The Russellville Democrat., 1883-02-08

nearly every Mexican in Texas. - This will not apply to those who arc If She Castillian blood, only to pure Mexican blood. One could not he among them without noting the very striking resemblance between them and tIie Choctaw Indian. There IS this difference, however. They have not the prominent cheek bone so pc culiar to the Indian. But they have the same small black eye, black, coarse hair, and great many prom inent traits of Indian character brought up to higher state of culti- vation, and more fully developed, than the Choctaw. During the time was in the southern part of the state, saw numbers of them travel ing from place to place. They gen erally carry everything with them, seem to do so at least, from the size of their bundles. They do not move in wagons nor by railroad, but each one has little donkey about as large, maybe little larger, than a common two year old Arkansas steer. And upon this little, patient brute, is packed bundles of household goods four times as large as the beast, and to cap the load big Mexican greas- CT will mount on top and the poor animal moves along very patiently under such imposition, and thought that the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals might find great deal to do in the neighborhood of San Marcos.
 A large majority of the Mexicans are justly entitled to the name they bear--Greaser. They are certainly innocent of any excessive use of soap and water. And the women--well I am too gallant to say ugly things about the fairer part of that class of the population of Texas, but mercy on us. Our ladies know almost nothing of bangs. These greaser women have them to perfection. - Theirs come down to the hooked point of their long noses, and you can sometimes tell that they have eyes, because you can see them through slight openings in their pro fusion oi long, black bangs.
 While in Hays county I saw the first flock of Angora Goats, and also of Merlno Sheep. Goat and sheep raising is coming to be quite an item in the productive industries of this part of the state. A gentleman at Mountain city, whose name, be lieve, is Houh, has about 800 head of goats and the same of sheep, and is making them quite profitable. They will yield from six to eight pounds of wool each, both sheep and goats, and he can sell the raw wool, at from 30 to 50 cents per pound. They are but little expense, the goats espe- ciaIly., They will live where other stock would starve, and they always know the way home. Sheep are more trouble, they sometimes seem to for get the way home. Or as heard an old citizen of Pope county, Arkansas say once, 'sthe head ofa sheep is on the wrong end, and always leads him away from home in bad weather.' Be that as it may, they are more trouble, and require moro attention than the goats.
 There are great many cattle in this par; of Texas, but the main cat tie region is further west. The range is good almost the year round Cat tie, horses, sheep and goats do well without feed. How it would be of a dry season 1 cannot say: but was told that it was so even when very dry. The Mesquite grass becomes very dry, hut is still very nutriclous and stock is always very fond of it. l saw some very fine hogs. They were on the range and were fat.
 There is another trouble in this part of Texas, which calls for very close attention on the part of stock raisers. l allude to the screw Ay They will deposit their eggs wher- ever there is blood upon man or beast, and if the skin is broken the worm or maggot when matched, will work their way into the flesh and if allowed to remain will work great injury and often death. 1 saw only one sample of their work, it was q pigs ear, bitten by dog, and the screw-worms had worked their way into it's head. I suppose, to the bone. By applying medicine which may be had in Texas they were all killed and the pig got well.
 Timber here is very scarce, and what is there is only fit for firewood. Fences are generally made of cedar pickets or barbed wire. The cedar pickets can be had by buying them and hauling about fifteen or twenty miles. The wire fence will cost less moaey than a rail fence in this conn try when the farmers hire the mak- ing of the rails. There are great many rock fences in Hays county. If anybody thinks that there are no rocks in Texas, he will be very bad ly mistaken. There are great many rocks in Texas Rocks for houses, rocks for fences, rocks to make lime, and the average boy may find rocks to throw at birds, stump bis toe or raise stone bruises on his heels, plen-