The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-04

This county is in Central Texas. and
Cameron, the county seat, is 1881
miles, by the line of the Gulf, Colora-
do and Santa Fe railway, northwest of
the port of Galveston. Area 991
square miles.
Population in 1870. ........ 1884
Population in 1880 (22 per
cent coloreO ..... 1859
Assessed value of taxable
property in 1870. ....... $1,354, ,2O8
Assessed value of taxable
property in 1882 ... 1851 ,491
Assessed value of live stock
in 1882. ............... 51O,421
The county Is about equally divided
between forests and prairies, the latter
being carpeted with luXuriant mes
quite grass, with here and there a scat
tered growth of mesquite trees and
cactus. The southeastern portion is,
in some parts, more or less level, and
covered with post oak and blackjack,
and in others there are sand hills of
moderate elevation, with a heavy
growth of post oak, hickory, blackjack
and red oak. Along the streams the
white oak, pecan, sycamore, elm, hack
berry and cottonwood trees reach a
large size, and are used to consider
able extent in the manufacture of
lumber, in which one or more mills,
run by steam power, are engaged. The
Brazos river forms the eastern bound
airy, and Little river runs nearly CEN
trally through the county from west
to east, both unfailing streams, the
former being one of the three largest
rivers of the state. Elm and
lyo in 10
ton, and Brushy and San Gabriel
erable streams, which, however, in
seasons of prOtracted drouth cease
to run, but never go dry, re-
tanning an abundance of water in
deep pools in their beds in the dryest
seasons. The earth being tenacious,
many tanks or artificial lakes are con-
structed, which, with the above-named
water-courses, and many smaller
streams, very conveniently distributed
throughout the county, furnish an
ample supply of water for stock.
There are a few springs, but wells,
which are easily obtained, and under
ground cisterns are most generally
used for domestic purposes.
The soil of the prairies is black,
tenacious lime earth; of the river bot
toms, dark, stiff, or lighter choco-
late, alluvial; of some parts of the
timbered uplands, compact, shallow
gray loan, on a clay foundation; and
on others deep, white sandy land,
apparently inferior, but in fact, free,
and in seasons of average rainfall,
fairly productive. These lands, taken
as whole, are noted for their fertili-
ty, the yield of corn in the
river bottoms frequently reaching
rs bushels, and of cotton more
than bale to the acre. The yield
of cotton over large part of the coun-
ty the present year 18S2) it is believed
will average bale to the acre. Apples,
peaches, plums, and grapes are sue
cessfully grown, and there are in the
county a number of large orchards of
selected varieties of fruit. The dark,
mellow, sandy soil around the town
of Rockdale has been found specially
adapted to fruit growing, and much
superior fruit is raised near this place.
The mean annual rainfall is thirty
nine inches, and is generally so dis
tributed throughout the year as to
insure uniformly fair crops. Unim-
proved land, suitable for farms, is
worth from 81 to $40, and improved
tracts from 81 to $15 an acre. Guilt
waited land rents for from SO to So an
acre. Rail fencing costs about $135
mile; plank and wire about $3.50 to
$500.
The extent and richness of the range
makes stock raising profitable, and
there are a number of large sheep
ranches in the county, on all of which
are a greater or less number of bucks
of improved breeds, and sheep are
being constantly graded up. Stock in
the prairie sections is never fed, and
fat, marketable beef is killed off of the
open range at all seasons. In the
woodlands, where the sedge grass pre-
walls, the range, after the first heavy
frost, is not sufficient for stock, and
they require winter feed. The assess
ment rolls of 1882 show, in the county,
9l92 horses and mules, 24,472 cattle,
18,8O1 sheep, and 15,640 hogs. Work
horses are worth from $40 to 800;
mules, $50 to $125; oxen, $50 to $50;
and beef, at retail in the local markets,
8 cents; mutton and pork, s; and bacon
II to Is cents pound. Hogs are gen.
orally raised in the woods, without
grain, and are frequently fattened for
pork exclusively on the mast.
The International and Great North
ern railway runs through the county
east and west, and the Gulf, Colorado
and Santa Fe north and south. form
ing junction at Milano. Cameron,
the county seat, with about 600 inhab-
itants, has a substantial brick court
house and a number of large business
houses. Rockdale, with a population
of 1400. is built chiefly of brick, and