The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-18

bayou runs from northwest to south
east diagonally through the county a
distance, estimating its meanderings,
| of about 100 miles. There are, besides
these, Jim Ned, Salt, Clear, Turkey,
Hog, and Blanket creeks, all large
streams, and none of which have ever
been known to be without water, and
David's, Delaware, Mullen, Brown,
Pompey, Brian, Mesquite, Devil, Mud,
Buffalo, and Indian creeks, which, in
very dry seasons, sometimes ceases to
run, though they rarely go dry. For
domestic purposes, cisterns and wells
are generally used. water of the best
quality being obtained at a depth of
% to 20 feet. Bold springs are not
common, but some are found.
About one-half of the land is arabic,
and the soils considered most fertile
are diversified by dark gray, and choc-
Olate loans on a subStratum of red
clay, and black, tenacious, hmy soil,
with underlying hard or soft lime
stone or disintegrated blue slate. The
yield per acre of the various crops is,
from one-half to three-fOurths of a
bale of cotton; % to 80 bushels of
corn; IL to 20 of wheat: % to 40 of
oats; 10 to % of rye; 100 gallons of
sorghum; 80 to 100 bushels of sweet
or Irish potatoes, and from to tons
of millet, and all garden vegetables are
grown in large quantities. Peaches,
pears, plumS, and grapes grow and
bear well. Wild currants and wild
grapes are very abundant. Grated
fruit has been tried to some extent,
and proved successful. Wild lands
are worth from 80 cents to So per
acre for uplands, and from S1.50 to So
for valley lands. Good cultivated
land can be rented for So per acre, or
share of the crop. Tracts with a
portion under cultivation, and neces-
sary buildings, are held for sale at
higher figures, to cover somewhat
more than the value of the improve
ments. There are large bodies of
county school lands, and 400 acres
of state school land of medium quail
ty in the county, the latter held at a
minimum price of 81 to SO per acre
according to the water supply, paya-
BILE in twenty annual installments.
The number of live stock in the
county is. of horses and mules, 67O4 /;
cattle, 1855; sheep, 1888; hogs,
1871. Good marketable beef is OBJ
tanned during the entire winter di-
rectly from the range. Three-fourths
of the range is covered with the curly
and the running mesquite grass, the
remainder with wild oats (the latter
growing mainly in the creek and river
bottoms), and the sedge grass, which
is very luxuriant and abundant, on
the prairies. Hogs are generally
raised entirely on the mast furnished
by the oak and pecan forests. Work
stock can be bought at the following
prices: Horse, $50; mules, $50 to
$50; oxen, $40 to $50 a yoke.
Surface indications of iron, copper,
silver, coal, and lead have been found
in many parts of the county, but no
effort has yet been made to ascertain
and develop its mineral wealth. Prof.
Shumard, at one time state geolOgist
of Texas, and Prof. Boil, both emf
nent biologists, after separate and
careful explorations, cOncurred in the
opinion that the belt of territory. one
hundred miles wide, immediately west
of line running from the mouth of
Pecan bayou, on Colorado river, in
Brown county, to the mouth of Little
Wichita, on the Red River. in Clay
county, disclosed unmistakable indica-
lions of the true coal formation, and
that it contained also large quantities
of the best quality of iron ore. In
two wells in Brentwood, at depth
of from 80 to 120 feet, petroleum, in
considerable quantity, has been OBJ
tanned. which yielded 80 per cent of
pure oil.
There are in the county three steam
cotton gins. five steam Touring mills,
two grist and one saw mill driven by
water power, and one wagon and plOw
factory on a limited scale. Lumber
from native timber is worth from Sl5
to $25, and pine lumber from $35 to
$45 per thousand feet. Limestone
and sandstone, of good quality, is
abundant and easily quarried. Rock
fencing. AZ feet high, costs from 81
to So per perch.
The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe,
and Fort Worth and Rio Grande rail-
roads have been surveyed, and, it is
believed, will be built through the
county at an early day. The five
towns of Brentwood, Williams
Ranch, Clio, Birds Store, and Zephyr
have populations of 1900, 400, 100, 100,
and 70 respectively. For scholastic
population of 1854 there are forty-one
public free schools, with an average
daily attendance of about 20 per cent.
There are two private schools of high
grade in Brentwood, with about 100
pupils each. In one of these there is
music department with large class
and a competent teacher and assis-
tants.
All the leading religious denomina-
lions have organized churches, and
services are regularly and well at
tended. The moral tone of the people
is good, and the laws are enforced.
The debt of the county is about $4,000,
and county scrip is at par. The
county tax is thirty ceuts on the hum
bred dollars.
The drainage of the county is ex-
ceptionally good; the general health
excellent, but along the creek bot
toms malarial attacks are more or less
frequent. These, however, are rarely
of serious character, and yield read
lily to simple home treatment.