Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-27
SPEAKING OF HATS YOU OUGHT TO SEE THE STIFF We ARE SELLING At $2

present only now and then farms Of only
fifty or 100 acres are under cultivation. In
ordinary seasons two bales of cotton per
acre can easily be raised on these lands"
Colonel, do you consider that country
unhealthy?'
Il do not I saw no marks of sickness
whatever. Cemeteries are almost unknown
in that country. You can talk to people
who have resided in that country for fifty
years or more, and they'll tell you sickness
is unknown, and the natives there are ro-
bust and healthy, hale and hearty. This
county. Brazoria, was originally settled by
the father of TeXas-Stephen +. Austin
and the greater portion OF the county IS
now settled and owned by his descendants.
the Bryan family, some of whom are from
seventy to eighty years of age, and can to-
day play game of billiards with as steady
nerve as You or 1. / saw them playing"
How about deep water, colonel, all along
the lines'
.sWen. water in the river at Columbia is
thirty-tive feet, and deepens and widens
toward the gulf, and at Velasco
opposite the wharf, it is fifty,
four feet deep, five to six hundred
feet wide and most beautiful stream of
water. The banks at Columbia are fifty
feet high. Tide water extends almost to
Richmond, some sixty miles from the
mouth To the gentlemen who conceived the
idea of opening up the mouth of the Brazos
are certainly due the praise and thanks OF
all the Western country. especially texas.
They have invested 1,6O0, 600 in improve
ments there at the mouth of the BraZos,
and have been crowned with success in Sc
curing deep water. Water now is eighteen
feet deep-I measured it myself. me
company owns fourteen miles on the east
side and ten miles on the west side, all
high. and just the place for city building.
do ,,,1a G n
near future, when all necessary railroad con-
nections are made, Velasco will have wharf
age of eight or ten miles, and this will be
necessary in order to accommodate the
vast number of vessels coming and going
from that port. Within the next five or SIX
weeks the company will have railroad
completed to Chenango, and they will not
Santa Fe, Houston and Texas Central,
Southern Pacific and Texas Central, and, l
predict, to connect with the Katy.
THE company certainly means business
at the mout tn of the Brazos."
How about values, colonel?"
Corner lots at Velasco range from $1,000
down to $l00-cheap enough, too. | see no
reason why they should not increase in value
as rapidly as the most sanguine anticipate.
l base my Judgment on the deep water fact,
and the unsurpassed agricultural region
surrounding the town and the
country generally. Fish and oyS-
tiers abound. The hotel at Velasco is a
credit to places OF much greater size. 1t is
run by Messrs. Hodges and Benson of Fort
Worth. Everything is new, the town being
only about ninety days old. Let me tell
you, 1 really believe the location of Nelasco
bears the same relation to Texas commerce
that Rome did when she consumed the COM
merce of the civilized world. So will We
laSco consume the commerce OF the Western
country if it be the only deep water port,
and believe it will. The river will get
deeper at Velasco instead of shallower.
'Now two of Texas most worthy states
men have been to Velasco and reported
most favorably. They are none other than
United States Senator Coke and eX-Gov-
ernor Hubbard. They are enthusiastic
over the outlook, and pronounce deep water
for all time certainty. and the rest fol-
lows.
Gan these things being true. I can see
Texas at large"
Mr.. w. j. Boaz was also seen and asked
to give The GAZETTE readers the benett of
his observations while at Velasco and en-
route, to which he replied:
'Well, l must say I'm favorably i'm
pressed with Velasco; think they have
permanent deep water port there-no Ques-
ton about it. There are fine opportunities
now for investment at Velasco. The eoun-
try surrounding the town is fine and very
producive-in fact, the richest lands I
know of. / was there three days and
looked over it all thoroughly. ] think We
lasco is destined to be great city. Soon
railroad connections will be made with all
the roads in Texas. / am confident that the
securing Of deep water there is worth much
to Fort Worth and Texas. The more values