Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-08-01


some on the cars, but principally in hacks
on hors, back, and on foot. We travelled over
two hundred miles on ponies, and more than
thousand miles in hacks camping out
wherever night overlook us. We have
mingled with the cowboys on the plains and
prairies, shared their privations, endured some
OF their tolls, enjoyed their hospitality, and
often admired their pluck and ingenuity in
getting along under difficulties. 1t is great
mistake to class cowboys with free-oooters
for, considering their lsbors, privstions and
surroundings, nobler class OF men can not
he found in America.
The people here do not close
their doors and windows at night.
There is a general feeling OF security which
is truly enjoyable. We have mingled some
with the Commanche Indians in their tenn
porary camps at Wichita Falls and at Harold.
A few can understand and talk some English
but they are very reticent We, with con-
siderable difficulty and perseverance, drew
To-si-ma, head chief Of the Wakeena band,
into answering some OF our questions. With
the exception OF the chiefs, they wear no
covering on their heads. They make no sex
distinctions in dress, or in manner OF paint
ing, or riding, and unless pappoose is car
ried or some work done, you cannot tell the
bucks from the squaws. The squaws do ali
the work In this particular it is a question
sometimes whether this custom will die out,
or be adopted by nelghboring white men.
Each chief has one iavorite squaw who
waits upon bin, and a number OF other
squaws who wait upon his favorite.
When he goes to the white settlements he
takes bis tavCrte squsw with him, so pre-
. sumo we saw none but the favorites. All are
smeared with war paint They look wilder
and greasier than the pictures You see in his
tories We have examined soil and town
sites in Martin, Howard. Tom Green, itch-
ell, Nolan, Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Shack
elford, Palo, Pinto, Parker, Tarrant, Wise
Montague, Clay, Archer, Baylor, Wichita,
Wilbarger and Hardeman counties. Wichita
Falls is u county seat OF 3, 500 inhabitants. A
company is organized to obtain water power
from the falls 10 run machinery. The lots in
the town of Harold, in Wilbarger county,
were sold May 20, 1885. Ii now ella ms 1000
inhabitants, has long rows OF business houses
and some good permanent buildings, among
which may be mentioned the Grand Windsor
hotel and the bank building. At Harold we
chartered tour-horse hack, and with a guide
started northwest through Vernon, The county
seat OF Wilbsrger county, Chllicothe, in Har
deman county, and on up the south fork o
Red river The water in Red river is very
red, muddy and salty.
The beds Of Pease, Red or Wichita rivers
and the Aroyas or smaller streams, usually
contain quick sani, and in wet weather, the
tording is difficult and dangerous. We made
both crossings OF Pease river without ditficu!-
ty, although a similar hack and team stuck
in the middle of the river. The hack sunk
until the water came into the bed single
tree broke, passengers and team became ex-
cited, the driver tell into the water on the
quick sand and no doubt would have re-
mained there, had he not received assistance
On our return trip our team stuck in three
teet of water and mud in Wanderers creek
but by tying long rope to the end OF the
tongue and letting the team out on dry
ground, they brought the hack safely out
Upon our return TO Pesse river at a lower
crossing, we invOluntarily raised our hats il
admiration Of cowboy ingenuity. They haC
herd of horses and two-hors'
grub wagon. They knew that tw,
horses could not take the wagon through s,
they in less time than it takes to write /
fastened one end OF their .sriats to the end o
the tongue aud with the other around tn,
saddle pommei had a four horse team. The
cowboy saddle is not like au east, rn saddle
With larlat TO the pommel horse can pull
heavy load either forward or backward.
The saddle with its girths and attachments is
II load tor a small pony. The land in Wichi-
IN, Wilbarger, Archer, and Hardemsn coun-
81. "a Ilyu tiyht nNiy Ia md
as in Howard and Michel counties.
The only timber away from the streams ia
the mesquite (prosopis julfora), small tree
OF prairie growth. Its roots are dug out tor
iuel.
Associated with the mesquite may be found
several vasieties of the cactus plant, one
species growing from twelve TO fifteen feet
high. Wesatche, chaparrals, mountain
sage ETC., abound on the plains in both
northern and western Texas.
In the mesquite region, along the banks o.
the streams the timber growth consists o
elm, cottonwood, black jack, blackberry, pc
can, wild plum, apricot, and an occasiona
live oak. The soil is principally red loan
In many places 1t is mixed with q gray
sandy soil from the granite and cretaceou
rocks. Red sandstone is the most prominen
and abundant rock, although in some OF tn
low flats there are Out-croppings OF rottel
limestone. The soil in these places is usual
stiff, waxy and productive. The plains ar
shaped terraces, trimmed by lodges o
conglomerate formed OF beautiful and variou
carved silicates and numerous shells uniteC
by ciliceous cement. The grasses on thes,
plains consist principally of curly, berbec
and running mesquite, interspersed with blu'
Joint grass, mountain sage, buffalo grass, bur
grass, ,tennels, thistles, sanhowers, etc Bermud
and Johnson grasses have been introduce,
along the bluff OF the rivers aud draws
ard gypsum occurs in great quantities il
granular, fiDrous masses.
Plates OF transparent selemites are ais,
found underlaid and mixed with rec
clay, and overlaid by drift deposit Of sand
stone.
From about fifteen miles west OF Archer
City to Seymore-s distance Of twenty-five
nlles-we passed through a series of red and
white sandstone and gypsum banks. Some
Of the sand rock is mpregnated with iron
aad occasionally we found copper oxide.
The Brszoo Valley up and down from Sey
more is fine farming country. In the gar.
den and orchard at the Commercial Hotel, a
great variety Of trees from the nursery al
Delaware, o., such as mulberry, apple grape
etc, were growing and bearing ripe fruit.
never saw u more rapid aud perfect growth o
vegetables and fruit. The well water here
contains carb. OF calcium and carb OF mag
nssium.
The mesquite land wherever found, al.
though sandy and sometimes grsvelly, il
ine-grained and close.
On incinations the water runs of almos
as readily as from the back Of goose, anC
where the surface is basin-shsped the wate
..,oa;ns M in a iuu The vater dnSa not al 4