Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-10

me following INSCRIPTION OF lpIii
Green county appeared in the Christ
mas edition of that 1--we paper, the
Colorado Clipper, and az IL Is written
by gentleman who lived here among
us for some time, and whose writings
appear often in and are valuable
feature of the GAZETTE, 1t can he
relied on as accurate and not in the
least overdrawn:
TOM GREEN COUNTY.
This county lies south of, and joins
that of Mitchell. II is, with one exces-
ton, the largest in the state, having
an area of IL $50 square miles, while
Prositiio on the southwest has 1920
square miles. In 1882 its population
was reported at nearly 1000, which
has been materially increased this
year. Its assessed valuation for 1888
is about S5,OOOO00, showing an in
crease of at least 81 ,000 900 during the
past twelve months. Its people are
intelligent, refined, and enterprising,
ana mostly engaged in stock
raising. In point of actual personal
wealth, it will take the front rank ac-
cording to population. There are
some stocks of cattle owned in this
county numbering over $1,000 head
with many others from 500 to 10000
OF sheep there are flocks of from 1000
to 10000, owned by single individuals.
These ~ rule are high grades, shear
ing from four tn eight pounds of wool
per head. There are some 400 600
sheep on the assessors roll for 1883,
valued at 81 900 600 These sheep will
clip in 1854 close TO 1000 900
pounds of wool, which at twenty
cents per pound gives an income of
100000, TO say nothing of the lamb
crop of something like 100000 head.
OF cattle there are nearly 2O0, 900 head
worth not less than S3,0O0,0O0, to say
nothing of horses, goats and lands.
Tom Green county possesses great
variety of soils, that on the water
courses being adapted to agriculture,
the uplands producing different kinds
of grasses. On these lands the IN s.
quite and gramma principally abound.
For fattening or growing stock they
cannot he surpassed by the famed
bluegrass of Kentucky. The lands
along TIL streams have been taken up
by the cattle and sheepmen, very lii
tie of which is devoted To farming pur-
poses. Those who have made any eff
fort To grow crops have succeeded in
raising large fields nf corn, oats, mil
let. sorghum, alfalfa, vegetables. mel
ons, etc. When the season is favorable
an immense quantity of hay is annu-
ally saved.
The face of the country is r'ostly
rolling prairie, in some parts o.
the county traversed by mountain
ous formations; there are are to b.
met with i'm every direction beautiful
valleys, caves and hills, affording food
and shelter and water for stock ut all
seasons of the year. Upon the whole,
there is far more of grazing than
farming lands in the county. Consid-
eriug its immense size, the supply of
water is quite abundant and Of the
purest quality.
The principal streams are the North,
South and Middle Conchos, which, to-
gether with Spring and Dove creeks.
form the main ConchO river. These
different streams at their sources
are nothing but immense springs,
which gush forth from the bluffs
or hills rs small rivers at the start.
The writer has visited The heads of all
these streams, and wondered where go
much water came from. They are
clear as.crystal, soft, and filled with
many kinds of fish. Along them are
Ia be found pecan, live oak, cotton
wood, and other varieties of valuable
timber. Upon the prairies is found
mostly mesquite, with some chappArel
or stunted growth of timber. There
are one or two more noted springs,
known as Lipan and Pecan.
Am ny the sheep the only ailment
has been the scab, a scourge and eX-
pense TO every OF rer county in the
state in which iiocks are handled
Cattle and horses never suffer from
contagious diseases; they keep in fine
condition the entire year.
The profits on sheep and cattle,
taken one year after another, will
range from twenty-five to thirty-three
per cent. on capital invested. lndi-
vidual interests can be mentioned
wherein they were greater. The fig
urcs given should satisfy the greed OF
even the most grasping.
Ben FicSlin, ON the south ConchO,
used 10 be the county seat, but was al
most entirely washed away by the
great flood # 1882 II was built IN a
lovely fertile valley, had Il bright fu-
ture, but il now but Il ghost OF its
former self
San Angela, the present capital, Is
built ON the banks Of the North
Concho IL s,andso on the north side Of
this stream, Fort Concho being on the
bank. 1t is surrounded by n
lovely country, and bids fair to become
II large place. so far as the water sup
plyis concerned, il il inexhaustible.
In the course of time il will be certain
~ utilized for manufacturing purp ses.
The population must he over 1000,
composed of wealthy, progressive pee-
Pile
There are several merchants who
carry stock of over 50 900 in value.
The trade is from large area of coun-
try. and is very generalin its demands.
It's Importance us IA trading point can
not he Over-estlmated. The merchan-
disc is hauled in wagons from Abilene,
Il distance of 100 miles.
There are two lines of daily stages,
one to Abileue, the other TO Burne,.
1t supports several hotels, resiau-
rants, saloons, etc Boasts of fine
churches. large school Masonic and
Odd Fellows lodges, also one of the
knights of Pythias. Has now only
one newspaper, the Times Enterprise,
which is ably edited by Messrs. Ions
4 Farley.