The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-31
WATER IN TEXAS,

The scarcity u visible water IN many
parts of reyas has ever been source OF 90
irction, or rather an obstacle, IN the selue
ment Of localities othsrvis' d'srablei
This ha, been overcome In Thousands o
eAse, by sinking wells, building ar''hc'al
D inds ani Ia fave a'si bY me.nsoi smal
canals conducting water from springs OF
rlyuleti for greater or less distances for
stock PURPOSES, almost anywhere pehns
can he constructed capable OF holulns
water psrpetualy, being re'supplitd by
avery r.iniall. They are inexpensive and
within the reach OF al!-soms needi NIX but
,mall basins AID other, large ones
In macy localities wells cav be
M do 10 answer every purpose
hand pumus answering for oIdlnsry farm
purpys,s, ani pumps worked by windmills
or large herds OF stock.
L, this connection some very encouraging
facts may be mentioned. In the coast belt
OF country, In aumerous loosliies, where
there was no visible water In the early set.
clement Of the country, II was found thA,
rom the trsmping of stock and abrssions
In ravine', ane springs appeared. For more
tpan forty years they hsva maintsiued an
undlm ni,hed flow The same results
hsve followed the same causes In many
,eighborhoods elsewhere. There is q
coast prairie Il rich land and good
gras, from Victoria thirty mile'
TO Lavsca and forty miles TO lndianola on
the hay OF Matsgorda. In all that space
In dry SEASONS, water for twenty years wa
unknown except In one small creek. Only
since the war was II nsoortaincd that almost
any where on that prairie. saving a narrow
bel, bordering on the bsy, inexhausiib's
fresh water was TO be had by digging twelve
TO fourteen feet. On the east OF LavncH
bay, In Cavancahus country, the ssmt
facts were developed and ono person, In
sinking u well at depth OF six feet STRUCK
a bold We in Of water which flowed over tn,
TOP aud has for years furnished. water io
| thousands Of cattle.
In all the undulating country between thu
coast belt and the mountains Of Austin
/ San Marcos, New Brauniels and Bel
county, there are numerous springs wher'
nona existed IN the earlier days.
In The gypsum country, west and north
westerly, It may be assum I'd that well Wa
ter, IT found, will 10. be good, and settler
will have to rely on rain water in ponds 70
stock and in cisterns for family use. Bu
on toe plains, beyond the gypsum region
there is no such difficulty. Almost every
where natural, circular basins exist, whicl
only need deepening in order to hold alum
dant water, and wherever tried well waite
has been obtained at depths of from seven
teen TO eighty feet. Some OF these we'll
have wind.mils and seem of great value
On the Texas & Pacific road ar
several shallow wells OF immense suppl.
on aud east Of the Sand Hills. West o.
that, 50 far as ascertained, it 10 different
as is the character OF the country. lti
believed the necessities Of increasing popu
la,ion will develop an adequate supply Il
answer indefinitely as settlements extend
IL is we'll known that In southwest Texa
The supply of water has greatly increased
In the modes aud from the causes stated
aud tn outlook on a general survey o
tho whole question is mos. encouraging.