San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-09-21
The Wool Interests of. the Abiline Dis.
trict.
Galveston News. september LIST.


The most important of the growing
;rdustries of this immediate section OF
our state, is the production of wool, as
!, IL one OF the leading interests of the
state at large. II is more important
because of its rapid growth, the very
largo profit accruing, and the fact that
n is vet in its infancy. Until the last
few years these prairies were occupied,
ofter the determination of the buffalo,
nv countless herds of cattle, and beef
growing was the chief interest in the
section now tributary to Abiline, en-
bracing scope of country about $50
by 200 miles, between the western edge
Of the cross. timbers, in Callahan coun-
~ TO the Colorado river. But the last
wear or two have wrought change in
the principal habitants of our prairies.
The large herds of cattle have all been
driven westward, and only the small
herds are left east of the Colorado and
south of the Clear Fork of the Brazos
ION the map as Elm Fork). They have
gone to give place to the pioneer set.
Tiers who have come and are every
day coming to engage in farming and
mechanical pursuits and sheep hus-
bandry.
Statistics show that our population
is increasing at the rate of 100 per cent.
in every twenty-three years; that our
5O,OOO,OOO of to-day will be 8O,0Co,OOO
in 1895, and will, at the estimate of four
pounds per capita, require 35O,OOO,OOO
pounds of wool to meet the demands of
this country thirteen years hence.
This country now imports largely of
wool; and yet there are here in north
ern Texas alone millions of acres of as
fine wool-producing lands as the eye
ever looked upon, with plenty of water,
abundance of nutritious grasses and
climate we'll adapted to the cultivation
of woodlands upon which could be
grown, with large profit, all the balance
of the staple now consumed in this
country over and above the native pro-
duction. In the wooden goods the trade
is rapidly increasing, and unless the
material is grown here it must come
from Australia, France or England,
where the industry is more carefully
watched, and is considered more i'm
portant source of wealth. Here are all
the natural facilities for producing the
balance of wool for home consumption,
where the cost is very light and the in
ducements so great.
Lands here are cheap; the best school
and asylum lands can be bought at
from one dollar to two dollars and fifty
cents per acre, on easy payments and
long time, with title direct from the
state. A farm or ranch can be stocked
with sheep at much less cost than any
other stock except hogs, and, except
this latter, returns will come in sooner
and oftener than with any other stock.
LESS money is required for fencing,
sheltering, feeding and wintering; and
finally, handsome income of forty to
sixty per cent. on the investment with
out selling the animals themselves; the
natural increase alone is from seventy
to one hundred per cent. per annum.
In several cases this spring the writer
knew of instances where the increase
was as high as 10 per cent. in large
focks, and seldom was it ever less than
seventy-fve per cent. this year.
We could mention several instances
OF wonderful success and profits on
small investments which border on the
marvellous, but not having at hand the
exact names and figures, we will only
give this one instance fully illustrative
OF this lucrative business. Fifteen
years ago Mrs. Gordon, wife of Nelson
Gordon, on Brady Greek, in Concho
county, raised a petewela lamb, and when
1t was year old she put it in neigh
boris flock, where it brought buck
lamb the first year. The eve and lamb
were taken home, the eve raising a
lamb every year since, and is still alive,
having raised its fourteenth lamb this 6
spring. The increase of the pet lamb '
and the increase of the offspring were c
sold few weeks ego, numbering 2O5, c