Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-13

ent incumbent. Cattle ana nine lbspep,-
or, w. 4 Kelley 10 ID December. 1876;
Harry limerick, TO 18th May, $50;
william Wishert, to November, 1882;
Wills johnson, still In office.
The officers at present, all OF whom
reside In San Angelo, are.
County Judge, Joseph Spence, Jr
County and district clerk, John
Lackey.
She rio, jams ID. Spfafs
County attorney, Cassius Carter.
Trri surer, Sam Pollock.
Surveyor, n. II. Tarver.
Cattle and hide inspector, Willis
johnson
Ben Ficklin, the original c1unty seat
Of the county, was practically de-
stroyed by flood In the summer Of
1889, which overfiowed the Middle
CoDcho river, ON the bank Of which
stream the village was situated. In
the following autumn an election for
the permanent county seat was or
dered and held. at which San Angelo
was selected.
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE COUNTY.
In view Of the vast extent OF the ter
rltory of the county, 1t IL difficult to
give q comprehensive idea on this sub
feet. The following, however, isgiven
AZ fairly approximate statement
Beginning at San ANGELO, the coun-
ty seat, which II situated on the north
bank Of the North Concho river, and
proceeding north, the surface charac-
ter of the county Is level, with grad.
ual rise 10 the north, until with n
few miles of the Colorado river, when
II dips towards the river.
North Of this stream the country rises
gradually towards the north TO the
county line. The general features Of
this section OF the country are very
similar, being Hat or slightly rolling
prairie, except In the immediate vi
entity Of the river, where II IL rolling
and sometimes rough
From San Angelo, proceeding north
east, east aud southeast, the same
chars cter OF country Is traversed.
Proceeding south, southeast, south
west, an almost level plaln-conntry IL
traversed 10 the county lines between
Tom Green and Concho on the one
hand and Tom Green and Crockett on
the other.
From San Angelo westward TO the
neigh borbood OF the l0lst longitudinal
line the topography Of the county Is
more varied, owing 10 the fact that u
II mucn cut up by the Middle aud
South Conclo rivers, Spring creek and
their tributaries, all Of which streams
have valleys fringed by elevated hills.
About thirty.live miles west Of the
l0lst longitudinal line, which Is about
thirly.iive miles from San Angelo, the
Plains are reached and extend thence
10 the Pecos river on the southwest and
west and 10 the New Mexico line on
the northwest In this direction there
In a gradual rise until within ten 10
fifteen miles of the PeCos river.
/ Thence 10 the river there II
sharp, almost abrupt decline.
The maps Of Texas generally In use
show ranges of mountains In this d.
rectlon, and also sand-hillh; but prac-
tically there are no mountains In the
county. AMI the "sand-hills" 80 des-
ignated on the map are not the barren
plains they are generally supposed to
be by those not familiar with the coun-
try. The only elevations that can
properly be Mt all digniiied with the
name "mountains" are the foot hills,
ut the base of the Llano Estacado, or
"Staked Plnins," of which more will
be said hereafter, and the steep but not
high hills which fringe the valleys of
Colorado and North C0ncho rivers on
the north and north west, the Middle
Concho, west OF San Angelo, but
east OF the lOlst long itudinnl line, and
the head waters of the South Concho
and its tributaries. The hills rarely
reach an altitude Of 200 feet obove the
level u the valleys,
About eighty miles from Concho,
west, the tops OF the hills are quite 500
feet above San Angelo, ~ that allow
ing 200 feet for the hills, II shows the
fall thence to San Angelo To be all nut
600 feet, EQUAL 10 seveniy.five feet per
mile. In this connection 1t may be
stated that this feature IL not peculiar To
the section west OF the county seat, but
applies to the other sections nv well
travcrsed by the Concho rivers. The
section of Texas known ~ the "Llano
Estacado" or "Staked Plains" em-
braces most of the territory OF Tom
Green county west OF the lDlst longitu-
dinal line. This name was given 10
this section from the tradition that"iu
li3i when the fathers from Santa Fc
visited San Sioa Ia establish IA fort and
mission, they SGT up stakes with
buffalo heads on them, no that otkers
might follow their route.n The east
ern limits Of the Plains on the north
are strongly defined, aud are often
marked by vertical bluffs
several hundred feet above the general
level of the country on the east, though
they are not 80 high as com pared with
the country immediately connected
with them and which extends up to
them from the east. These bluffs con
sist, according To n report oil Capt,
Marcy OF the United States army, of
red and yellow clsys overlaid by ten
or iiIt,e feet of sandstone and a heavy
deposit OF drift pebbles, the whole
capped 10y sandy soil and sub-soil.
rms description, though given spe.
clally as u the country north OF rOni
tretn county, applies In the main TO
mat portion OF the Plains embraced IN
the county, All OF the territory
OF the county IL Included
IN what are known as tho table lands
OF Texas, except u small section In the
northeastern corner Of the county,
and strip not exceeding ten miles IN
width anu about tifty miles In length,
which lies on both sides Of the North
Concho river, taking In the valley
lands In these sections, aud the hills
adjoining THIS latter country IL
known to scientists rs n part OF the
northwestern red loan prairie and
timherd land. Though there IL no
timber In the sections Of Tom Green
county noted, except along the banks
OF the streams, aud slig Il scattering
growth OF mesquite timber, OF whici.
more mention viii be made further on
In this report