Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-01
GREER COUNTY.
A TRIP THROUGH A MAGNIFl-
CENT COUNTY.
\ Few Facts and Figures About the Queen
of the Prairies and the Soil of the
Country-Wheat Yield
and Seasons.

and Seasons.
May we boarded the train al Fort Worth
| for Quanah, TO make a visit TO Greer
! county. Found the Fort Worth and Den
! yer railroad well equipped for the acconrno
| datlOn of the travelling public, and the con
! ductor kind and courteous. Saw more
| pretty country than ever before in one day,
| There was prairie to the right Of US, prairie
| to the left of US, stretching far away IN the
| shimmering sunshine, seemingly inviting
| immigration and civilization. ElouriShine
| towns along the line reflected credit on !;
country So new. Vernon IS quite L city
would ike to see more OF il.
QGanah, the Queen Of the Pfairies, IS
growing beautiful and substantial There
are over 20O0 inhabitants: almost every
business nsedful IS represented; an elcva-
tor that has capacity OF 1900 bushels
| will be enlarged 10 twice that size soon.
Several hotels and boarding houses-one
hotel has 100 rooms. We saw some large
stone and brick buildings that would be a
credit 10 older cities. Schools and churches
are infaniile as vet, characteristic of new
cities. though laying good foundations on
which to build. that viii Go more IN the de
vcIopmeit OF a country than ten railroads
Well may the muse sing. The Panhandle
Is a prairie flower and Quauah IS the
queen
lOur friends were in waiting, so we start
with them 10 Greer. Seven miles over the
prairie lands and we reach Red river. Be
ing tired Of riding we WalkacrosS the river.
which Is mile wide. On the way over we
saw IL prairi"dog crossing. too. Doubtless
his Indignation was aroused at the adVanc-
ing footsteps Of civilization into Greer. and
had concluded 10 emigrate to the promised
land. These dogs are Il nuisance. They
sit upon their dignity as a fixture in the
land, barking. Out, ''fUit, quit, but
they are surely doomed TO go as the farmer
has learned to put carbon down the deep
holes they dig in the ground and throw in 4
few clOGs to Contine the Gas and they cease
10 be
The soil changes after crossing Red river.
But here-Wc advise all strangers 10 20 by
the bridge when water is over the bed OF
this river. as the Soapstone mixed with the
sand makes il slightly quicksand that is not
TO be trusted Travelling in a nOrtheasterly
direction we passed strange Scenery-the
mesquite groves, wild sage bushes, salt
beds on the stream, gypsum hills cor brakes
as called here along some other streams
These gypsum rocks act as fertilizers, and
are the life of the soil in which found. al
tracing and retaining the moisture.
After going twenty-five or twenty-three
miles towards Aaron pOstotfice we reached
our tGolluuLLOI IGSltu siIlAl IL GLE III LIlt
pure. fresh. invigorating air TO our hearts
content. There are three things in nature
we intend TO have enough of-gOOd water.
pure air and sunshine: these can be had in
abundance in Greer, so come and refresh
yourselves
As there has been but little said in the
papers about Greer county, we propose 10
give few facts and figures. This county
is GOO feet in altitude ahove Fort Worth.
The size Of the county is l2o miles in length
by 10 miles IN width. II is 4 land of beauty
as well as fertility. Vast stretches of I'M
dulating prairie makes it a country Of
magnificent Distances The soil does
rot bake like the black waXy, though it has
some of lis nature. 1t sucks up the water
like sponge, forms a thin crust on top; be-
low this, as far as it has been stirred it is
fine and mellow.
Dry as it was last year wheat averaged
twelve bushels 10 the acre: while one man
north of MangUm made forty bushels TO the
acre Oats range from thirty to sixty
bushels to the acre. Some corn made forty
five bushels TO the acre wear before last.
Cotton, barley and millet do well here
This year IS so SeaScnablc the crODS are
finer than ever known. Owing to the uni
form late spring and fall. it is certain that
fruit will do well. Though the resources
of the soil have not been fully tested yet, !
we have great faith in its future.
Tanks can he easily made in some OF the
draws" and some good wells of water
have been secured at eighteen 10 twenty
five feet deep. Those who have missed
these living streams and gone to a depth Of
100 feet, have generally reached salt water,
unfit for use. Mr. ]. II. Johnson has well
twenty-five feet deep. which affords clear
cold water at the rate of twenty barrels a
lay. Water slightly gypsum, is pleasant
10 the taste and healthful.
Four years ago this country was the cow
boys home, with only few houses in the
'Olmtv. Now, section after section has
been taken up until but little land can be
lad in this vicinity except by buying out
'laimS. while there are thousands of acres
If vacant land north, east and west of this. |
These sections can be taken up without any |
.Ost at present, save what improvement one |
'hooses to put on them. When the |
yeXed question-to whom does Greer |
lay for his land after three years. NJ per |
.ent interest under the government Of |
Texas homestead laws. If 10 Texas. one |
laif goes TO the schools and the other half |
Is state lands
y movement is on foot 10 build two rail |
Dads through this county. one from Okla |
IONA TO Quanah, the other from ST. Louis |
Trough Oklahoma 10 Clarendon and on 70 |
Mexico. Stock has been taken in the latter |
DAD to the amount OF 100000 These roads |
re much needed.
Quanah now gets about five-sixths of her !
rade and Vernon about two-thiris from
his county.
For miles around Aaron the country is
evel, only slightly rolling covered with
oS-tail grass "a winter grass, that looks |
Ike timothy. One vast stretch of this
'eautiful prairie land covers an area OF
orty to sixty miles, in one body, of tillable |
lndS
Headquarter mountains have abundance
+ wild fruits, blackberries raspberries.
ewberries, mulberries, plums and other
Wild fruits
OF the marvellous beauty of this country
re cannot now speak definitely The
Mirage on Navajo mountain is far beyond
he ordinary, sometimes swelling the
fountain TO immense proportions, suddenly
ividing into great peaks with yawning
hasms between, then tipping topsy-turvy
5 a vast umbrella, apex downward,
angling in the air. Now and then at right !
ngles 10 the sun ara seen. as it were, vast
lkes floating in mid air. while other
in the Indian Territory, not
isible TO the naked eye, rise up in these
lirages seemingly 100 feet high, with
attened tops. How strangely beautiful.
CLEMMA BRADLEY.
Aaron. May Is. 1891.