Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-09

would have been easier for man I'M
versed In astronomy, to have gone wrong.
And there is no sort OF bewilderment that
is so dense and uniathomable as that
which is produced by getting lost on
prairie.i
The "staked plain" is ssid to be about
$500 feet above the level Of the SEES; in
some places even higher than this. 1t is
claimed to be "heaItny country" and,
no doubt, this claim Is justified by e1per
fence. did not see anybody sick, and 1
did not hear Of anybody being sick, but
noticed that the drug stores and doctors
were about as plentiful as they are in
ether new countries. Whether the doc
tors had any patients, or whether the
drug stores did any business or not, 1
was not impairment enough to inquire.
One thing am sure Of, everybody spoke
well of the Panhandle; everybody up
there believes in It; and, II there is any
virtue in faith, the Panhandle will soon
come up to the expectations OF the Texas
orator of whom mention hiss already been
made.
After leaving tie Canadian river and
reaching the plain there are no more run
ming streams Of water. In ordinary sea-
sons, however, the plain is dotted with
small lakes that supply abuncant water
for both man and beast The last two
seasons have been very dry, like they
have been in other portions OF the coun-
try, and most OF these lakes have gone
dry. Some of them still contsin an
abundance of water, covering from forty
to probably 100 acres Of ground-it Is
claimed even more.
There are no trees In this portion of
Texas, and, Of course, fuel is SCARCE and
expensive. In fact, the timber upon the
streams through the territory Is of the
mesnest description, and on the Stsked
Plain there is no such thing as ttree to
be seen anywhere. The completion Of
the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad to 8
connection with the Santa Fe st Panhsn-
die City, which will be accomplished in 8
few weeks, is expected to reduce me
price Of coal to 81 or SIS PEI ton. 1t is
now about $40. Going back to the tree
question, however, there is no reason
why tree planting should not be as much
success as it has been in Kansas, and
already Efforts are being made in that d.
rection.
Glands for the landless, and homes for
the homeless''-there is no end of them
in the Llano Estacado country. At pres
ent lands are cheap and easily acquired.
Settlers give their principal etteb tion to
the school lands. These lands are sold
at the avarage rate of 81 per acre, on
endless time; at per cent. interest. Ac-
cording to the laws under which these
lands are held and sold, for the benefits
Of the public schools, the interest only
can be used and the principal is
rot n
fund. So, as long as the interest Is
promptly paid the state is satisfied, and
the money being in the land is safe from
the ignorance or dishonesty of public
officials. It used to be in Kansas that
ter of q secEien-ls0 acres was the gen.
orally accepted unit for homestead meas
urement; In the Panhandle nobody talks
or thinks about less than section. The
process OF acquiring title to section Is
quite simple. The purchaser picks II
out, wherever he can find 1t, and ul
to the present, they are plentiful enough
sends one-thirtieth of the principal, about
S42, to the proper officer at the state
capital with the papers setting forth his
intentions to become settler, and pro-
ceeds to "occupy" and improve his sec
ton at his leisure. He can pay the
purchase price of his land If he &c
desires within three years and get his
patent; or he may only pay the annual
interest If he prefers; or he may pay one.
thirtieth of the principal each year if he
prefers that method. By the way, the
word "occupy" is very literally con
strued. A very beautiful section of land
was pointed out to me only 8 short DIS
lance from Panhandle City, which was
"occupied" by "Senator" Houston,
whose home is at Mobeetie, thirty five OF
forty miles away. The only evidence Of
occupancy is lonely, tenantless dugout
8 hole in the ground with dirt roof!
expect when the grRngers swarm into
and ell over thai country, like they will
in short time, the word "occupy" will
receive ne " definition.
The law In regard to the sale of these
lands has been changed in the last yesr
or SO. Under the old law, the purchaser
WIS not required to be resident OF the
state; now, he must be. Many persons
who acquired their titles under the old
law are now Offering to sell out. They
generally ask bonus Of from 80 cents to
81 per acre. By this means non-residents
can become the owners of these lands
without becoming citizens Of Texas.
1 have been little prolix on the land
question so that tie reader mag obtain q
fair idea of the character OF the lands and
the l.ws governing their sale. II got
the correct idea, ali the lsnds, except the
school lands, il this portion Of Texas be-
long to individuals, companies and the
railroads. And they are generally held
In large bodies. The cattle companies
are now arranging to cut their ranches
up into small tracts and place
them on the market. But they will
not be offered for $2-probsbly SIS per
acre will be the minimum. 1 verify be-
lieye that these Panhandle lands will in
crease in value more rapidly in the next
twelve or twenty or twenty four months
than any other lands In the west. also
believe thst their productiveness will
exceed the most sanguine expectations Of
the people who now express the utmost
confidence in their capabilities.
A. A. Subers of Macon, Gs., has re-