Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-12
BOOMING BOWIE.
A News-Gatherer's Notes From the
Busy and Bustling Town.
Pleasant Chat About Its People and Their
Everyday Life.

Special Correspondence OF the Gazette.
BOWIE, May 6.-Nestling in the
borders of the famous cross-tim beers
lies Bowie. 1t Is approached by the
Fort Worth and Denver City railroad,
to which Institution the town owes its
existence and in a large degree it's
present prosperity. 1t is situated on
q high elevation, wand commands an
excellent view OF the country around.
where for miles and miles the forest
clad mountains rear their heads-s'like
tops of distant thoughts to use Pol.
locks words. The famous cougar
mound lies to the northwest In easy
view, and is much admired by visitors
who have n touch of the romantic In
their souls. Here it was that the
children of the forest found secure
rendezvous beneath its projectingIrock
and crags, and many u red man no
doubt wooed and won his dusky bride
beneath its shade.
Twenty months ago, when the fleecy
staple was being picked from where
the principal streets are at present, the
owner of the land would have consid-
cred himself fortunate for an offer of
ten dollars per acre for his possessions;
now, lots worth from two to three
thousand dollars are not an unc0m-
mon sight. To give an idea of the
progress this cotton patch has made, II
may be stated that the town has now
about eighty mercantile houses of
various sorts, four livery stables.
seven saloons, one bank, good schools
"a ~ a, A,
ed for, and u population OF 100
Brick buildings are becoming the rule
more than the exception, and num-
Der OF rock buildings grace the princi.
pal streets. Contracts for five brick
buildings are already let, and on Il
piece of property recently purchased by
hotel men, magnificent structure
the rock work of which alone will cost
5000, is TO be erected at once. This
building will have frontage of $50
feet, and will be as fine a hotel as the
Northwest can boast of. Lots range
in price from three hundred TO as many
thousand dollars each, and are con-
stantly advancing.
Mayer Bros. have perhaps the larg-
est beer hail in the Northwest,
upon which great sum
has been expended. The ice-house
and store room attached hold about
three hundred kegs of beer, and sew
eral cars of ice. There needs TO be
good supply of the favcrite beverage of
King Gambrinus on hand, for ii Is not
an uncommon thing To sell key an
hour in this one establishment. The
proprietors have fitted up n large hall
in the second story of their building.
which has been generously donated to
the city council, and for any public
meetings that may occur. A beautiful
park is being arranged by the same
gentlemen u short distance from town,
on the highest point of ground In
Montague county.
But what people throng to see most
is a freak of nature belonging 10 the
Mayer brothers, which is nothing less
than n legless dog. This animal can
not claim any connection, even In the
remotest degree of consanguinity, with
that historical animal known TO the
sons of men as 'Schnader's dog"
neither can he trace up his genealogy
! through any illustrious line of royal
CANNES. through whose veins have
rushed the blue blood Of "Old Dog
Tray" he Is simply fat, common
looking animal, spotted white and
black like Republican convention,
perfectly developed as far as he goes,
but where the legs should start out Oh
their own responsibility from the
trunk he stops short of, and there
is nothing but the loose skin,
the same as over any other portion of
body. The stumps which extend from
the shoulder joints down to the skin
work In their imprl sOned state like a
boys legs in a sack race, when the
animal tries them as vehicles of loco
motion. During the dogs puppyhood
he did very well, and experienced no
difficulty in moving around by the
combined aid Of his nose and tail-the
latter appendage seems to have been
favored with the size and strength de-
MED the pedal extremities-- but AS he
grew older and began TO think he was
Just ms good a dog MS anybody's dog
goned dog, he was bound to adopt the
prevailing fashion of canine dress pa
rade and hoisted his tail straight up
in the mir, in most rakish manner.
This, of course, took from him
the business end of his propulsory
powers, and anchored him TO wher-
ever he Is hid His pride will not per-
NIT him to lower his standard and re-
turn TO first principles; 80 he batters
the floor with his sacked stumps In an
neflectualattempt to moveabout. The
last market quotations on this animal
were Sl75 bid, $1,000 asked. Market
firm and In favor of the holders.
Bowie has three newspapers--the
Gross Timbers. the Free Press and tue
Bowie Daily News. The Cross Tim
bcrs Is the Oldest paper, and under the
editorial control OF George ii. Davies.
who is also typo from way back"
assisted by the splendid management
of Mr.. David Davies, Is simply rush
ing on to fortune. Thirty 9uires OF
paper every issue ID desoured by
this voracious little giant.
The Free Press Is doing well
under the guidance of Mr.. Harold G.
Leonard, who seems TO have ''siruck II
rich" also. The Daily News has Just
started on its daily round. II Is pub
lished by Messrs. Williams IL Weaver,
aud while not coniHg like good
Samaritan to I'LL a want long felt, but
for the plain, prosaic and announced
intention Of making a living for lis
owners. may find warmer support
than its friends anticipate. a daily
paper in twenty-moDths-old town
makes one Internationally look around
for mines and smelling works, or listen
| for grizzly miners tell about lodes-
pockets, paying dirt and leads, and use
such phraseology as goes to make up
I tho os.n var sstior, of mining toWnH hut