Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-19
PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.
Its Area, It's People, Its Lands, and
Something Of Its Past, Pres.
ent and Future.
A rev Hmpie Facts About the Country
90 which the Eyes OF Millions
arc Looking.
Tascoaa Pioneer.

Wl0e pihiubt COuNtnltuL TlFtfb, puDllt
lands, but bRrrenness Of settlement and
wild history withai Is attracting perhaps
many fold more attention from the older
states than any section OF any other
Western state or territory. And what
ever description may be sent out Of the
good and bad Of any new country should
be tree from all suspicion Of an adver-
Using scheme or Of an immigration boom.
The statements In these columns are In
tended, by mingling impartiallv the good
and the bad, to convey themselves the
proofs that nothing is extravgaGntly
drawn. We certainly can disclaim any
Intention Of working up an immigration
excitement OF of discouraging immigra-
ton. The cold fact Is simply this; The
people who cannot come TO aee for them.
selves want reliable, published descrip-
ton OF that portion OF the Southwest
designated the Panhandle OF Texas. ] his
paper has numerous readers in distant
parts, and the list constantly grows, who
read 1t for the information they may get
about the pecuiarities and prospects OF
this section. To comply with that wish,
TO crafty Its present readers and to win
more by chapters of Panhandle life that
shall be truthful and at the same time
tolerably elaborate, Is the excuse for oc-
cupying this space with such accounts.
The Panhandle proper, which Is COM
posed OF the following twenty-seven
counties, viz; Dallas, Sherman, Hans
ford, 0chiltree, Lipscomb, Hartley,
Moore, Hutchinson, Roberts, Homphill,
Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Wheeler,
Deaf Smith, Rand II, Armstrong, DoDley,
CollingBworth, Greer, Farmer, Castro,
Swieher, Brlscoe, Hall and Childress, has
q total area OF about IA 900 square miles,
which means something near $3.50 900
acres. OF all theee counties Of the Pam
handle but three are organized, Oldham,
Wheeler and Donley. The others are at
tached to these for land and ju-
dlcial purposes. In all this terri
tory there are three towns, and one In
each OF the organized counties: Tascosa
In Oldham comfy, Mobeetie In Wheeler,
Clarendon In Donley. There is news.
paper In each OF the three towns. The
established post0iilces Of the Panhandle
are Tascosa In Oldham county, Wheeler
In Potter county, Zulu In Hansflrd
county, Springer Ranch IN Hrmphill
county, MJbeetie (besides Fort Elliott as
a government post) In Wheeler county,
Clarendon In Donley, Paloduro In
Armstrong, and one or two other
boxes OF no responsibility nor much con-
sequence, Other Offices will be estab-
lished, II Is probable, during the year,
where the needs OF neighborhood are
beginning TO require them. There will
be observed by those who inspect the cur
rent maps OF the Panhandle certain towns
or Offices marked on the Canadian river
above and below Tascosa, which are cal
culated TO mislead in measure. Such
places as Trygillo, Lathrcp, Hays, Win
dom Adobe and one or two more never
existed; ony In the Imagination Of the
Star Route swindlers, VINO put them
there and made oath TO them, by that
means largely adding TO their annual gov
ernmeDt salary for mail delivery.
The contlguration OF the country Is
most romantic and indicates it,
healthfulnees, The Panhandle IL mostly
an elevated-plains country, dotted by
thousands OF lakes which do not hold out,
how, yer, through drought, coursed by
the Canadian and its numerous aud small
trlbu aries through the Northern part,
the Red river and It's tributaries across
the South, and interaccted by occasional
deep canOns. The plains are the more
elevated portions, and are quite level.
WAteris not often found on these plains
only In wet seasons, when
the lakes contain It.; hut recent ex-
periments have supplied IL In a
few places both by digging down some
distance and by putting In tanks. Tim.
Der Is equally scarce with the water sup
ply, or even more 80, both on the plains
and throughout the Panhandle. The
principal kinds found are cedar, cotton
wood and Mesquite bushes, the mesquite
grows on the level pralries, the cedar
among the brakes beside the water
courses, and the cottonwood in he river
and creek valleys. good deal OF the
fire. wood used by the people who live
adjacent to the large streams Ia tho drift
carried down during high water. The
choice wood Is Of course the cedar.
Perhaps nobody who has heard OF our
Panhandle Mt all, Is ignorant that from
the days of tho Indians to the present,
cattle-raising has been and ls yet the
principal, indeed the only occupation OF
the people. There are perhaps not less
than q million head OF live stock, cattle,
horses and sheep, in the twenty
Panhandle counties, and the taxable valu.
alton OF properties rune up to the neigh
borhood OF Sl2,000,000 or 100000 o.
A great share OF the land in this srUtion Ia
lion aores Vet renain,ng n, Tho vsaaf hnd,
~ nnbl,e main al snast tor rh gVS =,
The school ,,niv.,sity ana osvi,r, snnds
most az n was and 10 locs,ed IN tha DE-
handle and IN The Mains conn,ies lsino
son,h % Z, In,,na p"'" ,s eouu'ivs iyius
laads are leased from ths s,ato tor ~
tnres ana nnder fence ,he gr,.atar ,,,,r IT,
IN a. beinp very fair grag no lanrs aUd
mnoh ~ n giying nrnmis. - a. int,,,,
Into ana "a s,n,n,, ,racta A., ,nt,sa ms '"s