Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-25

dering IL at once attractive and inviting
to everyone, while beautiful, clear running
streams of water and numberless springs
make it the natural home for industrious
men and all the different species of do
nestle animals. There is no very con-
siderable portion of it which could be
called trough or broken" and but very
little which could be classed as "poor
land" 1t is not by any means low, fat
country, but medium lii this respect. The
surface is undulating, without abruptness,
presenting great yet pleasantly diversi-
fed appearance, always giving to the
traveller a most favorable impression in
every respect.
If there were no other data save the
above figures tending to demonstrate the
advantages of the Fort Worth & Rio
Grande railway enterprise over any other
present or contemplated line to the Pacific
waters, they alone, it would seem, are
sufficient; but there are other and very
important reasons why the line should be
pushed on to speedy completion. I'M
like any other interoceanic line, It
traverses a country that without the aid
of any railway communication or outlet,
has, by Its climate, its soil, its produc-
tions, its grazing, its almost unlimited
and marvellous mineral deposits and its
beauty of scenery passed beyond the con-
fines of uncivilizatlon and Is to-day on
the highroad of progress. That 'portion
of the line in Texas passes directly
through by far the most naturally attract
i've part of the state, is more easily con-
even the Texas & Pacific. At least $50
miles of the line in Texas is a good farm
ing country, and the remainder to-day is
covered with immense herds jof cattle,
horses and sheep, and dotted all over with
ranches, showing it to be not bnly good,
but very desirable pasturing ground and
therefore valuable. Besides these advan-
| tages, which are certainly not possessed
by tine great Texas & Pacific
to anything like the same ex-
tent, the Fort Worth & Rio Grande line
will pass through Preside county, the
only well-established mineral portion of
Texas, and which is destine I'D at Il day
very near in the future to deEelop into an
extensive mining district, where capital
will invest itself in the production of sill
yer, copper and other valuable metals,
where the din and clatterl of gigantic
stamp mills will be heard, al they are now
heard in Leadville and elsethere. Then
after crossing the Rio Grande the line will
be adjacent to the hundreds of old and well
established mines in the state of Chihua-
hua, which upon the advent of this road
will become reinvigorated and through
the agency of American capital, genius,
energy and labor, will pour out their
precious values in liberal compensation
for the effort.
CHANGING over the census returns and
comptroller's report to ascertain the
relative population and wealth Of the
counties tributary to this line, we were
surprised to discover the very rapid pro-
gress made in the counties in the South
west which have not as yet had the adj
vantages of railroad facilities, and whose
increase is due entirely to natural causes,
to the resources of the counties them
selves, to the soil, climate, productions,
pasturage and mineral wealth. The in
crease in population has not been stimu-
lated by capital or railroad enterprises,
as has been the case in many counties in
this section. For the information of our
readers we append tabulated statement
taken from the official returns: