Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-07-25

Correct land Policy Tor west ieA7t-
PKcos, TEX, July 20, issc.--Editor
GAZETTE The following letter was writ
ten from thls place in answer TO one from
a prominent candidate for a state Office.
IL furnishes some valuable suggestions
as Il proposes 8 practical solution OF the
yexed land question IN the country west
Of the plains question in which every
taxpayer and child IN the state Is directly
interested:
july II, lss6.--DEAR SIR: Replying 20
yours Of the lith inst, | beg 10 say ;
Our delegates 70 the state convention 20
uninstrucled. TIE land question Is the
all important one for us. To Us, Of the
Pecos valley, no practical theory has yet
been advanced BY any candidate for state
honors. I account for Il on the theory
that not one has made a study Of the
question as il is applied 70 this portion
Of the state. A theory thst would
apply 20 the country adjacent to
the Colorado, the Brazos, the
Trinity and other streams, would
not apply here for the reason that the
general features, the topography Of this
country, is very different from any east Of
the plains This country to be Of prsc-
ticai utility must be irrigated The gem
eral lay Of the lands and the Streams
themselves seem especially adapted for
this purpose. Then our plan is 20 sell
the valley lands along all Of these West
srn streams now, and 20 actual settlers
only; let water be conveyed through a
system Of ditching to the lands remote
from the streams-the grazing lands.
These bitches VIII furnish water for irri-
means the valley lands viii be utilized
aud made very valuable, while the upper
lauds beyond the reach Of water will be
Ia demand for the purpose mentioned
We can make this a stock-farmlng coun.
try. Il Will furnish homes for thousands
and viii bring one hundred dollars into
the state treasury where now one un.
willingly finds It's way. have lived
in the West for years, and know
this 10 be practical 1t will be acceptable
alike TO the stockmsn and TO the farmer.
It will bring the school lands into mar
ket. As 1t Is, the stockman who now
owns OF leases the few watering places
along the streams, holds the entire coun.
try by holding the water. Fence up the
river fronts by irrigated farms These
lrrigatiug farmers Will buy your farming
lands, and the stockman will lease or buy
the grazing lands. TO make common
Of the river fronts will effectually prevent
either the good valley lands from being
settled or the grazing lands from being
leased. The various systems proposed
by the prominent candidates for state
honOrs do not furnish practical solution
Of the state school land question for the
country west OF the plains. What do you
think Of the plan proposed2 We prefer
TO advocate the claims OF men only a.
they represent a policy.
II Is an admitted fact by all that thi,
country is rapidly on the dec ne as
stock country only; this fact IL splainet
on the ground that the characi e of tn,
/ grasses is changing as they a., bein,
grazed, and that the grazing la IDS nov
are found back from the water fronts q
distances ranging from five to tlfteei
miles. 1t is estimated on fair calcula
| tlon that the Pecos river alone, al aveTag,
stage, contains niue hundred cubic feet 0
wateraud flows a current of from tbre
/ to four miles an hour. In Colorado, Cal
lfornia and other irngating countries 1t &
/ estimated that one hundred thousant
cubic inches OF water VIII irrigate thirt,
| thousand acres Of land Taking this as
standard, the Pecos river will irrigate fou
! hundred and siXty-seyen thousand acre
Of land. The plan proposed we think viii
enable US 70 increase our stock interest
! 100 per cent. or more; will bring into de
mand all of the state school lands in coun
| ties along the Pecos river and other west
ern streams, and will furnish homes 70
one hundred thousand people.
| A DELEGATE