Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-21
MASON.
Additional Facts Regarding the Great South
west-A Thrifty Glass OF Germans Occupy
The Country.

MASON. Mason county, Tex, Jan. 15, 1889
To the Gazette.
have travelled all day up the county,
starting at Llano 100 feet above the sea
level and am now over 1900 feet above.
The route was due west and up the Llano
river for eighteen miles, oftentimeS on the
very side of the water for it has no bank of
any consequence and is about 500 feet
wide III the trough as the hills slope
gently to the water, but everywhere seen
was that granite spoken of yesterday
With water whirling between and among
the rocks as their heads rose high above
the water. The water at one place was
altogether in one body, then again it di-
yided maybe into two places in the broad
stream or into many places by these i'm
mense granite rocks Contrary TO our
expectation the crossings and bed of the
stream is sea sandy and even in places
very quick. These granite stones bulge
out from the very depths of earth and
the spaces between them are
pure red iron sand with the water
rushing over the sand and around the
stones. Every where is q mill site with
these stones for natural dams. Here Is
an everlasting water power, and the
power can be used at almost any and all
points. AT the crossing of the Llano,
eighteen miles west of the town, is the
German town of Casteil, and the whole
line of road lies between farms and pas
lures fenced. 1t is full up TO the first
class road, width sixty feet. These Ger
mans are thrifty, prosperous and happy
people Miles and miles of granite stone
fences make one continuous lane from
Llano to Mason, some forty miles, owned
by these people. Their houses are not
the little cabins of the past, but stone,
and many of them of the latest modern
architecture and are truly comfortable.
No roads here are allowed TO get bad
from rain or mud. ! saw in two or three
places on the road the oYerSeers with
hands at work, after these late rains, on
their sections, and the smallest mud hole
was filed with mesquite brush. Wagons
were hauling dirt and filling up the
place. [ could see no necessity for this
labor, rs l could drive around it III the
sixty feet roadway without trouble.
They are not parsimonlous with their land
for roads, but ell give it freely and with
out stint, and these roads are straight as
they can be run from town to town-no
short or abrupt turns or crooks. 1t is
pity Tarrant county could not pattern
after these thrifty Germans. Three
and four bales OF cotton at
all times are drawn by pair OF
pony horses over these roads. Let us
pattern after them, have straight, gray
elled roads and we can haul as much as
they can, even at a wet time. / asked an
old German settler how they had made
and accumulated so much fine property
with the fine Improvements and stock
they had, and his reply was to the point.
He says the German stays on his farm
and at home; he and all his family work,
and economy brings them prosperity,
while the Americans are never contented.
Let the drouths come, the German stays,
but the American leaves in disgust. IL
the grass fails he works the harder. If
the Indian, as in the past, steals the
last horse, or even murders or
carries off some of his family into terrible
captivity, in the past no very uncommon
occurrence, the German is there on his
home to stay and stay he does and will
till death Come veal or woe, he is
fixture and truly loves his home ard
family.
As am writing heavy thunder storm
RACES with terrible flashes of lightning
and the rain and nail pelting thB house
top and windows Tomorrow viii be
off for that old German town OF Freder-
icksbuFg. These people are all anxious
for the extension of the Fort Worth and
Rio Grande railway to come to them They
are anxious for connection with our
busy city and all speak in great praise
of Fo,t Worth and her GAZETTE
and call her the Queen Bee of Texas.
They want direct communication with
such magic city and her business men.
Here is a vast new field for
our commercial men. None of
them have worked this territory
by reason of no direct lines Of railroads,
but these people, you and I, all of us,
hope soon for an opening for our citizens.