The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-01-17
THE PANHANDLE OF rExAs
a vest Grazing and Agricultural Tsrrit,
Soon to he Made Ac,..sit,. a.. ~,


A condensed synopsis of the descriptive
ana statistical review Of the Panhandle of
Texas, from the Resources, Soil and Climate
OF Texas, by A. W. Spaight, commissioner
OF statistics, from the New York World, of
January Sth; "Mr. A. w. Spaight. the
state commissioner OF statistics, has re
Gently gathered information about the great
Panhandle" region of Texas, which show
mat the resources of this region, until re.
Gently almost inaccessible and now almost
entirely unmhabitcd, are such that the
whole section will most likely, before many
years become one OF the richest agricultural
ana grazing portions of the great south.
west. The Panhandle" living be
tween New Mexico and the
9oth meridian and north of the 32d
parallel, contains an area of nearly $1,000
square miles, which is divided into liity.two
counties, yet unorgauized. A portion of II
is the elevated tablets known Ms tbs
ALAMO Estacado, or Staked Plain, and The
other portion is a lower and more diyersi.
ned plain, which joins the Llano Es.acado
ON three sides. The Staked Plain, which
mas by many been supposed to be com,
parative DESERT is In portions carpeted with
variety OF rich grasses and trayersed by
long and gentle swells and depressions.
somewhat resembling those of the sen when
settiing down after storm. This unifor.
NIFTY OF surface Is broken at intervals Inv
deeper, depressions called draws" having
richer soil and more iuxuriant
grasses, and these, when followed up. lend
10 water IN the streams, making their way
70 the pl ans below. Extending far back
into the Staked Plain there are also a mum.
Der OF wide, level, deep aud fertile valleys
or Sanons, hemmed In on either side 6y
rocky bluffs, Some of these are of great
extent, notably Go0dnight's canon, a level
valley from four to fifteen miles wide. md
reaching back more than sixty miles into
the plain, In some Of the canons are found
e SisssasraSh'eu 6vcds Of cedar and in the
Elm striking out thRcn nave escaped the
nroposed that The I'D mesquite tress, and
gates nj large fromeams, Of low cotton.
each congressional y measuring as much
, soma d H,slf,s' ID this land was ct
'sGaraidate for presdenttervStion-the pro.
I r che votes cast pe state house.
IN, anf leinh. comprising " ascertained,
WI, WI, compare ,s9 .s1si tdelegEural fertility,
with any upland prairie i. Diske southwain
large portion OF IL Is riclresCoated SUCH
mesquite and gamma grasses,A apwnditio
portions with mixture of these ,fake or an
varieties, to'wit; sedge, bunch and ,ch II
stem. Save very small percentageropos
country. covered by these surveys In ,avore
smith, Farmer, Castro, Bailey, Lamhne
Hockey, seems to possess the elemel impo
Wheat-bearng sol in ahigh degree. Tn, sau
there are no running creeks, aud few li,tion
springs on the (Staked) plain proper, Aigo
the surface, IN oil sections, Is indented Win
ueep natural basins, In some oil which tho
rainfall is held Through greater portion of
soil for the successful constructionofa Artificial
ponds. More than two.thirds of the whole
area surveyed is good agricultural land.
that upon many Of the leagues is perma.
nent water, and upon many others water
stands In pools and natural basins for much
OF the year, and that far the larger part of
the area Is carpeted with blue stem, sedge,
punch ana mesquite grasses. On many or
the leagues In Dallam, Hartley and on.
ham, there Is along the streams csnsia,
able growth OF cottonwood, many brakes of
valuable cedar timber, much fine building
stone, and, on he streams tributary TO The
Canadian riv large deposits of gypsum.
during last year, the same lands were criti.
cally examined by Mr.. William Stark Ma.
Dry, the county surveyor Of Oldham rcoun.
~, who found lakes Of large size, one OF
which was more than seven miles In cir.
cumierence, and another, the size OF which
was not ascertained, but which had, In the
iNlguase OF his report, "the appear
pcarance OF an inland gulf" borderei by
precipitous rocky bluffs. Ii Is also stated
lhat IN one or more instances where surface
water was not found In sufficient ouanti.
nes, the rarity obtained an abundant sun.
ply by sinking wells few feet below the
surfacs. MIR. Mabry also says. 1--WE saw no
iands but what could bo cassed as either.
grazing or agricultural lands" Corn, oatsA
INLET, broom'corn, sorghum, all did well
Better sod crop first years crop on wllfs
,ahdl has not been grown IN Kansas, anl.
larger aud nicer melons, cushaws ant
pumpkins were never grown anywherg
irish potatoes do moderately WE'LL swclso
potatoes arc excellent all garden vegee, y
pies do well to their chance, being plan'ch
IN sod. The fertility OF the soil and its In
pability OF producing all kinds 'ay.,
grain and vegetables Is established beyiey
AZ DOUBT. The rich grazing qualAtt pr
OF The grasses Is also beyond auesliohe
Cattle, snecp and horses live through 4. :.
winter without other feed and get very y
IN the summer. In wet seasons the sinal
lace lakes furnish abundant water ie
stock indry seasons u Is only found In "a
canons and deep lakes. Water Is 70 resid
here In abundance In wells at from fiNongr'
eighty feet deep; further west they do he
have TO dig so deep. What Is said ofs IN
portion OF the Staked Plain Is true Of ends
they are nearly uniform. Tho climsepuoll
above the malarial line snd Il very heinuer
material IL plenty, Of sanstem,
and magnesia limerick. Coal has reform
found In the breaks Of the Staked pemorrats
abundance. Wild fruit, In some n nominnt
10 plentiful, such ~ currants, 1--WE was grow
plums and three varieties Of grap,osilion fea
In all the counties Of the Panhtose to Whit
lion, except those In which arc reasonable.
capitol reservation lands. there opposed
lreas owned by the several rsilwl, could
ions OF the state, one or moro cfida, ,pro,e
ng covered by such locations. 1aueu by "a,
tate section (6i0 acrcs) Of these In the republ
'eys belongs TO the state conrye opposed
und, and are held at 81 and Ok satisfied the
10 the water supplyt and outrage
senty annual installments, wiz. objection 70
interest. All the unappropr that II dist
ands lying within the limits states aud
'rc set apart for thsue.icans were
4 the public debt, and that rat, was wa on not !.
q cents per acre In ~ nao lvvNV, re-
ores or less This rcmarkab had 10000 rep
'ecn so long separated frorould have, unde
eorld thlt II Is an almost delegates In the
The Gulf, Colorado 4 SanSmvep'ion, and NJ
With 63i miles OF complete, That was u.Just.
ected 70 pass diagonally, Against y; Valer
rally, through the Pan Heheu whether II "
asst 10 northwest. The re out the senatorial
or City railway, alreadyfeiy and col
Wichita Falls, Ia wichitnal districts. nj
projected 10 run nearly gate to each
Irst named road 20 tro, additional delegate
ian river. sixteen milslven In the distric,