The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-11


This county is bisected by the Colo
ado river, and LaGrange, the county
seat, is III miles north of west OF the
city of Houston, by the line of the
Columbus and LaGrange, connecting
with the Galveston, Harrisburg anu
san Antonio railway. Area 963
square miles.
Population in 1870. ....... 1858
Population in 1880 go per cent
foreign and 81 per cent COL
ored). 1895
Assessed value of taxable prop
erty in 1870. S3,O73 $50
Assessed value of taxable prop
erty IN lSSlT. ......... $50. 1866
Assessed value of live stock. 46S ,S26
assessment rolls of 1882 not flied at date OF
publication.
About One-half the area is high roll
ing prairie, traversed by many small
creeks and branches. which flow the
year round. The timber of the up
lands is composed principally Of post
oak and blackjack of small size, and
on the river and other streams, of pc
can, burr oak, pin oak, white oak,
elm, mulberry, cedar, blackberry
and cottonwood, much of which is
large, and the supply for fencing, fuel,
and other domestic purposes is ample
The Colorado, and the East and West
Navidad rivers, and Buckner's, Cum
mings, Mulberry, RObb's, and Williams
creeks, well distributed all over
the county, afford abundant water
at all seasons. Springs are numer-
GUS, and wells of good water are easily
obtained. The mean annual rainfall
is 80 inches, and crops rarely suffer
from prOtracted drouths. The soils OF
the prairies are divided between a
black loan and black tenacious lime
land, and in the bottoms, between a
chocolate loan and a stiff black WaXy
earth; the timbered lands being light,
or gray sandy, and in some portions
gravelly. Over three-fourths of the
entire county is SuS' eptible of protita-
ble cultivation, and with proper till
age, and ordinary seasons, the yield
per acre is, of cotton, from one-hal1
Dale to bale; corn, % to 40 bushels;
potatoes, Irish, 100, and sweet, 200;
wheat, II; sorghum syrup, 2o0 to 4UO
gallons. The United States Census
Cotton Bulletin gives the total pro-
ductlOn of cotton in this county, in
1879, at "a, 1865 bales. being the largest
number raised, in that year, in any
county in the state. Vegetables, and
fruits Of all kinds common to the lati-
tude, are successfully grown. Unim-
proved lands vary in price from $3.50
TO $40 per acre, and improved tracts
from SIS to $40. Wages of from $40
to SIS month are paid farm laborers.
hn u of &c IL, I,
the cotton, and one-third of other
crops, or where the landlord furnishes
land, teams, and everything except
family supplies for the laborer, he
receives one-half the crop. The in
creased number and extent of farms
have greatly reduced the area of open
grazing lands, and large portion of
the stock In the county is confined in
pastures. Much attention is being
given to the breeding of improved
stock. According to the latest assess
ment rolls QS8D, there are in the coun-
ty II, 421 horses and mules, 28,611 cat
tie, $3.50 sheep and 13,OlS hogs. Work
horses are worth about $75 per head;
mules 800; oxen $50 a yoke. Beef
retails at 8 cents per pound; mutton,
10; pork, 3 to 10; bacon Is; corn 30 to
10 cents buShel; flour "a hundred.
There are some deer and turkeys, and
ducks, geese and prairie chickens in
large numbers. Trout, perch, cat, gas
pergOo and buffalo fish are found in
all the larger streams.
The western branch of the Houston
and Texas Central railway touches the
extreme end of the county, and has
one station, Ledbetter. The Calves
ton, Harrisburg and San Antonio
railway passes through the southern
part, and has two stations, Schulen-
berg and Flatonia, and the LaGrange
branch of the latter road runs from
Columbus to LaGrange, and has two
stations, Ellinger, and LaGrange. La
Grange, the county seat, has popula-
ton of about 1000; Schulenberg,
12O0; Flatonia, 1900: Round Top,
ESQ; Fayetteville, $50; Ledbetter, I75;
and there are a number of country
trading points with from 80 to $50 in
habitants each, and good local trade.
The manufacturing interests are rep
resented by one cotton seed oil mill,
one planning mill, three cigar factories,
and three brewerieS. There are also
about fifty cotton gins and grist mills
in the county.
The scholastic population is 4467,
for which there are 127 public free
schools, with an average attendance
of about 70 per cent. The available
school fund for the year 1881, "
from the county fund, SIC, 299.S6. d
from the state fund, S13, 438; and
year ending AQg1st 81, 1883