Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-11-06
THE LONE STAR STATE.
snnsR EivclsfRllSs yISr IT AND ONE
WRITES or YHEIl oBSEsvAroSS


Us
With enough Of tropical suggestivencss In
a 70 remind YOU what the temperature
mieht be. " we were not I, 500 feet above the
IeveI Of the sea. We have been here ten
days studying the country, and more par
ticnIarly 'busying ourselves about the
preeent condition and future possibilities
81 the land and cattle interests Of the Lone
Star state.
But should not omit to mention here
that the eve" of our party consisted
chiefly Of two well known Lancastrians,
both Of whom have reached the top inches
In their respective pursuits of farming and
the law. For most Of what here appears,
am indebted to their keen inquiries and
pungent criticism Of whatever came under
our observation.
This is indeed magnificent country and
u only requires for its proper development
the Immigration of farmers, like the sturdy
husbandmen of Lancaster county, who
would soon help to make this wilderness
blossom as the rose. The term wilder
moss" however, Is misleading. II should
rather read prairie. Drive out from San
Angelo in every direction and your eye Is
greeted with the seemingly infinite expanse
OF prairie land. In radius of dozen
miles from this point there are many tracts
under cultivation. But in comparison with
the countless acres that have not yet felt
the tillers hand, the cultivated spots are
as nothing. Yet this must some day bc a
great farming country, and those who come
here first and get the cheap three dollar
an.acre lands will leave rich inheritance
TO their posterity.
PUSHING TOWN.
The town of San Angelo Is situated ut
the confluence of the North, Middle and
South Concho streams, and Its business Is
gathered from radius of country reaching
200 miles, in which territory 1t Is the chief
centre of population. There are stores In
San Angelo that are only surpassed by
Aalf sfn Cfa md oil
appear to do a thriving trade. It is claimed
that there are 4.5O0 people within the town
limits, which seems 10 be justified by
appearances. To the stranger the most
unique sign-board I'm the town is one that
catches the eve on walking from the depot.
It stands out at right angles from saloon
entrance with the captivating legend, "The
First Chance" Your wonder at the inge-
nuity of the designer Is increased when
You see on the reverse side of the board the
still more alluring letters, 1.-THE Last
Chance" The incoming traveller is thus
reminded of his opportunities, while the
wants of the outgoing traveller are not for
gotten.
This is the county seat of Tom Green
county and there is an $50 600 court house
and 10000 Jail, of which the people are
deservedly proud. These arc new build
ings, the county seat having been trans
ferred from Ben Fickln, few miles dis
tant. when the latter place five wears ago
was swept away by flood. There are
churches of all creeds and great deal of
public spirit is shown among the people,
who wear ago subscribed a 500, ,OOo bonus
TO bring the Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe
railroad here. They are now talking of a
line to Abilene to connect with the Texas
Pacific. They have organized very fine
fair association and are in the midst OF pro-
paration for most creditable display. Tho
fair grounds include fine oDe-inile track
and there Is ample stabling for two hun
dred head Of horses and cattle. This is
great progress when Il Is remembered that
ffteen years ago the Comanche and A pache
Indians were scalping the hardy pioneers
and the government guarded the frontier
line by building garrison at Fort Concho.
THE CATTLE BUSINESS.
II Is remarkable how stiffiy the prices of
real estate in this town held their own
when the cattle business began its mourn
ful descent In the winter of 1885 and tho
spring Of 1886. For u few years prior to
that time everyone had been making
money. Then there came wild rush TO
buy cattle and land, followed by the newt
able reaction. Many were ruined, but the
more substantial and tenacious cattlemen
held on in the belief that the disaster was
only temporary one. But the drought
OF 1857, when not drop of rain fell from
October Of one year to the following
August, made the situation assume bluer
tinge. Then quarantine laws against Texas
cattle were passed in Kansas and New
Mexico. From these causes cattle declined
in value one hundred per cent and land
felt the effects of the depression. But the
town lots of San Angelo held their own,
which Is pretty good indication that the
town has come to stay.
All the prospects point to the transfor-
nation of this region Hama grazing to a
farming country. The sales of ranches
containing $1,000 acres and more grow less
frequent each year, and the division into
smaller farms shows the inevitable progres
toward the new order of things Wind
mills are beginning to dot the landscape
and the corn and sorghum grass are wav-
Ing where erstwhile the mesquite held sole
domain.
The mesquite grass and trees are a pc
culiar product of Western Texas. The
grass is most unlike the rich green turf
that IL seen in Lancaster county and
throughout pennsylvania. While at its
best, II looks like cured hay and does not
grow to the height of our meadow grass,
but it fiourishes the year around and
affords excellent winter pasturage. Other
grasses, such as the johnson and alfalf,
grRss, have been introduced here with
great success. The mesquite trees, which
constitute the chief timber of the prairies,
are q scrubby growth, the trees rarely At
taining height of more than 10 or is feet.
They make the fuel that is used for domes-
tic purposes, and the trees are most valua-
bic as protection to the cattle when a
fierce ''Norther" sweeps down on this
usually mild latitude, tho temperature of
which ranges from $40 to $50 above zero
A ROUNDUP.
To the Northerner one of the most in
teresting sights in this neighborhood is
what is termed the roundup" of the
cattle. The estate in which we are inter
ested Is half-owner In about $4,000 acres