The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14

and for hay is considered almost equa
to oats. Two crops a year-about
three and half tons-are grown. Tit
number of stock in the county, as as
sessessed in 1882, is, of cattle, 1868
horses and mules. l2,81S; sheep, 1886
goats, 1876; hogs, 7457. Cattle, horses
mules, and goats are raised on the
range at small expense, and fequirt
little care or attention. Sheep also
are, for the most part, kept on the
range, but during the winter they re-
quire, and generally receive, more OF
less feed in inclement weather, at a
cost not exceeding 80 cents per head.
If given reasonable attention they
are subject to no disease, and increase
at the rate of sixty per cent, and yield
fleece of four to six pounds per an
NUN, worth at Austin, the home mar
ket, twenty-five cents per pound.
Hogs are not successfully raised on
the range without other food, and re-
quire attention and some feed through
out the year. Work horses are worth
$50 to $50 mules, $50 to $50 and
oxen. $50 per yoke. The usual retail
market price of beef and mutton is
from eight to twelve cents per pound;
pork, ten; bacon, fifteen; corn,
seventy-five cents to 81 per bushel /;
and flour, 81 to $40 per barrel. Do
nestle fowls of all kinds are profitably
raised. Wild game is still abundant,
such as deer, turkey, wild geese and
ducks. quail, plover and rabbits. The
larger streams are tolerably well sup
piled with catfish, gaspergoo. trout,
perch, fresh-water mullet and buffalo.
The city of Austin is situated on a
commanding eminence on the north
bank of the Colorado river. The gen.
eral elevation of the site is about $50
feet above the sea level. and from
Capitol Hill, and many other positions
within its limits, is presented to view
an extended and pleasing landscape,
diversified by rugged mountains, broad
valleys, high undulating prairies, cul-
tivated fields, and primeyal forests.
The population of the city in 1880 was
10,960, and it is estimated that the
number of its inhabitants in 1882 is
something over 1900. 1t was selected
as the capital of the infant republic of
Texas, in 1889, when there were few
or no white settlements between it
and the southern and southeastern
portions of the republic, where the
bulk of the then sparse population was
located, and when all beyond to the
westward and north and southwest
ward was wilderness. Indeed it was
so selected on the extreme frontier, in
part because it would subserve the
purpose of an outpost, but chiefly be-
cause it would exert a powerful influ-
ence in extending the area of civiliza-
ton further west, and, in the near fu-
ture, in binding together the widely
separated sections of the republic.
Under the circumstances, it is mat
ter of wonder that location COM
bining so many advantages and so few
drawbacks should have been chosen.
Each succeeding year the people of the
state have felt more cause for pride
and qualification at the far-seeing dis
elimination displayed by the choice.
Austin, by common consent, is re-
garded as among the most beautiful
towns in the state, and it is equally
noted for the salubrity of its climate,
the intelligence and social refinement
of its citizens, and the elegance and
character of many of its
private residences, business houses,
and public buildings. These are con-
structed chiefly of stone obtained
from quarries of apparently mex
haustible supply in the immediate
vicinity. The notable public build
ings are, the county court house, the
postoffice and United States court
the temporary capitol, and
the asylums for the blind, for the deaf
and dumb, and for the insane.
Eighteen church editices, many of
them spacious and handsome, dedi-
Gated to the use of theseveral religious
denominations, crown the numer-
Gus eminences, while. the educa-
tional interests are represented by
a cOmmodiOus, if not elegant, public
school building, and several smaller
and less imposing ones for private in
situations Of learning, The first of a
of buildings for the univer-
sity of Texas, now in course of con-
will be completed by the LIST
of June, 1882, and it is proposed by the
regents to put the university in oper-
alton in September following, on such
a scale as the funds immediately avail
able for that purpO>e will permit.
When inaugurated, the law of its ere
alton requires that male and female
students shall be admitted on equal
terms, and that no other charge shall
be made than an initiation fee, which
is limited to $50. The munificent en-
consisting of 1,219,900 acres
of the public domain, and cash, land
notes and state bonds amounting to
S403. 364, 80, provided by the constitu-
ton and existing laws for its mainte-
nance, it is confidently believed will
be supplemented, at no distant day,
by such further appropriations of
public lands as will guarantee the es-
Enlistment of a university of the first
class on a firm foundation.
Owing to a lack of railway commu-
nication, the growth of the city, up to
a recent period, has not quite kept
pace with the almost unparalleled adj
vancement of the state. But within
the past few years this barrier to its
progress has been removed by the COM
pletion of the western branch of the
Houston and Texas Central, and the
International and Great Northern rail-
ways, which form a junction at Aus
tin. In addition to these two main
arteries of commerce, the Austin and
Northwestern railway is now pushing
its way rapidly in the direction which
its name indicates, and has already
reached its first objective point, Bur
net, the county seat of the county of
that name, sixty miles distant. Here
it strike both marble and granite for
nations of vast extent and of unS6r-
passed fineness and variety. Speci-
mems of these GRANTEES and marbles
have been recently subjected to scien-
tific tests by government experts at
Washington city, and prOnOuncde to
be equal to the best American or impor-
ted stone of the kinds. These viii be
largely used in the capitol building
now under construction, and it
is believed in the near future
the working of marble and granite
will become a large and profitable in
dustry in the city. But. however that
may be, the railway last named can
hardly fail to. be the means of largely
the general trade of the
city by opening up the wide extent of
fertile and growing country to the
north and west.
Near this point the Colorado river
has a fall of ten and a half feet,
which, it is believed by competent
judges, would furnish water-power Of
very large capacity for manufacturing
purposes. But, for obvious reasons,
this has not so far been utilized, be-
yond the establishment of single
Touring mill, which, though operated
on small scale, has proven a
paving investment. One other -four
ing mill, driven by steam, two ice
factories, one iron foundry, one tan
merry, and a number of furnaces for
the production of lime and cement,
cnmnrise the manufacturingl industries