwest Texas are not only
rich and productive, but they are in large
quantities already cleared and ready for the
plov, with sulliciency Of scrubby timber
for fencing and building of log cabins and
outhouses Two horses, or "a yoke uf oxen
are sufficient animal power to draw M eight
or ten inoh plow. Tho cod ia cut by the
plow from two to two and half inches and
turned completely over, and when rottcd
the land is reudy for cultivation. TO turn
the sod in spring or early summer fi.s the
land for sowing wheat in the fall; to turn it
10 the fall for cultivation in the spring.
An average team of horses will turn one
acre day, and tho saiDe manual labor that
guides the plow here will guide it there;
10 other words, good pow boy here is one
there.
The citizens claim the country to be
healthy, but you find many families who
suffer and are now suffering with ohlls and
fever, and many persons have pneumonia in
Jack County this spring-some ousea fatal
but the great majority Of tho citizens
appear to be US heulthy as any people any.
whero. The way many of them live, in
miserable huts, dirt floors, &c., it would
seem that they invite sickness d disease
will state here that whilo it is olsimed.--
and it is doubtless for tho most part true
that Texas has more doctors than she
nceds, this is not the case 10 all Of Jack
County.
Jack is limestone county, as are all the
other Northwestern counties Of tho State
Often nearly all the streams 60 dry. The
Trinity River was barely running when We
we're there; but the creeks and rivers when
they cease to run do not dry com plctey up,
but stand in lakes, furnishing plenty of
water for the stock. On the creeks and
valleys are to be found lakes disconnected
with the creeks. They are sinks, filled
with rain watcr, and the character of the
ground is such that it holds this water until
it evaporates or is taken out by use. Tho
citizens, COWS, sheep, hogs aud goats and
oil use this water in common out of these
lakes, and as matter of course the water is
as JfItty as 1t we'll can be. But they say it
is good enough, and make no effort for
better. ln come places good limestone
springs are found, and the more industrious
find but little trouble, for the most part, to
obtain a we'll of good wator, but you often
times fail to obtain water by digging, and
sometimes when obtained is unfit for uso.
All persons can have good oistern water as
ohoap in Texas as here. The creeks and
lakes havo quantities of fue fsh, among
them tho blue cat.