The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-11-30
WARD waNDEEINGs.

A Trs Her the Texas Pacific Raiiroad
from Dallas to Eel Paso-rhe Country
Climate, etc.
Through tie kindness OF Colonel George
o. Clinton, the able and efficient superir
teadent of the Rio Grande division of The
Texas & Pacific railroad, which extends
from Fort Worth to III Paso, distance oil
over Gro miles. our reporter had the pleas,
ure OF taking trip over the ROAD ana
viewing the beautiful scenery along tue
route, and breathing the pure aud exllilar-
ating atmosphere Of that delightful sec
ton Of country.
Colonel Clinton was appointed superiu-
tendent of the division in June last, and
during his brief administration of the
Affairs of the road he has put the same IN
such fine condition that there is no other
line Of railroad in the state OF equal dis
lance that will compare with that over
which he so ably and courteously olliciates.
Travellers over that division of the Texas Il
Pacific speak in the highest praise of Col
onel Clinton and his stall OF courteous
assistants, compliment richly merited by
them, and in which we most heartily join.
The country west from Fort Worth TO
Baird, a distance OF 40 miles, is more or
less broken but the soil is rich and pro-
ductive, and many fine farms are seen along
the route. The Brazos river bottom IN Par
kar county is regarded as the
richest and best cotton-producing soil
In the state. A fine bridge spans the river
over which tic trains cross with safety,
giving the traveller n splendid view of tho
country, which is picturesque and beau
tiful.
From Baird to Big Springs, distance 100
miles, the country Is mostly prairie.
A few years since IL was the
home OF the buffalo and Indians,
and was regarded as vast wilderness.
Now, fire FARMS happy homes, and flour
ishing towns everywhere greet the eye of
the traveller. Since the construction of the
Texas & Pacific railroad, the country has
been settled so rapidly, and towns have
sprung into existence so suddenly, that the
old trontiersmen can scarcely recognize that
they are now in the same land and amid the
same vast rolling praires where u few years
ago they hunted buffalo and fought the no
bio ~ rcd man. Truly We can exclaim;
westward the stnr Of empire takes Is way 4"
Baird, in Callahan county; Abilene, in
Taylor county; Sweetwater in Nolan
county; Colorado City, in Mitchell county
and Big Springs.t the county scat of Howard
county, are all tlourishing towns of from
LOCO TO $500 inhabitants. The merchants
and business men Of these places are among
tie shrewdest and wisest in the state. They
ovince an enterprise in their business trans
actions that people in older towns md
cities in Texas would do we'll to initiate.
Churches and sChoo-houscs are seen
in all the principal towns. thus
showing an advanced state of civilization
which is seldom met with in q newly set.
tied country.
Tho stock business is one of tho chief in
dustrles of the country. Thousands Of cat.
tie and sheep are raised and sold to pur-
ohasers from northern and eastern cities
They sell at good prices, and the business
is very profitable. The amount of money
realized annually by the sale OF stock in the
western portion of the state is almost be-
You'd computation. Persons with capital
to invest cannot put it into safer or more
reinuneratiye business than that OF raising
sheep or cattle.
Big Springs is one OF the prettest and
best located towns on the road. Besides
being the county seat of Howard county,
1T is the headquarters Of the railroad COM
pany for the Rio Grande division. 1t is
situated about half wav between Fort
Worth and III Paso. The COMPANY has
erected a large and commodious hotel,
WHtfN sup ~ ~ htpt NY
Major Stocking, and has, aud richly de-
serves, the reputation of being one Of the
best hotels in the state. Colonel Clnton
has erected fine offices for himself and as.
sistants, and is building residence which
would be ilrst.class anywhere. The town
is but few months old, and now contains
about l,GO0 inhabitants, which are rapidly
increasing The company has a
r0und-house located at this point
which employs from 70 to 100
men. The town 10 supplied with good
water from the famous Big Spring, which
is situated two miles distant. The railroad
company has put in water-pipes, through
which the water is forced to all parts of the
town by means of small engine, situated at
the spring. DIR. StandilGr and his accom-
plished wife; George Bower, Justice Ell.
dings aud other Dallasites are now prosper
Gus citizens OF the new town
From Big Springs to III Paso--dstancc
s6 mi!es-the country is one vast rolling
prairie. In our schO0l-boy DAYS we were
taught to believe that it composed ,or,ion
OF what WAS then called the "great Amcri.
can desert" The wheels of time have
changed the nature of events, aud to-day
we lind the country abundantly supplied
with fine, nutritious grass, with vast herds
oil cattle, buffalo and antelope living and
growing TAT in what was once regarded as
adcsert In many places the railroad com.
pany has established experimental farms
and fine wheat, corn, sorghum, broom cora
ETC., are grown to perfection. AS II wheat
growing region, western Texas Will, In d
iow years, excel the fertile plains of Iowa
and Dakota.
Along tho route from Big Springs tC
sierra Blanca mountains, many salt
lakes and mineral SPRINGS are found, many
OF them possessing fine medicinal proper
ties, The country IL many hundred feet
above the sea level. aud the atmosphere i,
80 pure and bracing that II Is said fresh
meat will cure by being hung I'M in the
sunshine. What grand paradise 1t would
be for invalids aud persons in failing
health! The people OF Dallas little know
what grand health resort
lies west OF them. One visiting
western Texas is iorcibly reminded Of what
little he knows and how much there is &c
be learned about our great state.
Tho business OF Dallas Is, and must be
westward alongthe line rthe Texas,S Pacih,
railroad. Already our wholesale morchau,s
are selling goods In New Mexico, Arizona
aud Chihuahua, WouldItno be well for on,
business men TO get up an excursion Out
west, and cultivate the acquaintance of III,
people in that sectionp A slight effort OF
the part Of our business men would secur,
N nj nI