The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-15
Relief Against Fence Cutters and
Extreme DrOuths.

The excuses given by the fence
cutters and those that sympatize with
them is, that the fences shut them. off
from water in dry weather. This diff
ficulty is very easily and cheaply rem
edied, for at very little expense wa
ter may be had anywhere in the state
of Texas. Anywhere in the state
good flowing wells may be had at
comparatively small expenses, and one
of these wells would not only supply all
the stock of the largest ranch but would
in dry weather irrigate thousands of
acres of pasture. Why the enterpris-
ing stock men of Texas do not put
down more of these arteSian wells is
truly surprising. Wherever the rail-
road companies have found it neces-
sary to seek artesian water, they have
! found it. 1t is not because the rail-
roads have more money than common
folks that they succeed in finding ar
tesian water, but because necessity
compels them to have water at certain
localities, and the end will Justify the
means necessary to obtain it. Not
long ago the International railroad
people began to sink an artesian well
at Encinal. and we are now informed
that at depth of 600 feet the water
flows to the height OF two or three
feet above the surface. In every in
stance, so far, the railroads have sue
ceeded in getting a flow, in most in
stances at a depth less than 1000 feet.
But there is an easier way to obtain
water than by the artesian well. The
way it is obtained on every farm in
the northwest; by the dug we'll and
a windmill. A we'll and first class
mill would not cost to exceed $500.
That would supply any number of
cattle; and yet our stockmen, even
here in Travis county, depend entirely
upon creeks and rivers for their sup
ply. Enough wind power goes to
waste every year to drive all the ma
chinery which will be used in the
state for century. This is due to
the fact that as yet wind power can
only be used with profit for work not
requiring uniform steady motion. All
the wind mills in use are to some eX-
tent self-regulating. The wind is
constantly varying in force, and the
motion of the mills vary with it, but
not to the same extent. Most mills
will stop entirely in heavy storm.
In some of the very large wind en-
gines regulator is used which APP
proximates to uniform speed. In
this state there is seldom time when
there is not wind enough to run
mill. And if there were such times,
water could be accumulated so as
to meet any such contingency. With
the mills now in use, and ;vpable of
withstanding any storm not great
enough to destroy an ordinary build
Ing, all the minor operations of the
farm, such as churning, cutting feed.
sl1cing roots, ETC., may be done. The
time IS not far distant when the Stor-
ing of power will be perfected, and
then wind mills Will be the great mo-
tor of all prairie countries. Prof.
Thompson in the American Agricul-
turist says, speaking of this: Several
ways have been suggested for storing
power, but all are open to some objec-
lions. One is to pump water from a
lower level to higher into reser-
voir, to be used in driving machinery
in the usual way. The objections to
this plan which first suggests
themselves are that there would
be considerable waste from evap-
Grafton, leakage, friction of
pumps, etc, and the machinery needed
to utilize the water power would be
too costly, it is feared, to allow any
such device to come into general use.
Another plan is suggested to compress
air into large receptacle and use it
to drive the machinery of the wind
mill. This plan is open to the same
objections as the preceding ones.
1t is also proposed to store power
by raising weight slowly by train
of wheels, and then take power from
this weight in descending. We are
not aware that any practicable device
for using such motor has yet been
invented. The whole subject is COM
manded to the attention of ingenious
mechanics, in the confident assurance
that there is q fortune to be made by
somebody out of this much needed in
vention."
But for the purposes of
the suggestions of this article
it matters not whether these
devices for the storing of power are
successful or not. The windmill for
the purposes of pumping water is
quite perfect, and every cattle man in
the state OF Texas ought to put sutfi-
Gent wells and pumps on his ranch to
supply his stock. He then will have
no necessity nor excuse for cutting
his neighbours fence, and no fear of
creeks going dry in rainless seasons.
Austin has large number of stock
men living here who own ranches all
over the state, and we call their care
full consideration to these facts.