San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-10-11

lfOm lltIlC uIu
tern water is therefore preferred for do
nestle use. II is the best in all coun
tries, but more indispensable in Texa
than in some others.
Hays county stands pre-eminent, w
believe, in this portion of Western
Texas, as combining the grand essen
tails of good soil, and sufficiency. o
timber and water, in convenient prox
unity. There is also au abundance o.
building stone. of fnc quality, and east
~ worked. Stone is also used extern
srely for fencing,
POPULATION, ETC.
The population Of the county, as we
have said, was by the census OF lSeO
1855, of whom I479 are colored. The
colored population is relatively decreas.
ing, and the tendency is still steadily in
the direction OF decrease Of that ele.
ment, The population, aside from
natives of Texas, is mostly from the
older Southern States, but nearly every
State in the Union probably has its rep.
resentatives. Foreign born people are
rare, except Germans, who are more
numerous, and on the increase, consti.
tuting a most valuable element. The
total vote of the county, as shown by
the combined vote for both the candi.
dates for Governor in 1882, was AL.
The democratic majority is large, but
they do very much as they please about
political matters, and it ought not to be
understood that persons OF different pc.
litical views, who take moderate
course, and are good citizens, are not
-eqpaHy welcome. 1t ia believed there
is no disposition among the better part
of the people to prescribe others on &C
count of either politics or religion.
SOCIETY, SCHOOLS, TAXES, ETC.
The county is noted for the good
morals and intelligence Of her people, as
general rule. AS to education, while
good private schools are sustained, there
is as yet no we'll organized system OF
public schools. Ample provision has
been made in the State by law for an ul-
innate large public school fund derived
from appropriations of the public do
main, but thus far, through official mis-
management and unfaithtulness, it has
not been made available. The signs
for the future, however, are more hope
full. Important amendments to the
State Constitution in the interest OF
general education have Just been adopt
ed by vote of the people. and favorable
legislation had in the same direction
The present status of the schools Of the
county will appear by the tabular state.
ment which we publish in another COL
umn.
Taxes are as follows: State advalO-
80 cts, county advolorem ID cts, State
poll 81 so, county poll 25 cts, County
occupation tax one half of State. Prior
to the building Of the new court house
last year, which cost about $30, 600, the |
county was out of debt, and some Sl4OO
of said indebtedness has already been
paid. And the county now has sur
plus in several special departments of
revenue.
LIMATE-UEALTH.
The climate is great improvement on
that Of the Northern States, the winters
being much milder and shorter, while
the summers, although long, and rather
enervating, are not, owing to the prev
alence of the Gulf breeze, so oppressive
as they are. at times, at the the North.
The nights are nearly always compare.
lively cool and pleasant The range of
the thermometer is from 90 to 50 de-
grecs above zero-sedom as low as the
former, and not very often above the
latter, Yet the climate is not as perfect
as some portions of California and Mex
leo, but we think only second to them.
During the winter and spring it is the
most changoable We have ever known.
1t exhibits, in fact, all the leading
characteristics Of the Atlantic States
generally, only mitigated by latitude.
\ polar wave at the North is nearly al
ways speedily followed by norther and
cold spell proportionate to the climate
here. so that the state of the weather
here is a pretty sure general index as to
what it is there. Frosts occur down to
the first of May, making the fruit crop