The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1883-02-03
THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.
4 Vast Gfatlng and Agricultural Territory Sool
to bo Made Accessible by Ran.

Soil and Climate OF Texas by y. W, 1
Spaight, commissioner of the statistics
from the New York World, OF January |
sth "Mr. a. W. Spaigh, the state com
missioner of 8tatistiog, has recently |
gathered information about the Pan !
handle" region of Texas, which show
that the resources Of this region, un-
til recently almost inaccessible and /.
now almost entirely uuinhGbitod, are !
such that the whole section will most
likely, before many years, become one
Of the richest agricultural and grazing
portions Of the southwest. The Pan.
handle" lying between New Mexico
and the 90th meridian aud north Of the
221 parallel, contains an area Of nesrly
$4,000 squire miles, which is divided
into fifty-two eouniiee, yet morgan
lied. A portion Of it 10 the elevated
tablo.land Known rs the Llano Estaca
do, or Staked Plain, and the other is q
lower and more diversified plain, which
Join the Llano Estacado on three sides.
Tho Stakcd Plain, which has by many
been supposed to be comparative des-
ert, is the portion carpeted with u variety
of rich grasses and traversod by long
and gentle swells aud depressions,
somewhat resembling those Of the sea
when settling down after storm. This
uniformity OF surface is broken at in
tervals by deeper depressions called
draws" having richer soil and more
luxuriant gsassou, and these, whon fol
flowed up, lead TO water in the streams,
making their way to the plains below.
Extending far back into the Stakod
Plains there aye also a number OF wide,
level, deep aud fertile valleys or can
ons, hemmed in on either side by rocky
bluff, Some OF these are Of great OK
tent, notably GoodniRhl's canon, a lev
ell valley from four to fifteen miles
wide, and reaching back more thaE six
I ty miles into tho plain In some Of
/ the canons are found considerable DO.
dies Of cedar, and ia the gulches, in
/ spots which naya escaped the prnirio
fires for few yeara, n growth Of small
blackberry and mesquite trees, and
along many Of the streams, Of low cot
| tonwood, some OF the trees measuring
as much as two feet in diameter.
an 1876 5000 acres OF this land was
let arart as the capitol reservation p
the proceeds of which are to build the
state.house. The remaining land, it is
now ascertained will compare favori-
bly,, in natural fertility with any un-
land prairie in the southwest. A large
portion of it 10 coated with mesquite
and gramma grasses; and other portions
with mixture Of these and larger va
rieties, to.wit: sedge, bunch and blue
ctem. Save Il very email percentage, the
sountry covered by these surveys in
Deaf Smith, Farmer, Castro, Baily
Lamb and Bockley, soeIus to posses,
the element OF wheat bearing soil 10 g
high degree. Though there are nc
running creeks, aud few living spring'
ON TIE (Steked) plain proper, yet the
surface, in all seotione, is indented with
deep natural basins, in some OF which
til rainfall is held through the greater
part Of the year, thus evincing tho ca.
pacity of the soil for tho successful con
struction OF artificial ponds. More than
two thirds of the whole area surveyed
is good agric ultmal land; that upon
many Of the leagues is permanent wa.
ter, and upon many others water stands
in pools aud natural basins for much Of
the year, and that far the larger part o.
the area 10 carpeted with blue stem
sedge, bunch and mesquite grasses. Or
many OF the leagues in Dallam, Hartley
and Oldham, there is along the stream
considerable growth of cottonwood
many brakes OF valuable cedar timber
flint building stone, and, on stream
tributary to the Canadian river. larg,
deposits OF gypsum, During las
,, year, the same lands wero critically ex
/. amiued by Mr.. William Stark Mabry
/, the county surveyor Of Oldham county
who found lakes OF large size. one o
which was more than seven miles Il
circumference, aud another, the size q
which was not ascertained, but whic
had, in the language Of his report "th
appearance Of an inland gulf" horde,
ed by precipitous rocky bluffs. 1t
also stated that in one or more instance
: where surface water was not found j
sufficient quantities, the party obtaine
an abundant supply by sinking wells
few feet below the surface. Mr.. Mahr
|, also says: "Wo saw no lands but whl
4 could be c!assed as grazing OF agricu
!. tural lands" Corn, oats, millet, brooi
!. corn, sorghum, all did well. Bette
i. sod crop (hrst Yeas crop on viii
4 land) has not been grown in kar
q sas, and larger and nicer melons, cnsl
d avs and pumpkins were never grow
q anywhere. Irish potatoes do mode
L ately we'll, sweet pUtatooH ero ezoellpn'
a oil garden vegetables do well to the
n chances, being planted in sod. I'll
n fertility OF the soil nd the capability (
NJ producing all kinds Of grain and veg,
m tables is established beyond all doub
The rich grazing qualities OF the gras
AZ es is also beyond question. Cattle, shee
r and horses live through the whit
h. without other feed and get very iat
h. summer. In wet seasons the surfas
lakes furnish abundant water for stool
in dry seasons il is only found In u
o. canons and deep lakes. Water
IN found here in abundance in wells
10 from fifty to eighty fec. deep; furih'
% west they do not have to dig so dee
" What is said OF one portion Of Il
10 Staked Plain is true OF all, % they al
Ia nearly uniform. The climate Is abo'
II the malarial line and is very hoalth
as Building material is plenty, Of sar
oil rock aud magnesia limerick 90
At has beon found Ia the brakes Of n
TX Staked Plain In abundance. Wi
at Jruil, in some portions, Is plentiir
or sneh as currants, five kinds OF plum
as and three varieties OF grapes
lt. In all the counties OF the Farmland
le section, except thoae in which are loo
st tod the capitol reservation lands, the
"a / .r. laroa araaa ntrnaI he tha arVnr