The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-21

Was named in honor of the first
president of the republic Of Texas,
David G.. Burnet, and its organization
dates back to 1852. Burnet, the county
seat, a town of 600 inhabitants, is 90
miles, by the line of the Austin and
Northwestern railway, northwest of
the city of Austin. Area, 1905 square
miles.
Population in 1870. ....... 1858
Population in 1880 (215
per cent colore6 ........ $3.50
Assessed value of taxable
property in 1870. .... s 467, $50
Assessed value of taxable
property in 1882. - 2,15S,2Ss
in 1852 .............. 62l,O92
It's surface is diversified by noun
tains and valleys, wooded hills, and
high rolling prairies, deep gorges and
level plains. The Colorado river flows
along its western border and across
the southern portion of the county,
while the San Gabriel and Lampasas
have their headwaters in the central
and northern portions. The smaller
swift-running streams tributary to
these rivers are at least fifty in num-
Der. Never-failing springs OF pure
water are found everywhere, and wells
areObtained at moderate depth. The
timber, which covers One-third of the
area, consists chiefly of mountain
cedar, post oak, blackjack, pecan and
| elm, excellent for fencing and fuel, but
generally too scrubby and short for
building purposes.
In the western section is found a
reddish brown soil, interspersed with
| dark loan, while the eastern is al
most entirely black tenacious lime
land. About one-third of the area Is
of sufficient fertility to produce reason
| ably good crops. Peaches, apples,
plums, and apricots are successfully
grown. The rainfall, while not def
cient in quantity (averaging "a incheS)
is occasionally too scant in late spring
and summer for the full development
of such crops as mature during those
seasons. but wheat, oats and barley
rarely, or never, suffer from drouth.
| So of the several kinds of midsummer
vegetables, irrigation has been found
to he advantageous to obtain uniform
| ly good yields. The facilities for
| irrigation are abundant, and it is be-
| ginning to be resorted to with the
most beneficial results. The farmers
are rapidly providing themselves with
the latest improvements in farming
implements, and supplementing their
| earnings by raising fine breeds OF
stock. The usual yield per acre is, OF
| cotton in the seed, 600 to 800 pounds;
corn, % bushels; wheat, -; oats, 60;
barley, so; Irish potatoes, 80, and
4 haaG hal lnh A Will land
can be bought for 81 to So per acre;
pasture, 30 cents to 81; tracts partly
in cultivation, SO to $40; rental for
good cultivated land, 81 to $3.50, or for
one-third of the grain and one-fourth
of the cotton.
There are 81, 1926 acres of school lands
in the county; only a small per cent
arabic, but nearly all well adapted for
grazing. The advantages of enclosed
pastures are beginning to be appreci-
ated. and the system adopted as the
means of the people will permit.
| The cattle number 30.OlS; horses and
mules, 9O56; sheep, 1854; goats, 1869;
hogs, 1854. Very little feed is re-
quired by stock, and they are subject
| to no disease except scab and catarrh,
which occasionally occur among sheep,
the former, especially, being easily
controlled. Work horses can be bought
for $50 per head; mules, SO; and oxen
| for $50 per yoke. All kinds OF do
nestle fowls are raised to advantage.
Catfish, buffalo, gaSpergoo, trout, and
| hickory-shad are found in the Colora-
do river in sufficient numbers to afford
good sport to the angler.
Surface indications of iron ore are
found in many portions, and, to less
extent, of lead, gold, and silver. But
| the great feature of the country is its
| limestone of superior quality; its gray
and red GRANTEES, the latter believed to
| be identical with the Scotch granite;
and its marble, varying in tint from
pure white to jet black, many of the
shades being very rare and beautiful.
| The Colorado river, at what Is known
as Marble Falls, makes an abrupt de-
scent of about twenty-five feet over a
solid bed of marble. Here Is water
power which, for volume and the IA
cility for utilizing it, is believed to be
without superior in the state. Sew
| eral of the smaller streams In this
| rugged district also offer fine sites for
mills requiring only moderate power.
Five Touring mills of small capacity,
sixteen cotton gins and grlst mills
combined are the only manufacturing
establishments in operation; but the
excellent water power, the newly ac-
Quired railway connection with good
markets, and the abundance of raw
material within easy reach, give assur-
ance of the speedy advent of cotton
and wooden mills on large scale. But
the working of marble will probably
become a prominent industry at an
earlier date.
The Austin and Northwestern rail-
way connects the county with the
railway system of the state at Austin;
and the Texas and st. Louis, complet-
ed to Il point in Coryen county, seven
miles east of Gainesville, is projected to
pass through the county.
| The town of Burnet has a large and
| increasing trade. South Gabriel is a
station on the railway; and Double
Horn, on the Colorado. Strickling, Stin-
nettsville, Linn, and Mabry are small
villages, each having a store, church,
and schoolhouse. Transportation to
Galveston, the principal market for
the county, is S1.25 per hundred
pounds. ar
The scholastic population of the
county is 1875. for which there are 40
public free schools organized, and the
average attendance is about 40 per
cent. The church and the school house
is generally one and the same building
throughout the county. OF theGreli-
gious denominations, the Christian,
Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist
have the largest representation The
moral tone of the people is VerNlgOOd
The county levies tax of one-fifth
of one per cent, and has atlo9ting debt
of 5000. sno
The general health is excellent.