Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-27
FORT STOCKTON.
jLetter Descriptive Of the Great Ccun-
yof Pecos--The Cattle Indus
try Predomlnating.
Grass Commissioners Baines Out with HIS
spy-Giess ard Mulo--Grcat Nor
tailty from SMALLPOX

Correspondence Of the Gazette.
FoRT STocKToN, Tex. March 3D.
pecos county has been narrowed down
considerably In area IN the last three
years by the legislature still II is about
third largest county In the state. II Is
bounded on the north by Reeves county,
ON the cast by Pecos river and Tom
Green county, south by Presidio and
Valyerde counties and Old Mexico. There
are no railroad facilities In the county.
The Texas & Pacific runs TO the north
an east through Reeves county sixty
niles distant from Fort Stockton and
about thirty miles from the boundary
line between Pecos aud Reeves counties.
The Galveston, Harrisburg & san An
tonic railroad Is distant from Fort Stock
ton fifty miles and trayerses about sixty
miles Of Pecos county.
The financial standing Of the county Is
good as county paper ls at par and has been
for several years. The county has good
system of free schools, there being three
In the county presided over by able teach
ers, We have beautiful courthouse and
a substantial Jail constructed Of white
sandstone obtained in the county about
of the building was s44, 600. Bonds were
issued for the payment OF the construction
and about one-half of them have been re-
deemed.
The cattle industry predominates as
the land ~ only 1T for the growing Of
grass, with the exception Of land that
borders on Comanche creek which rises
In the town of Fort Stockton, runs TO the
northeast for some ten or twelve miles
and then sinks. Along the creek on both
sides this land Is extensively farmed
Francis Rooney cultivates $40 acres
mostly In corn Presnell & Mussey,
Ceasarlo Tones aud Felix Cara, each cul-
tivates about the same az Mr..
Rooney. The average yield OF
corn and oats per acre CORE
spends fayoraby with that OF Central
aud Northeastern Texas, where they have
plenty OF rain But here they do not de-
pend on RI nj { le creek furnishes plen.
tiful supply OF water, from which they
irrigate. The system OF irrigation Is
complete and has been in vogue here
twenty-five years All Of the farmers
have bitches skirting their farms and
minor bitches running through their
farms The corn rnised rs sold to the
government by contract for the use of the
troops, mules and horses. Several years
ago there were large farms cultivated on
the Pecos river IN this county, but they
are now abandoned.
This county seems TO be retrograding
instead of progressing, and yet there Is
plenty of good university and school land
here waiting TO be taSen up,
Nlussey & PressnenGre among the most
prominent caltlemen here. They paid
Sl85, 900 for their ranch without any
stock, and have recently purchased some
ten or twelve sections more, giving them
solid body OF land and one OF the finest IN
the state Tbey have large bitches running
full OF water through their range in differ
ent courses, one Of the bitches being fii-
teen miles In length. The same parties
are now gathering two herds of beef cat
tie to drive up the trail to Cheyenne,
Wv. II.
The general roundup begins here the
10th April, next month.
Grass Commissioner Baines was here
the 22d of March, and left the same day
He Is prepared Cor camping out. His
outfit consisted OF one saddle-horse and
Winchester and one mule heavily packed,
He Is looking for men who use the chill
dren's grass without putting up, but |
daresay he viii lind only few of that
class In Pecos county.
The merchants think this post will ne
abandoned in June. Some Of the troops
will 90 TO Davis and some to Brackett.
We have had no rain Tor four or five
months, and II 1t does not come soon
there will be scarcity of grass.
There were more than 100 cases of
smallp oN here in the months Of Novem-
Der, December and January last. About
thirty deaths resulted therefrom, only two
white, the balance being Mexicans, who
have no fear for the dread disease. They
say II God willis II there is no use taking
sanitary measures against it. However
the travelling public need have no fear IN
visiting Stockton, as there are no more
cases.