Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-04
TIE DhUUUHl Uil0I NIVf,
TWO Reports from Callahan County
SHOW That While Affairs Are bad
There IL No Starvation.
A Rather gloomy Account FROM Eaatiand
touniy--Hains In Limestone aud
Parker Counties.
CALLAHAN COUNTY.

OAHEIlE from SoO0 authority IN regard
to tie condition of Callahan county;
BuRn, Tex, Aug. 3-Most OF the
range ia Callahan is nov fenced, and
what are known as range herds Of cattle
and hof e. are in measure moved out;
also few herds Of pastured cattle have
been moved away This Is also true as
regards sheep. The cattle, horses and
sheep OF Callahan county are in moderate
conditi 70, aud are now improving. We
have heard Of but one instance of loss OF
cattle from want OF water, and that was
the death OF thirty-fOur head in a pasture
in which water was exhausted before the
owner was aware of the fact.
WATER.
The excessive drought In many places
dried up the pools, and stock water was
about the LIST Of July more scarce here
than for years There is not doubt
that the scarcity Of water has been fac
tor IN producing the poor condition of
stock 20 this county. The drought has
not been one grand dry spell, but begun
about fourteen months ago, and con
tinued with light rains almost every
month % this date. The quantity falling
from June /, 1885, to end of that year,
was only 79-l00 inches, making an
average OF but S2-100 of an inch per
month Tie rain from LIST OF January,
1886, 10 LIST OF August, has been, as
measured 80 Baird with very accurate
instrument, 9l-l0G inches, making only
55-lOJ ul an incn as monthly average
this year. This has enabled frmers TO
SOW grain and get stands Of winter and
early sown grain, but not enough to grow
or mature crops
The rains in Callahan county, on our
south BORDER, have been better, aud re-
Gently good showers hays fallen Ia
several sections of the county, and to-
day the county az q whole, has plenty OF
STOCK wafer for the stock now within our
border.
FARMERS
The farmers have failed to make crops
here This Is recommendation to 20
out, ont Is fact. There are but few
who have made the seed they planted
and that few live on Turkey creek, aud
about what is known as Board Flat, near
Cross plains. know of one farmer near
BaIrd, who worked about sixty acres OF
land lie planted wheat late last fall, got
fair stand. He planted oats this
spring aud In March his oats bid fair to
make forty 10 Aity bushels per acre. He
planted corn on wcil-plowed land aud got
ing stan0 and WORKED II we'll one time
before the hot dry weather came on. lie
planted miliet in due time, and, on early
planted miliet-land, god good stand,
He also planted one barrel OF No. / Bur
bank lrish potatoes aud Que barrel OF on
ion sets This was one Of the best farm
ers here, who has good teams and Inn
proved tools His productions were a
total failure not u bushel OF wheat or
oats, and not pound Of milet | saw
his farm yesterday aud he will not make
one single grain of corn. The onions,
potatoes aud vegetables were also total
failure
THIS IS the case with about nlne-tenths
Of the farmers Of Callahan county. The
july showers, no never, have enabled the
farmers generally 70 plowi and so far as
they have been able to, get seeds they
have res0wn their lands ia millet, sorghum
and Held peas, aud with more rain in
August and September may yet make
some feed The soil here is dark sandy
roam, very rich, and grows fruits, grains
and vegetables finely with limited rains.
Thirty 70 forty bushels Of wheat are com
monty harvested. Capt. Maltby has
measured sixty bushels Of corn per acre.
The farming business was fairly started
here i've wears ago, and fair crops were
made four years, 1856 being the only
failure.
The poorer farmers are in great dis
tress here. They owe installmentl on
their school and railroad lands, recently
purchased They have but few stock,
no muney and no credit in our stores;
besides, there are no public works near
us now going on where they can earn
any money with which TO buy seeds or
get bread Many have returned to
older settled sections who will
return here next spring to make crops.
Public meetings have been held, but no
way out "A the trouble has been devised,
exc, = 70 seek private help from those
here and east OF here who are able and
willing 70 aid them In this dark hour Of
the history Of the West,
GRASS.
The grass has never been so poor here
since the settling Of the country as now.
The country was overstocked dating back
four or Ave years and the native turf gem
erally damaged then to be followed by a
series of dry months extending over
more than u year adds to the dwarting OF
the Motive pastures. The late showers
however, 80 far as they have extended,
have been OF great help to start the
grass and IN some sections the grass is
now sufficient TO pasture the local herds
anu with fall rains ana late winter we
may yet have fair pasturage for winter
use.
BUSINESS.
The drought has tended To cut down
commercial business q great deal OF
course seed or grain trade and that Of
provisions are not cut down, but very
general depression prevails here, TO which
We add the Santa Fe extension to Cole
man has cut us of some valuable trade,
The moving away OF large number Of
small farmers and stockmen has also been
a factor IN the cause of the depression,
II Is safe to say the trade in the villages
in Callahan has been cut down from 80
to 40 per cent, which, however, can
be recovered In Que year with good seas
ons. In conclusion we would report
that SO lar as we can learn there are no
cases OF actual starvation, as has been
erroneously reported.
GOOD SHOWING.
Here are some figures ON taxes for the