Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-02-05
Glowing Description Of Ranch In Texas.
Correspondence of the spEcrAroR.l

SAN DIEGO, TEXAS, Jan. %, 1890.
According to promise made some weeks
ago about some of the facts relating to
Texas and the greatness of "The Lone
Star" State, the writer need not go out of
Duval county for proof. This letter will
state some facts about single ranch or
farm 10 Duval county which, while strictly
true, may be of interest to your readers,
though some may mark and brand the same
as
| TEXAS YARN
| The writer will not attempt to prove
that twenty-dollar gold pieces can be found
growing on trees; tnat the men have horns;
that our Texas women are angels; that peO
pie never die; for the writer tried to prove
the last assertion, by telling one of your
good people that at Duval, a railroad
station in this county, our sheriff had to
kill man to start grave yard, when the
WITTY vIRGINIAN
remarked, eyes, he had heard it was so near
the Internal regions in Texas that the in
babitants never died, but dried up and
blew away" and. of course, no more proof
was needed. But about the Duval county
ranch. About 1S miles north west of San
Diego, upon hillside, bordered on each
side by beautiful valley, in the center of
which valley can be seen a small lake of
water, stands large two-story-
STONE MANSION,
the home of Captain Edward N. Gray,
which is located in the center Of one of the
best equipped ranches in Texas. The
building is built entirely of stone, or, as
the Mexicans call the stone. Sierros, (saws,)
called so we suppose from the fact that the
soft stone of which the stOne-hOuse is built,
when taken out of the ground, is sawed
into blocks of 2 feet square. After ex-
posurs to the atmosphere a few months
they become as hard as marble. The
house proper is about 60x60 with an ad-
dtion running back about the same length,
and is surrounded by some ten or dozen
sMALLER. HOUSES
for servants, reminding one OF negro cabins
in ante bellum days. The rooms in the
building are large, and the mansion has
every comfort that money, labor, and skill
can supply. There can be seen the grand
old fireplace in each room, the library fnll
of the best selection of books, Brussels
carpets on the floors, wine made from
native grapes and fruit of all kinds in the
large and roomy cemented stone cellar; o
servant to take yonr horse and table
loaded with everything good to eat;
oO,UUU AChES Or LAND
under fence surrounding the mansion, aud
about 5000 cattle grazing on the land. All
kinds of wild game within a few hundred
yards of the house. quail, turkeys, ducks,
and DEER All kinds of vegetables and
fruits growing in the garden and orchard.
We enjoyed few days of feasting aud
hunting at this Texas home, where we
encountered a happy family beyond a
doubt. Ths host and hostess were kind
and hospitable to the uttermost, and we do
not think we can write any more interest |
ing facts than to give.
CAPTAIN eRAY's OWN WORDS.
He says: This is one of the healthiest
places in the world. I have lived in this
DuvaD county, for over 80 years, and al
though l have raised 16 children-S boys
and s girs-my doctors bill, in that time
year. Can any country beat that? l think
not. The Temperature seldom passes
90 DEGREES IN SUMNER
and in winter it seldom freezes. 1 fire.
auently raise two crops Of corn in year.
l plant here in January, commence about
the ooh. and finish in February and
March. 1 have raised wheat, oats, barley,
rye (and 8 crops of buckwheat in one
L
we'll. Beans, peas and all kinds of vege-
tables do we'll here. raise the finest
onions have seen. have even
RAISED BANANAS THIS YEAR;
about % lunches have ripeued so far, but
the trees have some not yet ripe. Peaches
the finest 1 have ever seen in my life. ]
raise here, and in abundance. Plnms and
apricats do finely and all of those l have
Il 40
we'll. Apples grow, but not as well as
other fruits. Q1iuces and mulberries do
as we'll as anywhere. Grapes outbear any
thing ever saw. make plenty of wine.
Small fruits, berries, and melons as fine as
| ever saw, do we'll. Tobacco can be
raised here.' THE writer has in his pos
session as fine samples of tobacco of the
Long Green,'' Big Frederick" !" "Bull
face" and Medley Pryor." as can be
raised in Virginia or kentucky, the seed of
which was sent to Jacob Long, of onr
county, by Robt. L. Ragland of Halifax
cpunty Val 81 have never raised any
myself, but my son in Law, George Pulacias, |
has, and it grows finely. saw plant.
Mexican had feet high. In fact believe
anything taat will grow in a Southern
climate,
WITH 'ELBow sREAsE,"
can be raised here excepting cyclones and
bizz ards, which 1 have failed raising, the
Northwestern States claiming them as a
speciality, and l have no desire to dispute
their title"
Of the above facts anyone can be con-
viuceG by visiting Capt. Gray's home; for
the evidence he has ready and in sight -
Capt. Gray is about go years old, and was
member of Col. Hays First Texas
Rangers, who fought so gallanty in the
MEXICAN WAR
under General Taylor, and the writer
could give your readers many q story told
by the Captain of his fights with the
"Greazers' during that time; and though
the Captain split his blood at Monterey
and IN several other hard-foughr fields,
vet he was saved to become a good, solid,
nfuencial citizen of Duval county, Texas.
The Captain has been, and is now a
"Simon-pure" Democrat. Capt. Gray
says he can give 20 reasons why Dnval
county is the best place in the world to
live. Because the. climate is perfect and
the soil is fertile and prolific
THE LAND IS ABUNDANT
and cheap; home can be made with little
labor, so great variety of products can be
grown; the yield is large and the prices al
ways remunerative. Life is luxury in q
land where the sun shines every day.
There are chances for poor man which he
never can hope to fiud in older States; the
COUNTRY IS ADVANCING
and property values are increasing. Vast
and varied resources of the country are yet
to be developed. Good land is becoming
more scarce, and if you don't catch on now
your last chance will soon be gone. A
man can make a living here with less labor
than in any other part of the United States.
UNLIKE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
it does not require small fortune to secure
piece of land; capital does not block all
the avenues to wealth; the poor man is not
crowded to the wall. The worker receives
fair compensation for his effort, and the
display of his energy and enterprise. The