The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-05-07
AFFAIRS ABOUT ABILENE,
RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF FARMS
4 Glance at the New Northwest-Vegeta-
bles, Orchards and Vineyards the
Paradise sOrt--A Good COun-
try and a Good People.

10 seIlsly oneself about the remark
ably rapid development of this portion
OF Texas, especially the development of
the farming interest, it is only necessary
70 ride so or 100 miles in any directio n
from Abilene. A person who has once
before seen the territory travelled over,
VIII be almost as much surprised as the
new conner from the east, still filled
with wild ideas OF frontier life, blood
shed anu iaWlossness. The HERALD
correspondent at this point last
week accompanied X X. Legitt, esq.,,
on legal mission 70 Albany, the pros.
porous little capital of Shackelford
county, and had ample opportunity to
Witness the development alluded to-
On the run by rail between Abilene and
Baird, it was noticeable that many new
farm houses had been erected slnce tho
commencement Of spring and were sur.
FOUNDED by yards and occu pied hv
healthy looking women and children.
who seemed 10 enjoy the bracing az.
mosphere of the elevated plains, and
dis played New England energy and
thrift IN attending to household duties
and moving about over the fields,
About each house was an abundance
OF poultry, fat hogs and occasionally
mich GOV OF improved breed coald be
seen lazily hanging rDOui. Adjacent
to the houses were from 10 10 100 acres
of land under cultivation. In addition
TO land opened-up in a small wav nv
farmers ana their families, were count.
X less hundreds of acres plowed by large
land owners who apparently desired To
provide iood for their stock ana guard
against the dangers Of another severe
winter. Baird, like Abilene, Is showing
the effects of the development going on,
Several costly brick stores have
recently been completed and
magnificent new stone
courthouse md numerous other bus
mess houses and residences were in
course OF construction. No buildings of
any worth wore unoccupied and there
was an air OF prosperity and progress
about the place which gave good indica-
tioHs for the future. Baird has about
loo or LOCO people and is tho terminus
OF a division of the Texas Il Pacific, and
while the land Immediately around it
is hilly ana comparatively poor, the
county OF which 10 is the permanent
capital is abundantly supplied with
good soil, aud the town has Il safe and
growing future. Leaving Baird in one
s of the tine turnouts, for which the town
Is justly celebrated, the route was con-
tinued in uorthelatsry direction to-
wards Albany through spacious lane
guarded on either side by substantial
wire and plank fences. The route for
some miles was billy, but numerous fer.
tile valleys, waterod by running
streams, were encountered, and the
country, on the whole, is capable of
maintaining heavy population. Even
the soil Oh the hill-Iops is reasonably
fertile, and Is considered Rs good as that
e OF the valleys. for the growth of or
chards and vineyards and certain
classes OF vegetables are found to thirty O
iuXuriantly. Approaching Albany, the
mis- diminish in size, and the valleys
and streams were found TO be larger,
and immediately around the town nu-
merous fields of wheat and oats and
vegetable gardens, in a high state OF
Gu ttvation, wore noticed, and Off in tho
distance were some of the stock farms
for which Shackelford is becoming
justly celebrated over the state. Horse
breeding Is maze n speciality, and
In the town and vicinity il
the largest and finest collection
OF Norman stations to be- found
in the southwest. Albany is
the present terminus OF the Houston
Texas Central railroad and like Bal ri
is in healthy prosperous condition.
several large and ornamental stone
store buildings have lately been erected
around the square surrounding the
courthouse. the town also has an
abundant supply of hotels az all
west Texas towns have and number Of
neat cottage residences have lately gone
up. One OF the hotels would do credit
to much larger town. The society is
also good, the population being
composed of highly intelligent
new corners from all over
the union, and dances, picnics and en-
tertainments for the amusement OF the
young are said to be of weekly occur
renee. But the pride of Albany aud
ShackeliOrd is the magnificent new
COuIt'houaU that gracts the contor oil
the Town, and which can ba seen many
miles IN the distance. The structure Is
three stories nigh, and In made of solid
stone, and both inside ana out are de-
signed with artistic taste and substau-
tid beauty, Comfort end convenience
are encountered at every turu, and The
stranger irom the east h puzzled A.
10 how such structure could b4 reared
In sucn a sparscly settled country as
west Texas h. 40 present. The court
room is novelty but model Of Couve-
nieuco and CommOn sense. Tho seats
for the audience are in rows and stand
one above the other In opera house style
and the ceiling is to some extent de-
capitol building at Albany, New York,
the celebrated political city of which
Shnckeliord's county seat is the name
+ sake aud which she uspirOs
o. emulate In every particular.
But the ambitious young orators.
OF the ShackeliOrd bar are still dlscon-
tented, and whom the elegant structure
Is praised In their presence, never lose
an opportunity TO condemn its deficient
acoustic properties. The people be-
lievo, however, that the deficiency ia
this respect exists mainly In the'dissatis-
lied imagiOnatiOns of the young diCiples
OF Blackstone, and II win be many a
long year before they they will submit
~ tine expense which a change would
necosstate, The oourt.houso il also a
striking Illustration of what an honest
and efficient expenditure OF the
public funds can accomplish. It
cost loss than tho brick
Structure 40 Abilene, whicn was
erected 10y sharp, monoy-mak ny, inn
ported contractors, and less than many
OF the other court.hOuses In west Texas,
which are Interior 10 it in every respect.
The people OF Shackloiord discovered
az an early stage that their money was
being collected At rapid ratio into tho
golfers OF spectators and took the mat
ter In their own hands, and having first
put an end 90 all rascality, gradually
completed the building themselves,
with servants carefully selected.
Like Shackeliord, nearly an OF the
Other counties In this part of the state
arc provided with magnificent court
houats, aud those that are
not are having them Quilt These
costly public buildings indicate highly
endured and Intelligent people and IL
would doubtless be an enterprise that
would ho worth millions to have cuts OF
them, together with u description OF the
country, placed In pamphlets aud dis.
trihut6d broadcast over the north.
They would DO much toward creating
revolution In the public sentiment OF
thai part of the United States whore tho
peopie believe that death and danger
await tho new conner TO THIS part OF
Texas, These buildings weuld create