The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-28
SAN SABA COUNTY.
Its Topography and Salient Charac-
taristics.

teristics.
This county is in north latitude 81
deg. 10 min., and east longitude 9S
deg. 40 min., and San Saba, the county
seat is about ninety miles northwest
of the city of Austin. Area, 1l31
| square miles.
Population in 1870. ..... LABS
Population in 1880 g per
cent colored). .......... 1924
Assessed value of taxable
property in 1870. ...... 8 420,5O6
Assessed value of taxable
property in 1881. ... l.179944
Assessed value of taxable
property in 1882. ....... 1,6SO,253
Assessed value of live stock
in 1881. ............... 370.2sl
Assessed value of livestock
in 1882 ............ 1895
The face of the county is diversified
by hills, valleys and plains, the val
leys being generally broad, and often
level, and the hills, for the most part.
lofty, irregular and rugged. Thegen-
eral altitude increases from east to
west, and in the southern part there
are number of peaks rising abruptly
from the level plains to an elevation
of several hundred feet. The tim
bered uplands are more or less un-
| dulating, and marked by narrow val
leys along the streams. The bottoms
and level uplands are more or less
densely covered with mesquite, post
oak, cedar, elm, hve-oak, wild china
and blackberry, about nine-tenths of
the area being timbered. In the val
leys bordering on streams the pecan
and cottonwood attain a large size,
but most of the timber is scrubby and
suitable chiefly for fuel and fencing.
! The Colorado river washes the
northern and eastern borders of the
county for distance, by the course of
| the stream, of about 100 miles, and the
San Saba river flows nearly centrally
through it from southwest to north
east. Both of these streams are bold
and unfailing, and tributary to them
are large number of constantly run
ming streams, some of which are used
| for purposes of irrigation, and as mo-
tive power for mills and gins. Bold
| springs are found everywhere, and
within the limits of the town of San
Saba is spring, which, short dist
ance from its source, furnishes motive
power for a Touring mill, grist mill,
saw mill, and cotton gin, and its wa
ters are also utilized to irrigate field
Of about fifty acres.
The valley lands of the Colorado and
San Saba rivers and their tributaries,
ranging from a half mile to three
miles in width, are most esteemed for
farms. The soil of the Colorado bot
tom is mellow, friable red loan, and
that of the valley of the San Saba and
| its tributaries rich, deep, dark allu-
vial soil, with less admixture of sand
| than the former. On the uplands the
soil is in some pieces barely sufficient to
cover the rocks; in others, notably on
the post oak uplands, it is deep gray
loan easily titled, free, and fairly pro-
ductive, the farming lands altogether
embracing about one-half of the area.
Improved agricultural implements are
used to a considerable extent, and the
yield of corn, cotton, wheat, oats, rye,
barley, sorghum, potatoes, melons,
onions, and millet is fully up to the
average production of the state. The
mean annual rainfall is about thirty
inches, but is not, as a rule, so distrib-
uted as to be propitious for midsum-
mer crops, and irrigation, facilities
for which are abundant and
convenient, is much employed.
Vegetables, especially, are not success
fully grown without irrigation, but
where it is used the yield is very
large. Peaches and plums do well,
and wild plums, grapes and the arger-
ite or Texas currant. grow in profu-
sion. The pecan nut crop is heavy
about every alternate year, and the
nuts are of fine size and quality.
Grazing lands are held at from so
cents to So per acre, those suitable for
farms at from SO to So, improved
tracts at from $40 to $20, and culti-
waited land rents at from SO to So an
acre.
The native grasses cover nearly the
entire area not enclosed for farms, the
curly mesquite being the richest and
most abundant variety. As rule,
range stock are never fed, but keep in
good condition the year round on the
open range, or in large enclosed pas
lures. The assessment rolls for 1882
credit the county with 40,849 cattle,
1924 horses and mules, 39,245
sheep, 543 goats, and 8435 hogs. Sheep
usually live on the range, but in se-
we're winters thrive better if given
more or less hay or cotton seed. They
are very healthy, and the weight of
annual fleece is about six pounds.
Much attention is paid to improving
the breeds of stock, and Angora goats
have been successfully introduced. All
kinds of work animals and domestic
food supplies are cheap. Fowls are
raised in large numbers, and few
deer, turkeys, and large numbers of
partridges and squirrels are found in
many portions of the county, and
several kinds of small fish are abun-
dant.
Ignite coal of inferior quality, iron,
copper silver, lead, and manganese
: exist, and traces of gold have been dis
covered, but neither of the five last
named metals has as yet been found
in paying quantities. In the southern
part are large beds of iron ore OF ex-
cellent quantity, and extensive forma-
tions of building stone, and of several
rare and beautiful varieties of marble,
are found in several portions of the
county. OF specimens of marble con-
tributed to the collection gathered by
the agent of the United States census
bureau, the agent in charge says: I'VE
| consider them very beautiful, and
have dressed them with much care.
They are mineralogically interesting,
and different from any other marblei in
our collection"
Water power of large capacity is
supplied by the Colorado and San
Saba rivers, and by more than twenty
large springs. The Austin and North
western railway, completed to Burnet,
about forty miles distant from the
county seat, is projected to pass
through the county, and the Gulf,
Colorado and Santa Fe railway Is COM
pleted to Lampasas, about thirty-two
miles distant from the same
point. There are, in the county
FIVE Touring mills, woolen mill, a
chair factory, ten blacksmith shops
three saw mills, and large number OF
cotton gins and grist mills.
The average daily attendance in the
, public free schools is about seventy
per cent of scholastic population OF
844. The Methodist conference has
fixed upon San Saba as the seat of a
college. and the initial steps have been
taken to erect suitable buildings and
organize the institution. San Saba has
a population of about 750, a telegraph
office, a large stone court house, a
number of substantial business houses
and a considerable local trade. The
| Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, RO-
{ man Catholic and Christian denomina,
tions have church organizations, and
there are two good church buildings
|. in San Saba, and a number in other
1 L ~ Ia u