Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-07
TEXAS PANHANDLE.
One of the Most Desirable Locations in
All the Great Southwest.
4 Few Words Regarding the Panhandle to
People Who Desire to Change Their
Residences-Its Advantages.
Dayton Cohio) Herald.

|
advertising this vast portion of country
to induce settlement, for reasons quite
natural. The many syn11cates of cattle
men who have had the country covered
| with cattle for years, of course have dis
! couraged settlement. But the Panhandle
of to-day is not the Panhandle she used
| to be. She has her railroads running
| through her in two different directions
! and more soon to follow. The advent of
railroads has advertised a country whose
resources heretofore have been but little
known by the people of the East, who
now are coming fast and settling up the
country.
SURFACE AND DRAINAGE.
The south or main branch of the Cana
dian river affords theE chief source of
drainage with its tributaries, all of which
possess the finest water, and protection
for stock in winter, by the rough surface
which usually border the bottoms and
timber fringed streams. Wolf and Pala
duro creeks, with their tributaries,
waters most of the northern tier of coun-
ties, aside from the little rough land
along these water courses, we might say
that the whole of the country north of
the Canadian river, from the Indian Ter
=
vast rich prairie, affording a scene grand
in itself even to one accustomed to such
scene ,carpeted as it is with dense growth
of buffalo grass, which, in appearance is
very much like the short blue grass
in the eastern lawns, being more uutri-
tious and retains its nutriment after it is
dry, until grass comes again in the
spring, having the finest fattening and
milk and butter producing qualities. 1t
is evident that these grounds were the
favorite home of the buffalo, as a year
ago the writer could see their bones
strewn everywhere over the prairie, but
now most of them are picked up near the
railroads for market. Although the buff
falO has gone, we have yet plenty of an
telope on the prairie, deer along the
streams, also some few bear and an occa-
sionaI panther, and last, but not slowest,
the famous jack rabbit. Smaller game
in the line of fowl exists in abundance,
such as ducks, crane, brant, curlew,
plover, prairie chicken and consid-
cradle wild turkey along the streams.
AGRICULTURE.
We have every reason to believe that
the northern tier of counties will be one
of the finest agricultural countries in the
West. 1t is nearly all rich and the soil
of great depth, and this level, buffalo
grass land is just as good for stock
raising, if not better, when there are
places of shelter made for stock in win
ter, and it is an established fact among
the natives familiar with this country and
Western Kansas that we have mor> rain
fall and less wind. Anything can be
raised in the agricultural line just
on stiff sod turned over about two and
one-half inches thick, without cultiva-
ton entirelys After the soil is stirred
deep and long enough to try a crop on
deeply plowed land after all sod has
rotted and the soil made so as to absorb
the rainfall as it falls, and in a condition
to retain moisture, it is reasonable to
believe that abundant crops can be raised
of any kind. The soil is of a dark loan,
sand enough in it to keep from clodding or
baking, and generally in depth from two
to six feet--this applies to the buffalo
grass land or level prairie.
TIMBER AND WATER.
There will be plenty of timber for fuel
for years-much longer than it is be-
lieved it will be desired for that purpose
for soon the coal fields of the West will
supply this want. Water along the
streams, of course, can be had at a very
shallow. depth, but where the best lands
are it is high and level. Speaking of
that portion of the Panhandle north of
the Big Canadian, some call the lands
the table lands, some speak of them as
the flats and some call it the divide
which lie between the streams Upon
this land, which is the richest in the
world, one has to go deep for water, but
when obtained it is the finest and best.
HEALTH.
No where is there q better climate for
r IL.
renders it unusually healthy; the air Is
light and dry-being entirely free from
malaria. If anywhere in this country a
fac simile of an Italian sky can be seen it
is here. The winters are mild and dry,
scarcely any mud at any time, and no
more than one day in twenty but what
we have clear, blue sky.
FRUITS.
From the immense amount of natural
fruits, the altitude, climate and soil,
there can be no doubt that the finest fruit
can be grown here; along the streams
both grapes and plums can be gathered
in their season by the wagon loads, there
being several varieties of both and equal
in flavor and size to most of our cult
waited grapes and plums.
SCHOOLS.
The state of Texas has more ample pro-
vision in the way of funds for the educa-
ton of her children than any other state
in the Union 1t is said she has enough
to give collegiate education to all chill
dren in the state at present. Her school
system is of her own origin and one of the
very best. The moral sentiment of the
Panhandle is somewhat different from
what most of the Eastern people think.
We have preaching everywhere by travel
ing ministers who preach in all the little
towns that have sprung up, in any kind
of a building, sod or frame that
they may find unoccupied, and
also, preach regularly at great
many of the most prominent
ranches. The writer learned of one rich
ranchman who gives the minister S25
every time he comes around. 1t is said
by those who best know, that if n vote
was taken of the Panhandle alone it
would favor prohibition This can be at |
tributed somewhat to the large amount Of |
emigration from Kansas and Iowa; also,
OIL off, -,