San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-11-02
THE SUGAR BOWL OF TEXAS.
A DeserIp,iou OF the Vast Resources Of the Four
Counties OF Brazorin, Matagorda,
Wharton and Fort Bend.
From the Annual September Edition OF the Calves
ION News.

The history of the sugar bowl O
Texas is linked with the history OF th'
Lone Star Republic from its inception
from it's first settlement-down u
the time within the memory OF those
still living. Columbia, on the lower
Brazos, is where the first capital OF
the republic was located, and 1t Is
there that President Houston delivered
his inaugural address.
The sugar bowl proper comprises
the four counties Of Brazorla, Fort
Bend, Matagorda and Wharton, all
having the richest lands in the world
There are many who claim that the
sugar belt is much larger than tins
and stretches over the coast country
comprising the counties of Orange,
Jefferson, Liberty, Chambers, Harris
Galveston, jackson, Calhoun, Veto
ria, Refugio, San Patricio, Arkansas,
! Nueces, and Cameron, together with
the four counties first named. 1t
embraces p, SIT square miles OF ter
ritory. But the purpose OF tins afu-
Gle is to call attention strictly to the
sugar-bowl proper, and to give his
tory of it's boupdless resources IN
general, and of the sugar interest III
particular. The number of square
miles in these four counties are est
mated at about 5000, and the mum
Der of acres at little over 100000.
About one-third is bottom land, and
capable of raising from one, to three
hogsheads of sugar to the acre, with
two barrels of molasses to each hogs
head of sugar. The country is very
thinly settled, and the plantations
have not been handled properly since
the war. In the year 1879 there were
produced about 1864 hogsheads OF
sugar in Brazoria county, and about
1924 barrels of molasses, valued at
about S45O,OOO. If this land was all
planted in sugar, it would yield about
twice the amount of sugar and molas,
ses now consumed in the United
States. These lands do mot lie, las
some suppose, in a low and marshy
country, but are drained by the larg-
est rivers in the State. Bordering on
the extreme west is the Colorado,
stretching from the northern part of
the State, skirted on either side by
the finest timber in the South, and
pouring it's waters into Matagorda
bay. Old Caney is the next east OF
it, and has been pronounced by chem
ical analysis the richest land in the
world, exceeding the celebrated rich
alluvial deposits of the Nile. This
creek is very crooked, and could be
crossed as much as four times in one
mile on an airline. The water is
very clear, and has more varieties OF
fish in it than any other river in the
State. 1t is navigable for small yes
sells distance of about twelve miles
up from it's mouth. Planters in that
section have raised as much as three
bales of cotton, 100 bushels of corn
and four hogsheads of sugar to the
acre. Crops in this region are never
a failure, and with good, ordinary
cultivation will always yield a bounti-
full harvest. Crops are reported
better here this year than any other
year since the war. There is little
timber on this creek, it being all cane
brake.
The San Bernard is the next stream
east of Old Caney. 1t is not very
long, and only navigable about
twenty-five miles. 1t is considered
one of the most beautiful rivers in
Texas. 1t abounds with fish of many
fine varieties, and the scenery pre-
sents a beautiful appearance. The
timber on this river is of all varieties
and of the best kind. The live-oak
that of any other portion of
the United States, if not of heworld,
and as good for ship building as can
be found. Cedar groves are plenti-
full, and there is and has been a large
amount shipped for piling and tele-
graph poles over the State, along the
lines of the various railroads, besides
being extensively used for lumber,
and some has been shipped to Eu-
rope. This trade is just developing,
and with a railroad through this Sec
ton, would become a great industry,
and also with other timbers, which
will be mentioned hereafter. The
Bernard is about ten miles from Old |
Caney, and twenty-five from the Col
1ado. Schooners do a large amount |
IF trading along this river. The soil
IS the rich alluvil found on all the
rivers of this country, and is specially
adapted to sugar-nising, as in fact
Ire all The bottom lands. Most all of