Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-06-21

the Houston East and West Texas; the
Texas Western; and branch of the Gulf
Colorado and Santa Fe. The manufactur
ing interests of the city are Of large and con-
stantly increasing Importance.
After shortdelay, we left the car in WHICH
we had come from New Orleans, and board
ed one of the cars of the Houston and Texas
Central Railroad. We were soon en- route
and outside ofthe city limits. The first coun'
ty entered after leaving Harris county, was
Waller. Hampstead, the county seat OF
Waller county, is 81 miles northwest o.
Houston, by the line of the Houston and
Texas Central Railroad. The Brazos river
forms the western boundary of the county
for distance of about fifty miles, by the
course of the stream, and its bottoms are
said to be covered with growth of tim
ber, consisting of several varieties of oak
black walnut, blackberry and elm. The
soil of the Brazos bottoms is reported to be
quite rich. The section of country through
which the railroad passes is principally prai'
rie land. The soil isa light, sandy loam,
covered with short grass, having the gen
eral appearance of the grass which grows on
the worn out old feds Of York county
There are but few settlements along the line
of the road between Houston and Hemp.
stead, and the cultivated farms are few and
far between. Occasionally, small herds OF
cattle and small focks of sheep could be seen
The timber in sight Of the railroad is main.
ly scrubby post oak and blackjack. Unim:
proved lands in Waller county are quoted
at from 50 to 50 per acre; bottom lands, s.
per acre; improved tracts, with necessary
farm buildings, at from $6 to $15 per acre
farms are rented at from So to 81 per cultiva'
ted acre. The Brazos bottoms, under favor.
able conditions, are said to yield from one
l>11F Io1n 81 &,t I, o,,1 frNr
10 to GO bushels of corn but the average
over the county, will not reach one-hal1
these outside figures. In this county it is
asserted that pure water, for domestic pur'
poses, can be obtained from wells at differ.
ent points throughout the county, at an av.
erage depth of 40 feet. Cistern water is also
used and is esteemed the more healthful
The area of the county is 499 square miles
and in 1880 contained a population of 9,O24-
64d per cent. being cOlored.
Hampstead, the county seat, claims a pop
ulation of about 1000. 1t has four churches
for the whites-Methodist Presbyterian
Baptist and Episcopal-some handsome res
licences and number of substantial business
houses. At this point, the branch of the
/ Houston and Texas Central Railway, lead
ing to Austin, lis miles distant, connects
with the main line.
Skirting along east of Brazos river, with
Washington and Burleson counties to the
west, we crossed NavasOta river and entered
the southwestern corner of Grimes county
The population of this county, according tC
the census of 1880, was Is, ,603, of which mum.
Der 10, ,280 are colOred. The area of the coun.
ty is 7Sl square miles. Three-fourths of the
county is represented as being tableland
and the residue river and creek bottoms,
about two-thirds of the whole being covered
with timber, embracing the several kinds
of oak except white and live; hickory, elm
ash, pecan, mulberry, pine and cedar. 1t is
claimed that in this county there are nu
merous bold springs of pure freestone, as
we'll as limestone water, and that wells Of
equally pure waterar obtained alta moderate
depth. The soils of the uplands range from
light, thin, sandy land, to. dark, deep
loan, and where timbered, usually covered
with a growth of post oak and black jack
The Brazos river, bottoms are of reddish
brown alluvial soil and are very productive
The yield per acre, under proper tillage and
with favorable seasons, on the uplands, is
of cotton in the seed, 800 pounds. On the
bottom lands, 200 pounds of seed cotton
25 to 40 bushels of corn; 40 to 30 bushels Of
oats. Fencing costs about 800 per mile
Unimproved lands are quoted at from 81 to
S. per acre and tracts with part in cultiva'
tion, and necessary buildings, at from s. tc
to S25. Lands are rented for One-fOurth O
the cotton and one-third of other crops.
Anderson is the county seat of Grimes
county but NavasOta, situated on the HOus
ton and Texas Central Railroad, II miles
from Houston, is the chief commercial town
The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad
extends easterly across the county from Ma
vasOta.
We next passed almost centrally through
the county of Brazos, which is situated il
the southern portion of Central Texas. The
population of this county, in 1880, was l3,
5G6-46 per cent. cOlored. Its area is 5le
square miles, not more than one tenth o1
which is reported to be under cultiva
ton. Along the line of the railroad, the
soil is thin, interspersed with prairie ant
timber, the latter being generally, scrubby
post oak and blackjack. The usual yield o
cotton per acre is reported at from One-thirt
to one-half of a bale; corn, 30 bushels on
bottom lands. Unimproved lands are quot
ed at from $3.50 to SIS per acre. Uplands
with portion of the tract in cultivation
and the necessary farm houses, are held a
$3.50 to $40 per acre; whilst the bottom lands
range from SS to $50, according to quality
and location and the character of improve.
ments; Fencing costs $50 per mile and
sawed lumber $18 per thousand feet. Lands
mestic purposes, cistern water is preferred
and generally used.
Bryan is the county seat Of BrazOs county
and has population in the neighborhood
of $500. tits a thriving, enterprising town
and is the seat of considerable trade. FOul
miles from Bryan, on the line Of the rail
road, is located the Agricultural and Me
chanical College of Texas, branch of the
State University, literally endowed by the
State, and also in part by the United States
This institution not only furnishes instruc
tion without charge to all it's students, but
board as we'll to ninety-three students Sc
lected by competitive examination from the
thirty-One senatorial districts Of the State
1t is at present under the management ol
Professor James R. Cole, formerly of Green's
boro, n. c., Whom we were pleased to meet
on the train between the College and Bryan
Robertson is the next county through
which we passed. Its area is 869 square
miles and in 1880 had population of g., 1888
The general character of the county along
the line of railroad, is much the same as
that of Brazos county. Our information is
that about four-fifths of the county is COW
cred with timber, consisting on the uplands
chiefly of post oak, red oak, black jack
hickory and elm, and in the bottoms, con
; tiguous to the streams, of walnut, pecan
cedar, ash, cottonwood and other varieties
The uplands yield from one-third to one
half, and the bottom lands, from One-hal
to bale of cotton per acre. Uplands from
25 to 80 bushels of corn, and the loWlandS
IS to 80 bushels. Unimproved uplands are
quoted at from s2 to S. per acre; bottom
lands IS to $40; and improved tracts al
rent for from 50 to 81 per acre; and bottom
lands for from 81 TO S. Dpr acre. Pine lum.