The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-01-13

BLANco CANON, CROSBY Co.. ,
December 21st. 1880.

BLANCo CANON, CROSBY Co..
December 21st. 1880.
Editor Statesman
THERE'S something romantic about
these canons and surrounding
plains Familiarity known as the
"Llano Estacado One would
imagine a boundless stretch OF
prairie. limited in all directions by
the horizon. monotonous, dreary
waste, the Great American Desert.
offering but little 10 invite settle
ment or attract interest. My obser-
vation from two months surveying
and prospecting in this terra in
cognito" has convinced Inc Of the
error of any previous opinions |
may have formed of this section OF
the state. The canons, hemmed in
by the plains, the latter rising some
two hundred feet above the bed OF
the streams in the former. are as
fair and picturesque as the famous
valley of the Shenandoah. OF most
favored sections in this respect III
California, afiording their perennial
springs of pure, sweet and mineral
waters, gypsum. salt, iron. lime and
sulphur: also, nutritious grasses.
green all winter. capable Of sus-
tanning sufficient cattle to supply
the nations. The breaks of the
plains, corresponding to second
valley prairie, encrusted with pure
white gypsum ana mica, assuming
many dazzling shapes. remind one
of the battlements of an old fortress
or castle, or the profile of a large
city with its cathedral walls and
varied habitations OF the humble
and princely of a huge metropolis.
Romauce fingers on the summit OF
these horizontal, fancifully-shaped
bluffs of the LlanO Estacado, so
called, and the dreamer or romancer
would never exhaust his genius in
painting vivid pictures of the mag
nation. This portion of the state
having but little protection from
the incursions OF the Indian
has not vet been favorite field for
settlement, and only within the past
three or four years. few hardy,
fearless stOckmen have brought ont
their focks from the overcroWded
ranges of the interior. to enjoy the
rich Lasturage afforded here. These
pioneers, for such they are and de-
serve to be regarded as much as
stockmen, arc traduced and misrep-
resented, live in the most primitive
style imaginable. A cave in the
ground in many instances. covered
only with poles and earth affording
them shelter from the snow and
blood-freezing northers, which come
often with the force and intensity
of a siroCo from the timberles,
plains. Agriculture has not been
tried here, but the soil in this and
MANY of the surrounding counties,
red chocolate loan, in some in
stances mould, must in time WELD
abundantly to the efforts of the hus-
bandman. The immense amount Of
snow 1--WE have it on the ground now
five inches deep falling during the
fall months, it seems would prepare
the soil for early spring crops of
cereals, and the volunteer piEm
thickets and wild currant indicate
that many of the fruits would do
we'll here. The rainfall, so [ am in
formed by settlers, has been average
for many years past, even upon the
plains, and with the exception Of
few arid sand-wastes and salt de-
posts, it is fair to predict that in
time the great American desert will
have followed the red man, or PROV
ed as Veritabie myth rs the Wan
dering Jew.
The tall sedge grass upon the
plains has been burning for week
or more past only ceasing withthe re-
cent snowfall and the canons are lit
up as by the intensity of Syrian sun
or electric light. These usual annual
burnings are really an advantage,
fertilizing and adding strength to
the spring grasses.
DeWey'sLake.n named for the Young
lady, once Miss Annie Dewey,who has
recently died in Providence. 4. l.. is
quite beautiful little sheet of water
running northwest by southeast.
some 500 yards. with a mean width
of some $50 or 200 yards. 1t is not
as large as We had expected to see,
being only an enlargement of White
RIVER, or Catfish Creek.
Capt. Arlington with thirty ran
gers is stationed at this point, and
we find him courteous gentleman
in all respects. His long absence
from the refining influences of more
civilized life has not circumscribed
his generous, manly instincts.
This gallant little command is worth
much to this portion of our state,
costs but little, and we, as an out
slider, consider the continuance of
the rangers in the field as necessary
to the development of the old COM
monwealth, and security of the from
tier, as the election ofthe governors
cabinet officers, or the enforcement
of quarantine to keep out pestilence,
really sine que non, anu the
next legislature should not forgetit
Your amateur sportsman would
go into ecstacies or something worse
over the abundance OF game in this
locality, buflaloes, antilopes. deer,
turkey, prairie chicken. etc, etc.
The Texas s. Pacific railroad is
nearly graded to Colorado City in
Mitchell county. We saw with our
own eyes the grading in Taylor
county, and by March next we may
look out for the trains as far as the
Colorado river.
If this don't satisfy you | may
write You from the crossing.
NOUNAc,
IKE following items of White