The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-31
RUsK COUNTY.

AN INVITING FIELD. FOR CAPITAL
ANDLABoR-AH HOME FOR THE POOR
). AND A FORTUNE FOR THE INDUS
TRIoUs = ONE HUNDRED :. COLD
SPRINGS : EXCELLENT FINANCIAL
). CONDITIONS SOILS AND TIMBER
LUXURIANT WILD NATIVE GLOVER
HEALTHY coUNTRY-IRoN, POT
TER's CLAY AND coAL-FRUITs OF
ALL KINDS. =. CULTIVATED PRO-
DUCTS = SUPERIOR EDUCATIONAL
Z ADVANTAGES STATS
TIcAL INFORMATION. = HALLWAY
FACILITIES AND BALANCE OF
s TRADE COMMERCIAL, SOCIAL AND
OTHER INTERESTING FEATURES OF
THE CITIES OF HENDERSON AND
ovERToN, AND SEVERAL IMPoR-
TANT TOWNS. -, #vl.-r-~ 3
F t-aH .ler -. -l--.l i.t.L
About forty miles west of the east
ern and one hundred miles south of
the northern boundary of>the State, in
north latitude 81 deg. 10 min, is situ-
iated the county of Rusk., 1t was Gre
ated by the Republic of Texas, in
1843. Since its organization some
changes have b en- made, reducing
the territory to 9l7 square miles or
5S6, $50 square acres. Phis large scope
of country, according to the census of
1880, only has a population of 1885.
The State Of Rhode Island has an area
OF 13O6 square miles, oF'835, $40 square
acres, which, in 1870, sustained a pop
ulatlon of 2l7,353. Rusk county has
more than twO-thirds as much land as
Rhode Island, and can readily furnish
homes.for and support 115, ,9l6 more
than its present population, relieve
people in over-cgowded C untrieS from
sharp embarrassing competition, and
give them new and rich virgin soil to
cultivate. = .,sa.ist.
! - ON FOOT AND IN THE SADDLE.
We have travelled over all parts of
the country, and what we state is from
actual personal observation, and .in-
formation collected from public rec
ords and the most progressive, re-
sponSible and best informed persons
in different parts of the county, many
of whom are hereafter referred to and
to whom all letters for further desired
information should be addressed.
Geographically the county, is irreg-
ular, Astounding in ridges and valleys.
From near the northwest part, in a
southeastern direction, extends an eIe-
waited body of land two-thirds across
the county. The water on the north
east side flows to the Sabine river;
that on the south and southwest to
the Angelina. The former constitutes
many small streams, which form ever
lasting running creeks, which run
within the county a distance of from
i've to twenty y-ffve miles, the Rabbits,
Cherokee and Martins being the 1arg-
est. Commencing at the northwest
ern part of the county, they are named
as follows Coney Greek, Rabbit
Greek (Which has an east. a west and
a south prong, the south prong being
called Big Head Creek), Cherokee
Bayou, which is fed by several, large
streams, the two largest being Towfs-
ka and Mill creeks, Martins Creek.
with tw o pr6ngs, IRONS Bayou and Mu-
raj Creek. The waters draining the
south and southwestern part Of the,
county are about the same length, and
beginning in the western part Of the
county, they are named BoWle's and
Jehnson's creeks, and West and East
Forksof the Angelina. The latter has
two extensive branches, and there'eInp-
ties into thefornaer the Strikers, ScoOI-t
er, Big and Little. Shawnee, Mineral
and Barnhart creeks, and the Golden
Drains and iAttoyae3 creeks. Most of
these STREAMS afford excellent water
power. and mills have been a1d are
now operated on.them successfully and
prof1tably.a These various perpetual
running streams are constantly sup
ported by more than ~ -e7 '.'pio'A'
ONE HUNDRED, coED sPRINGs,oc
Making this evidently one of the best
Watered counties in the States Some
iot these springs, are possessed OF. im-I
portant mineral prof. perties, have great
ned1clnal virtues, and will hereafter
be specially. referred to. ,All4Of these
y aters, with7a few. RECEPTIONS, ,inelud-
]ing, numerous wells, are delightful
Little more II StRhiaf'd StRhaanf decade ,o ago this {,
county was fifth in the grand galaxy
OF Texas counties, in point of = l...asl
acs h-Ga TAXABLE WEALTH. '"yi-'fff 2
The value of all property in the coun-
~, as shown by the assessors roll Of
1882, was 81, ,SS4, ,0l9.s This value is
now augmented / by sthe greater ads
vance in the price of cattle, and It
may be added, that the court-house,
jail and poor-tarm! worth about $30,-
OOO. 'andsthe county school land here
tOfore referred to, being county prop
erty, is not assessed. All taxes
levied on property in the county last
year only amounted to- the small sum
OF hfty cents onithe, one hundred dol
Lars, the only additional tax levied
consisting of a alight'ioccupation tax 1
sand poll tax of. Sl.75. .,sThe total rev.
enue derived from all llisoarces of taxa
,tion, laStlyear amounted to S24. 800. 4
OF this, Sit, 800 went to the State and
s., 800 to the county. These facts are
made doubly interesting to one seek
ing a home In Texas, when the fact is
made known that the county is in an
excellent financial condition, and ilfo
DOES NOT owEoA SINGLE DOLLAR
There are s., 800 in the county treas
ury, and county scrip is at par. The
records, money and valuable papers of
the county are secured in itireproofi
safe and vault, and on examination
ton. 's'.'D9' ~ "a !; q ysi'-9
This is empHatically a tirnbered
country, nearly four -tifths of th3coun-
ty being wooded. Since the character
of timber growth on land is almost an
infalhble index to its worth, we will
describe together the -. 6 ts'' W
Z 20 rle THE SOIL AND TDfBER. ray,
There are few places in theworld.
VFhera nc sri,oatI sall " q riafx of m atllr0l
growth exists. Pine, oak Gncluding
All known vaffeties}, gum (including
sweet and black j. hickory embracing
all varieties); black walnut, ash, elm
tall varieties); sassafras, cherry, beach, }
birch, cypress waioo Or linn. sugar
maple, persimnaon, pi6fn, mulberry,
haw, redhud, dogwead, buckeye, pa-I
paw and ironwood, exist in quantities.
while numerous other, .growths are
occasio onally found, The United States
census bureau of 1880 estimated that
there was standing in the county of
nerchantable short leaf pine s, ,2S0, ,400,-
GOO feet, board neaSure;, and of the
loblolly pine, 566, 800, 600 feet, and the
walnut, ash, cherry, birch and cypress
are In quantity and size sufficient to
DO pro6tably Utilized. Most of this
rlch growth was found on the borders
OF the creeks heretofore spoken OF, but
we were astonished and sprprised to
Ind walnut, ash, cherry, hickory and
other loNland groWthS occasionally
on the highest ridges. It wis a phes
nenaeH6n t0dsi. 'tsnf sf'tfe iI-'1tf 19tf