Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-01-17
WOOD COUNTY.
Its Wonderful Progress and Internal Sm-
pruvemonts.
Correspondence OF the Gazette


Its Wonderful Progress amt Internal TIM
pruvements.
Correspondence OF the Gazette.
MiNEoIA, Tx, Jan. l5.--wood county
IL situated In the eastern part of Texas,
aud Is one OF the most healthy aud fertile
OF the timbered counties. IL has running
through its borders four lines OF rail-
roads, TO wit; The Texas 4 Pacific, the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas, the Interna-
tional & Great Northern, and the East
Line 6 Red River.
There Is perhaps no county in Texas,
according to wealth and population,
which has made more rapid Improvement
in the last three years than Wood
county. Tho county Is badly cut up by
streams, which In dry weather seem as
harmless AS spring branches, but being
the outlets OF large area OF prairie coun-
try north and northwest, draining an inn
mense scope OF country, during the wet
season these apparently harmless
streams rise TO immense proper
tlons, and have always been during
such seasons great drawback TO
commerce and travel. These streams
are the Sabine river, Lake Fork OF Sabine,
flowing centrally through the county, Big
Sandy and Caney creeks. In the fall OF
1882 the lower end OF Wood county pre-
scented for the position Of county Judge
II. M. Cate, practicng attorney at Min
cola, aud at the ensuing election he was
elected by small majority, At the same
election board Of county commissioners
was elected, more than ordinarily able
and progressive. The court Mt once
addressed itself 10 instituting n
line gof internal improvements In the
county, of which the county stood so
much in need. The courthouse of the
county had been burned In 1878 and since
the county held its courts in an old store
house. We have now q stately and hand.
some brick building, which Ii n marvel Of
architectural beauty and convenience. II Is
elegantly furnished aud neatly inclosed,
and the yard which Is large and commo.
dlous, il set IN rich Bermuda grass and
shade-trecs. The house and furniture
cost some S27 600, and the bal.
ance que on this amount Is now
less than $4,000, this balance IL due 10
Wood county's own permanent school
fund, and the interest the county paws re.
mains nc home, This court has In the
! last three years built over ten Thousand
running feet of bridging, giving free out.
| let IN every direction over all the streams
of the county This bridge work IL built
/ upon heavy piling, Of all heart lumber,
and IN most cases is built above high
water. Not foot Of bridging has been
lost by freshets since It's erection, where
az, under the old plan Of building
the county lost largely every year. Tn,
bridge fund win soon be free from debt
This bridging cost all told about Sl.2i
per linear foot This spirit OF progres,
seems to have been infectious New ans
Comfortable school buildings are spring
ing up like magic over the entire comfy
roads are being improved, immigration II
increasing and everything promises I
bright future.
Judge Cate has laborcG iudustrlously Il
produce these results and has given espo
cial attention 10 the educational interests
of the county. The public schools unde
his guidance have sprung into hlthGrl,
unknown popularity and are In q health!
progressive state.
we have one OF the longest "wagon'
bridges In the state, across the Sabine
on the road leading from Mincoa q
Tyler. Its length is 2700 yards, or some
thing over mile and half-entirell
above high watcr--and was built b!
three OF our prominent merchants, s
Memzesheimer, B. j. Read and j. II. New
som, costing about $4,000.
Our county tax Is 30 cents on the $40
valuation, and this rate within q shor
time viii cxtinguish our entire indebted
ness.