The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
CALLAHAN COUNTY.
The Finest Watered County In Texas-Sman
Grain Yielding Abundantly- Tondor-
full Heaithfulness of the Climate,

i GAZETTE reporter met Judge B. Il.
| Webb of Baird, Tex, who is now in the
| city on business, and knowing him to be a
| gentleman well posted in public affairs re
| IatIng TO his section proceeded Ut once to in
terview him. with the gratifying result of
most favorable report from Callahan
| county
how IS your county getting on, and what
| Is the outlook for the present season2
Callahan county IS in most fourishing
| condition, and doubt if there is an equal
area anywhere in the country that can sur
pass 1t. The grass on the prairieS is knee
| high and our cattle are already fat. An eX
celent wheat crop for This year IS already
assured and crops Of every kind are in fine
condition.
How is Callahan as q small grain coun-
try?
There is not better in the state We
have raised thirty bushels Of wheat and 100
bushels of oats TO the acre, though of course
we do not claim this as an average. At our
district fair and at the Dallas fair we had
on exhibition oats raised IN Callahan county
weighing forty-eight pounds to the bushel,
and sweet potatoes weighing twenty-five
pounds each. | do not think that this rec
ora has been surpassed anywhere in the
country.
Du your farmers raise much cotton7
Yes, cotton is fast becoming the leading
crop with our farmers. 1t grows well and
TithstandS the dry weather in the summer
better than corn. 1t also produces 4 longer
and better staple, commanding 4 better
price in the market. than cotton grown in
Middle and Eastern Texas. We now ship
several thousand bales annually, and the
area planted in cotton is increasing rapidly
/ am glad to believe, however, that Callahan
will never become exclusively i cotton
raising country, her splendid capacity for
small grain and livestock viii never permit
this.
Does the livestock industry there con-
tinue 10 hold its own2
We have more and better cattle, horses
and sheep in Callahan now than at any
former time. Our stockmen have given
much attention 10 improving their stock, and
our pastures are as good as they were when
the country was first settled Our soil is
not of the black waXy kind, but while ii
cultivate5 easily and freely, it is yet suffi-
GENTLY Stif to afford a good SOD for the
native mesquite graSS-a sod that does not
give way because the pasture may be
heavily graZed. To the west of Callahan,
especially on the waters of Colorado and
near the BraZos. the soil is more Of a sandy,
loamy character. The sod there is not SO
good to begin with, and more readily gives
way, if heavily stocked In Callahan, you
may Craze the pasture as bare rs a floor.
and the next spring the crop of grass will
be as good as ever. This is an important
feature with the stockman and farmer. who
desire to arrange their business on a perma-
nent basis.
Do you grow any fruits out there
Peaches and grapes do eXcellently well,
and the quality of the fruit is far superior
to that grown where there is more rain
and moisture Other small fruits do not
grow so well, but this subject has as vet
received but little attention.
Is your county settling up much now7
There is steady and satisfactory in
crease in population and values, and more |
for the past year than usual. We have |
never doomed Callahan or tried TO do so. |
Having good thing ne have been content /.
with II, more so perhaps than we ought to |
have been, considering how many of our |
suffering fellow creatures are wanting Just |
such homes as the splendid unoccupied |
lands in Callahan will afford.
What is the value of good unimproved land |
in Callahan?
Good farming lands can be bought there |
at So 80 TO s. per acre, as productive as any |
in Tarrant or Dallas counties, that will |
cost from $50 to $50 per acre, and We have |
good churches and school facilities, within |
the reach of almost every tract ofland in the |
county, and much healthier climate than |
you have here or east of here A large |
proportion of open. dry weather, and the |
absence of mud, render our climate es-
pecialiy suited TO people troubled with |,
affections and diseases OF that character.@
Is your town and county supplied With |
good drinking water2
In this respect Callahan is the best
county in the west, and Baird has better
supply of water than any other town on
the Texas and Pacific road west of Weather
ford. We have six nice church houses and
are talking Of renting out our two-storv
Jail for a grain elevator. having so little
use for it as a Jail. Our streets have ex-
cellent drainage, so that mud and standing |
water are things almost unknown. Quite
number of families from other states are
now residing in our town, for purposes of
health alone Indeed, TIE healthfulness of
cur climate almost works miracles, and
causes the aged to renew their strength
like an eagle. To illustrate, an old gentle
man and his wife came there from Ala
haEna with family of children nearly all
grown up, but within year after their ar
rival there, they were, greatly to their sur
prise. blessed with new son and heir.
Had Sarah lived there, Isaac would have
been much older man at the time Of his
death, and that historic VOW and prayer of
Hannah would, under our climatic condi-
tons, have been entirely unnecessary. 1t
IS indeed q wonderfully exhilarating
climate and fine country