The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-11-02
WICHITA FALLS.
corresnondenoe OF the Herald

Correspondence OF the Herald.
WICHITA FALLS, October %, 1Ss2.-As
promised in my last, | proceed to give you
IN outline of what Wichita Falls is at pres
ent. | referred to its approach as resem-
bling that of a military camp, on account
of its many tents-more than half of which
constitute the town. 1t is located on the
south bank of the Big Wichita river, to
within about half a mile of which the track
is laid, the town being about t~hree'quarters
of a mile from it. The river is very low
now, and having a rocky, uneven bed,
causes the water at this point to make a
roaring noise, which can be heard a long
distance. 1t is wide and clear, and abounds
with fish and winged game. In wet seasons
ii gets out of its banks, though | am told it
has never been known to overflow where
the town site is now located. 1t is twelve
miles from Red River-is located southeast
of the centre of Wichita county, and is
about fifteen miles from he famous valley
of the Big Wichita, which is the land lying
in the triangle formed by the junction Of
the two rivers-Red River and Big Wichita.
This land originally belonged to what is
known as the Scott heirs, of Mississippi,
who owned two sections, 1,2S0 acres, and
was decided by them to Mr.. Trueheart, of
Galveston, and was then decided to r. Il.
Montgomery, trustee OF the Fort worth q
Denver City railroad, in consideration OF 10
per cent. of the amount of sales made by
the company for a term of five years-all
unsold up to that time to revert back to
Trueheart. This donation was made by
Trueheart to induce the railroad to come
here. Two other citizens, landowners, also
contributed considerable to induce the rail
-. l. 1900 I..a mr. Eret eaft1nr N,
was Judge G. M. Sealy; the next, David
Craig, Converse, James, Cummings, j. H.
Barwise, +. NJ. Wattenbarger, F. M. Davis,
David Balow, John Williams, Dot Babb,
H. w. Harris, and II. w. Sellers. These
were all here before the railroad, but are
not all here now They have been men,
toned because TO live out on the from
scalp was not altogether safe, even if he
held a policy in forty life insurance compa-
MES. They were the sentinels on the ex-
RENE outer line, and as some of them are
candidates, should be rewarded for their
bravery, hardships and privations. Though
there are $40 square miles in this county. 1t
only polled ninety votes last election, and
will poll but ITO this coming election.
There is not a cotton gin in the county, nor
a bale ofcotton raised in the whole county
in fact, the county surveyor told me that
there were not now fifty farms in the whole
county. Stock ranches and stock-raising is
the principal business up here. Blu little
or no attention has been paid to farming,
though we saw cotton stalks, sweet pota-
toes and other vegetables in Colonel Tur-
ner's land office, raised near the town, that
would compare with any OF the Brazos.
About town and south of here the land is
sandy and very poor. But l have depressed.
Some citizens and myself made an esti-
mate of the actual inhabitants of this town,
and concluded that there were scarcely $50,
though there are a great many transient,
making about 4o0 al the inca great
many arriving and departing at every train.
There is no prospect OF the road leaving
here this season, and probably not for some
years. The outlook for trade here is only
fair, a good many thinking the season too
far advanced to secure much. Trade is
looked for from Fort Sill, an Apache reser-
walton twenty-five miles from here, a mill
tary post of twenty companies. A move;
ment is on foot to run q stage line and mail
there, and roads are being opened to
Archer, Baylor and King and other western
counties, and a big trade is ex-
pected from the Pan Handle gener-
ally. Hacks already run to Burn
ham, Willbarger county, sixty miles,
and other points, and the country is set
Ting up. There are eight merchants here,
eight saloons and eight hotels or boarding
houses. The most of these stores are
branches from larger firms in other towns,
but most of them are in tents, but are hav-
ing houses built, while others ARE either in,
or moving in new store-houses. The town
is in ''tumbled-up" condition.
The Wichita Herald, a spicy weekly, is
printed here by DR.. Lewis, who has a good
Job and hand press, and q pretty good out
fit. His office was in a "tumbled-up'' con-
dition too, with reference to benches and
carpenters tools, for it was being ceiled
overhead, and the noise of hammers and
saws didn't harmonize very much with the
click of the types, or the gentle voice of the
editor, for he had to take to his heels every
time he wanted to speak, and we left him
old acquaintance here, among them Mr..
Mayfield and Major Donnell. / don't know
whether my friend Mayfield has a title or
not, but Donnell was a major in the Con-
federate service, and there is not q more
honest and Differentiated man living.
have known him for over fifteen years,
through all the vicissitudes of life, and he is
always good natured under all circum-
stances. He is still in the same old bust
ness-running a hotel. He is in a large
tent now, but is negotiating for a lot, upon
which he expects to erect a large hotel.
Mr.. Mayield has alarge lumber yard here
and is doing a good business. He is a clever
gentleman, and as he is building a fine res
utllCts tdhut W otnJs AhcAN a NV
many families or ladies here yet-mostly
men, but as soon as houses can be built
men will send for their families.
The railroad company have done
most OF the improvements here, and they
are Of that subtantial character that one
knows at once they are ola permanent fix
ture. The round-house and machine shops
are located here, though not yet put up on
OF scarcity Of material. / walked
through the freight depot and could but
notice the great number Of old trunks,
boxes, beds, aud household and kitchen
furniture generally. The cattle pens are
not yet put up, but the place selected, and
are sufficiently out Of town. Had they
been put up a little earlier a shipment
could have been made Of 5000 beeves,
which are now being shipped at.Henrietts,
md would have been shipped here had the
pens been finished. Judging from other
near Red River, the Pan Handle
and the large amount Of stock
'aised in this section and west Of here, for
bout 800 miles. this is bound 10 be a pros
,erOus city in the near future.