The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-03-20
Abilene, Texas, March s.

Abilene, Texas, March .sth, 1891.
EDITOR HERALD:-Thinking that per-
haps few lines from former Maury
cuuntain would prove of interest To
some of your many readers, will en-
deavOr To give Thorn through the col
umns of your valuable paper a descrip-
ton of this part of Texas.
The city of Abilene lies on the back
bone or divide, separating the fertile
BraZos river and COwchO river valleys.
The Texas and Pacific bring To it the
products of the surrounding territory
from an extended radius and before
another crop is harvested the Houston
Texas Central is expected to extend this
far. Ten years ago the country where
now stands IL beautiful and flourishing
city of six thousand inhabitants, was u
bare prairie trOd only by tho reckless
COW boys as they rounded up their
herds. The city has already one flour
mill with a daily capacity OF two hun
dr5d barrels, besides several smaller
one. The supply OF water is furnished
by very prosperous local company,
which also manufactures and furnishes
ice for the city. This company fur
nishes the city'5 water supply from a
never failing well of tho purest water,
which is pumped into reservoir on the
heighths adjoining the city, which has
a capacity OF 5,OOO,OOO gallons. Tie city
will soon be lighted up by electricity,
as the work of constructing plant Is
RAPIDLY progressing under the able SUI
perintendency of Mr.. T. Kelly, an ex-
pert electrician from ST. Louis.
Abilene is said TO be one of the best
equipped young cities in Western
Texas. She has three National banks,
the Farmers and Merchants, the First
National and the Abilene National I;
they are all prosperous institutions.
There are three large public school
buildings in the city and "A large amount
has been subscribed by the Baptist
church for the erection of "A commo-
dious female seminary near the city,
with accommodations for three hun
| bred pupils. The soil of Taylor county
| Is diversified, but extremely fertile;
one fourth Of IL II the famous black
! waXV land, and the remaining three
! four.hs is "A dark sandy loan. We
have surrounding us thousands of
acres of the very finest quality Of farm
! ing lands, and farming is promised
| success AS Is proven by three good
| crops in succession. Tailor county in
! the fall Of 1889 took the banner at the
Dallas fair for the best county exhibit
! of the state. The land on which the
agricultural part Of this exhibit was
! grown can be bought at from ten 10
! twenty dollars per acre. Said land Is
situated from one to i've miles from
| town.
From five to ten miles from the rail-
road il can he bought at from 50 to SO
per acre.
If some enterprising Maury countian
| was here with number OF nne jerseys,
such as you have around Columbia,
and would start "A dairy, / think he
would find IT paying business. At
present the demand ISN'T half supplied ;
sweet milk Is sold very readily at 40
cents per gallon and butter milk AT
half the cost Of the sweet, while butter
goes at from % to 30 cents per pound.
! The open, prairie furnishes abundant
pasturage through the summer, fall
and spring months, and in the winter
| at a small cost, on cotton seed, bran
and prairie grass hay.
Many kind wishes for the success OF
| the HERALD. hETLAW'