Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-23

pastures. The records of the land OF.
lice show that NJ these lenses have beer
Effected, sales have constantly decreas-
ed. For instance, In January there
were sold 40, SIP acres; at the meet
log In April only IS, "a acres, and In
une the small amount OF 100 $50 acres
Most all of the smaller leases have
been made by men who had already
bought the alternate SECTIONS from pri-
waite corporations, or had fenced state
lands without authority, or for the
purpose Of squariug up their ranges
adjacent to lands purchased under The
fifty-cent act
LARGE CORPORATIONS WILL rAKyi,r
THE LAND.
IN your view of the matter. DIR.
Robinson, should the law be perpet-
uated as II now stands how much of
these lands will be leased 90
II think not more than 5000. 900
acres OF the S5,000,0C0 now subject to
lease by the land board. This will alb
sorb the watered lands and other lands
most eligible for actual settlement, by
which The whole country eau be con-
trclied by these syndicates, without
leasing the remaining 10000 900
acres, But the whole cattle interests
OF Northwest Texas would, under
the system permitting such unlimited
leases as the land board Is favoring,
very soon pass into the hands OF for
eign syndicates, whose interests and
Influences will be constantly opposed
TO the settlement of the country by
American busbandmen while the
small stockmen, who own the bulk
of the cattle In Texas to-day. will
either he forced TO sell out TO the cattle
kings or To get up and get out of the
state. Hundreds of them are already
on the move, or are preparing 10 30 to
the free-grass territories where the
United States, ms custodian of the
lands, does not force them To pay rent
or TO the republic OF Mexico.
have statistics showing that no less
than 100000 head of stock -cattle will
be driven from Texas this year be.
cause OF the obnoxious laws and
rulings of the land board. These
cattle represent "A value of mt least
Sc 900 900, which would Weld 10 tho
state a tax ofat least $50 900 a year, TO
say nothing of the annual Increase.
This Is exclusive of the tax they would
yield TO the county funds, which will
NC WV VI ehite tiihes Us tnucn hS tnAt
collected by the state.
A FATAL BLOW TO THE STATE.
"But the most fatal blow to the well
fare OF the state has been from the
action of the land board In with
drawing the watered lands from the
market. The five gentlemen consti-
tuting that board were doubtless se-
lected by the legislature because 1t
was thought their honorable posi- tons
would secure such action upon all
questions arising before them as would
sub,erve the best lutte rests of the state
and the parties most nearly interested
In those questions. But the whole
country has been disappointed In the
results, Just at that time above nil
others In the history of Texas when
these lands were In demand and could
easily have been sold to actual settlers,
this board became wise above what
IL written In our statute books
or In the chronicles OF the past. and
legislated the watered lands oil the
market, advertising them for rent at
twenty cents per acre. The immi-
grant who was looking to the vast do.
main Of Texas as an inviting field for
settlement, IL now kept back by learn.
ing that the great state of Tex IL Will
not allow him TO approach the water
on the public lands, without access to
which IL Is impossible for any man TO
make his home In the West.
FEW FIGURES AND DEDUCTIONS.
There are about | 000 sections of
these watered lands, 400 of which
front on rivers and large streams,
with an abundant and con-
slant supply OF water. With these
lands on the market for sale, with adj
jacent hill lands fee for grass, these
400 sections would provide half II mile
of river or water front for each ranch
home, which would have "A capacity
for 900 head of cattle, thus giving lis
800 ranch homes. The other 600 sec
tions being watered by large springs
or lakes, and not susceptible of divis-
ion, would have capacity for much
more than 900 head OF cattle, but we
will put II mt the minimum of / 900
head, and we have 400 ranch sites,
which, with a minimum capacity of
1000 head each, gives us l,400,000
head of cattle, worth $4,000, 900
The state tax to be derived from this
property would be not less than $li0,-
900 "A year. The lands themselves, IL
sold ut the minimum price Of So per
acre, would yield 81 ,02O 600, which,
bearing Interest ut five per cent, will
yield an annual income TO the school
fund Of 100000; or In thirty years, II
none Of the principal shall have been
paid will give us 81 $50 .O0Oin Interest,
which, when added 10 the principal,
gives the school fund sum OF "a, s0O,-
900. II left open TO actual settlers, this
could easily be sold inside OF two years;
and while every section might
not be taken as above, SUI.
ficient number Of them would be over
stocked TO make the whole average the
figures given, making greater cattle
interest than we have to-day, and with
1t thrifty population OF actual sell
tiers and permanent axpayers. This
estimate, observe. includes onlv ]. 900
sections, or $40, 900 acres OF the 81, 000,-
900 subject ~ lease.
SALES AND LEASES COMPARED.
"If the rich lands already leased
had been sold at ~ per acre, on thirty
years time, at 10 per cent. Interest.
without payment Of principal till the
end OF thirty years, every acre 10
sold would ut the end Of ten years
have yielded In interest 10 the
school fund 81. while every acre leased
for ten years will At the end Of that
time have yielded but eighty cents TO
the school fund. The lands sold would
at the end Of thirty years have yielded
81 In interest, making together with
the principal S. per acre; while the
same lands being leased IN IL were
possible TO lease them for thirty years.