The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-06-11
SOUTHWEST TEXAS.
RELIABLE INFORMATION FOR THOSE
SEEKING NEW HOMES AND WHO
WISH TO BUY FARMS.
Rich Farming and Grazing Lands Which
Settlers Can Acquire on
Easy Terms.

trip through south west Texas
arrived at Cuero, the county
seat of Dewitt county. Cuero
has a population OF 1000, and
does business equal to any town OF
5000 inhabitants in the United States.
There are three banks in Cuero with
a capital of $3.50, 900, two private banks
: and one national: $4,000 cotton seed
oil mill, which besides manufacturing
an immense quantity OF OIL, gives EN-
ployment to a large number of men
and fattens during the winter mouths
some 1000 or 5000 cattle from the cot
ton seed after the oil has been extract.
ed. thus affording the farmers a good
home market for their cattle and cot
ton seed.
A large ice factory is in successful
operation here. A castor oil
factory, a soap factory, and
a canning factory are spoken of as
among the many future enterprises OF
this city, and will no doubt be built,
as the business men OF Cuero have
ample capital, combined with plenty
of energy. of the get up and get"
kind that insures success of anything
they undertake.
Cuero is situated on the San Anto-
Mo and Arkansas Pass railway, which
runs through the whole length of De.
Witt county, from the southwest to
the northeast. Cuero is also the ter
minus of the Victoria division of the
Southern Pacific railway. These roads
place the citizens of Cuero and Dewitt
county in connection with all the trunk
lines leading to any point.
Cuero has reasonable assurance of
getting the Corpus Christi and South
American also the Missouri, Kansas
and Texas raj r ads extended here,
which will give them four com
peting lines of railroads. Cuero
situated as it is, near all the deep
water ports aud with such extensive
railroad facilities is bound to become
one of the greatest commercial cities
of southwest Texas.
DE WITT COUNTY.
Dewitt county is situated ninety
miles a little south of east from the
city of San Antonio and fifty-six miles
from Matagorda bay and is on the first
high land from the gulf, which gives
this county such great regularity OF
seasons that crop failures are unknown.
The imate OF southwestern Texas
where this county is located, presents
no extremes and there is hardly day
in the year that man can not work
in his fields. Vegetables are cultiva-
ted during the winter months for
shipment to the markets of northern
and central Texas and to the northern
states. In the summer months de
lightful cool breeze comes
from the gulf which makes
the summers cool and pleasant. The
Guadalupe river runs through the
county leaving about one half the
county on each side of the river.
Besides this river there are many small
streams which afford an abundance of
/ water There are eleven aItesian
wells in the county with a depth of
from forty-fve to ninety four feet
with flow OF from twelve to thirty
five gallons per minute, and in the lar
gest portion of the county water is
found in abundance at from twenty
five to forty feet. Dewitt county is
one of the finest agricultural counties
in the state. Its location gives it an
advantage which must be conceded by
everyone who is familiar with the
effect which the atmosphere produces
upon the soil. Its distance from the
coast places it beyond the limits of all
that could be harmful and yet near
enough to derive all the benefits from
it's soft, cool breezes, which enable the
farmer to work in his field during the
midsummer months without incon-
venience from excessive heat. Vege-
tables of all kinds grow here to per-
lection, while the growing of peaches,
plums, pears aud grapes has been a
complete success. The culture OF the
grape is becoming a valuable industry
and many large vineyards are being
planted. Your correspondent was
shown grape vines here that were
literally loaded down with grapes,
pear trees two and three years old
we'll laden with fruit, peach trees
bearing nice looking quality OF
peaches, plum trees that were groan-
ing under the weight of nice, delicious
plums that were ripe, and your scribe
being sympathetic by nature, pro-
ceeded at once to help relieve them of
their weight. Dewitt county is about
equally divided between prairie and
timber. Along the Guadalupe
river the soil is a rich dark loan. Inc
uplands, that is, the land back from
the river, are equally as productive as
the river bottom land the soil being
dark sandy soil, which never fails Of
producing excellent crops.
The county contains an area OF 9le
square miles. 1t has school popula-
ton of 3ll9, and gives employment to
sixty-six teachers. The Catholic
Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian
Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian
r and Episcopal churches, are each rep
: res ,nted by church organizations. The
sun face of the country is generally
level, or what is termed high rolling
prairie, gradually dipping toward the
gulf, which affords perfect drainage fol
the whole county, therefore no loca
cause for sickness can possibly exist
3 Your correspondent, before visiting
, Southwest Texas was under the I'M
preston that it was a low flat swampy
4 country, but on the contrary find il
e high rolling prairie country, perfect
2 ly free from swamps, malaria, or any
. local cause whatever to produce sick