The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-03-25
Northern Texas.
DENTON, Tex, March IL, 1882.

neonlc as Texas Some five years since, rs
vour readers know, visited this state, travel
lnC two thousand miles therein, and nave
since read regularly its leading newspaper, the
Neas. as well as such other printed matter as
could obtain. But thinking | could learn
much more accurately and rapidly abont this
magnificent domain by personal visit, l
packed my grip.sack and lunch-basket ana
started ria the c., b. Il q and the Mo. ~ Fac.
for this place
Benton, the county seat of Denton county,
has a population of about $500, and Is most
beautifully situated on a knoll or slight eleva-
lion. the ground declining each way from
the center of the town, and on nearly every
side IN the distance is seen timber frlnging the
CITY and adding by contrast to Its beauty IL
is difficult to find a town possessing more ma
tural advantages than this, and when those
vacant lots are occupied with pleasant cottages
or more stately residences, such as are now
seen TO some extent and the few farms visible
become multiplied by ten or twenty, as they
soon will be- the city will seem like delight
full picture set in frame, the joint work OF
nature and art, and on which the eye will rest
with qualification and delight. The people
here, and during the past week l have met
with many of them, arc courteous and afiablc
TO degree refined and intelligent; the bust
ness men sharp shrewd, active, honorable and
liberal minded; the ladies-well | have seen
but very few in their own homes, but they
would grace any circle or society. | may re.
mark here that | observe what | noted five
years age, that while the Southern men will
welcome all strangers who have the appear.
ance and manners of gentlemen, and give them
freely such information as they may possess,
they will not introduce them to the sacred
precincts of their homes until thoroughly con-
WINGED by actual acquaintance of their WORTH
ness, and then am told Southern hospitality
is almost unbounded-the correct thing to do
in my judgment in both cases
Ottawa and La Sale county are represented
here by Col. w. l.. Dunavan, who owns a beau
tifui tract of land near the city; by his son, j.
G. Dunavan, who keeps the Dunavans House,
which is neat, clean and in excellent order
and which is filled to OVERLOOKING nearly all
the time Shurtz l. Chrantz, of Mendoza, who
are thriving merchants; V. G.. Harris, with
Robinson & Co and who seems as much at
home here as in Ottawa, and others whom |
have not yet seen.
No more courteous and reliable gentlemen
can be found anywhere than ID. A. Robinson
81 Co., bankers and real estate dealers, who
generously offered me the tree use of their of.
8ce while here, and very kindly assisted me in
acquiring facts for use in this letter, Mr.. Rob.
inson being particularly active In introduc-
ing me to county officials, picking up needed
items, and capturing and bringing into the
tho bank score or more of intelligent farmers
and business men, who checrfully and grace
fully submitted to the pumping process, and
gave me all the information in their power.
Prom Mr.. Clark the assessor, learned that
the taxable value Of real estate in the county
was $3,44T, 213; of personal property, 1923
492; total of $466O,705.
There were returned for taxation in 1881
1917 horses and mules, 1864 cattle, 6,272
sheep, l0360 hogs; the figures in all cases be
ing about go per cent. too low according TO
Mr., Clarhs estimate.
The rate of taxation last year was $ll5 for
state, county and city tax combined (the as
sessed value being about onc-half the actual
aalueG AMI THIS year 1t will be some 10 per
cent less And yet the people here, or some
Of them. are denouncing these excessively high
taxes and think something must be done to
put stop to IT.
From Judge Scruggs learn that the county
is out of debt and will have, when this years
tax is collected, u surplus of $4,000 to be used
for roads and bridges.
The school fund Is now $l1 900, and the
county's pro rata OF state tax for schools Is
$4,000,
As shall nave something more to say later
On the school question, l will only add now
that the Judge is ex-oflicio county school su-
perintendent, president of the board of county
commissioners, judge of the probate court,
ana has jurisdiction in criminal cases, as well
as In civil cases, up to $1,000 (this in a county
of 10000 people, and has several other attach.
ments to his office with which to while away
The weary hours. His travels over the county
in the ln,eres, of the schools. OF which there
are 50, are not remarkably extensive.
made very careful and numerous inquiries
Of farmers, millers and dealers, as to wheat
and find, summing up the various opinions
and drawing conclusions from the whole, thai
fair osGGge yield Of wheat for the last five
years was IL bushels to the acre, as the land
has been cultivated; but one farmer remarked
that he knew an Illinois man who raised about
80 bushels TO the acre, he reckoned, and right
nice L, was. All agreed that for the most part
the land was not weA cultivated, and did