San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-15
Corr. Dallas Herald.

Corr. Dauss "os
Red river proper. Salt Fork, PRAIRIE
dog.town Fork, and their upper tnD"'
aries have their sources in tho deep
ravines of the eastern border OF the
Llauo Estacado (Staked Plain), which
are very narrow and sometimes several
hundred feet deep. The sharp ana
ragged outline OF the edge of the PLAIN,
together with the deep ravines and
broken character of the detached noun
tains, render the scenery OF that region
highly peculiar. Everywhere may be
seen the powerful action OF water,
which for centuries rushed down from
the highlands of Texas to assist the
aFather of Waters" in creating Louis
lana. It is apparent that the upper
basin of Red river once formed the
eastern slope of the high plain, but
from the washing Of the waters, the
rich substance red clay with a dissolv-
ed mixture of sulphate Of lime, has
been carried off and settled gradually
along the lower streams, and now forms
the rich bottoms of Red river; while
the sandy portion of the soil settled in
the upper streams and caused the beds
of quicksand. Descending tho prongs
of Red river towards their junction, the
country becomes less broken and more
level and fertile, until it forms at the
foot of Wichita mountains an apparent
ly boundless, slightly undulating prairie,
out of which granite peaks rise in 81,
gantic masses like the pyramids Of
Egypt. Red river flows in an easterly
course until it encounters the Wichita
mountains; thence it turns south and
receives the Salt Fork, having wound
its way around the mountains, and hay
ing it's waters increased by the Prairie.
dog.town Fork and Pease rivers, it re-
sumes it's eastern course.
The False Wichita river, the most
northern tributary Of Red river flows
to the north of the Wichita mountains.
Thus the waters Of Red river embrace,
as it we're, that beautiful mountain
country, with its rich and picturesque
and charming valleys, its pure icy
springs and limpid streams, its droves
of mustangs, and herds of buffalo, elk,
deer, and other game feeding among
mesquite forests. The
mountains are masses Of greensboro
upheaved by some action Of volcanicity.
The peaks are generally disconnected,
the sides steep and bare, but covered
in some places with scrubby cedar and
oak. On the SUBMITS and in excava.
lions of some of the mountains where
water had collected and the soils ap-
peared to be moist generally. I also
found blackberries and currants; con-
siderable tall and we'll grown mountain
cedar, chitam (gum tree) and bois.
l'arc. West of the basin Of Red river
we encounter the rugged outlines of the
Llano Estacado. The edge Of the plain
IS not one continuous bluff but is deep
y indented and bordered by detached
nils and remnants Of the plain from
which they have been severed by the
action of water.
On reaching the table-land view
presents itself as boundless as the ocean.
Not tree or shrub relieves the mono.
ony Of an apparently limitless carpet
If grass. The greatest breadth of this
great plain west Of the sources of Red
liver is about 1875 miles; it is more
II less rolling prairie, with a general
elevation Of 1000 to 1850 feet above
he sea. 1t attains its highest elevation
lear the eastern line of New Mexico,
where sand-ridges form a crest or
divide With the exception of some
andy and gravelly belts, the plateau is
covered with thick coating of "gama"
nd other grasses, which will afford
bundant pasturage during the whole
ear to unlimited herds of cattle. At
ONE seasons of the year rains are abund-
mt, which 1 am induced to think are
'retty regular, but the soil soon be-
ONES dry on account Of the percola-
ion of the water through the loose soil
0 the substratum or clay. A portion
f the water collects on depressions
nd forms ponds, and with improve