The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-03-24
West Texas Wanderines

Our wanderings have led Us across the
Nueees river at point named after one
of the Old-fashioned names among our
Southwestern nelghbOrs, that once claim
ed all this beautiful cOuntry-Manchaca.
The point of crossing Is familiar to the
jewellers OF Western Texas. IL was effect
ed with difficulty from the character Of
lands aud the want of industry manifest
in furtbering the interest Of others.
The country from the TOrtuga to
this crossing is wide valley Of
level lands and in width about seven
miles. Soon after leaving the TOrtuga we
crossed the line of survey on the Mar
sIss eleven league grant. bought by W.
5. Carothers and 6. A. Seabright. They
had just finished the surveying OF the
two eleven league grants. The lands are
as fine as you will see i'm this part of the
state. The river fronts with wide bot
toms, finely timbered, and as you stretch
back towards the back line the country
is covered with fine grass interpreted
with large mesquite timber and chapparal
brush of various species. These lands will
soon be under good fences and stocked
with cattle, and ranches of that magnitude
properly stocked and managed, will soon
be of immense value. The great wealth
of Western Texas will be found in her
stock resources, and in few years, just
such ranches as have mentioned win be
vance wave of wealth has just began to
find an outlet in this part of the country.
Men from the East, from the West, from
the North and from the South, and the
thinking and enterprising men Of Europe
are now looking to these immense
grass lands for investment of cap:
ftal The more accurate and calcu-
lating stock men of this part of the
country have their capital invested in
stock, which will pay from twenty-five to
thirty per cent. per annum. and compound
even these figures, If carefully managed.
The larger portion of the better grass
lands are found on eithers side Ofthe rivers
and the country on either side of the
Nueces 10 fenced for many miles. Most of
the stock men prefer to lease their lands
instead of owning them, and many large
stock men lease lands as a matter OF econ
omy. Lands that are fenced can be had
at about from five TO six cents per acre per
year and the parties so leasing to keep up
the fencing. Truly at so astonishing low
| figures, men of small capital, if indnstri-
Gus, may in few years make small for
tunes by leasing lands and stocking them.
It Is more profitable to lease lands (, r
| stock, than to purchas q them, at the pres
| ent low prices of good lands in
this part of the country. Lands
can be purchased in large bodies from
| one dollar TO two dollars per acre, bu
| this figure will not long remain at such
| a low price. Capital invested In lands IN
large bodies will be in much greater de-
mand than small tracts, from the simple
| fact that man of capital will not invest
simply in u few sections of land, and eX-
| pect to 90 into the stock business. In
lvestments In stock and lands are like the
/ investment In railroads or merchandise.
| The party investing to make money rapid
| ly must have IA large capital to COM
| mand the trade or control the market.
| THE NUECES
| river, SO unlike in its general character
| from other streams IN Western Texas.
/ At one point the banks are steep and the
river narrow, at other points it spreads
| out and seems lost. Then the banks are
| sloping and at the foot beautiful blue
| sheet of water, and placid as 4 lake and by
| the inhabitants called lake. These Sc
| ries of changes are well marked for many
miles along the line of our travel. The
country is but sparely Inhabited, and the
| population are of that olden kind, pastor
| ial. You see the hocks and herds rs
they come and go from the fold in count
| ess numbers, to the quiet feeding grounds,
| or you hear the wilder note of the herds
man as he hurries by to keep in line to
the distant pasture his refractory herd,
This country is largely fenced for many
miles on either side of the river
and the pasture usually extends
back to distance of from
three to eight miles. The soil is unusu.
ally productive, and will, in the course oi
few years, not only be the great grass
region of the West, but alike he denomi'
mated country of equal value for the
cereals. The general character Of the
soil will produce still another valuable
crop, tobacco, and the finer grades of cot
ton. These surely will he successfully
cultivated. All that ems to prevent
the successful culture of this naturally
moved by the construction of railroads
and the init oduction of scientific farmers
whose skill will soon prove the truth Of
| all that has been written. DELTA.