The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-12-31
Texas as Seen by Tennessee 30,

Texas as Seen by Tennessee Boy.
Mr.. EDITOR:
Possibly some of your readers
would be interested in a few lines
from a Maryville boy who finds
himself In the far famed "Wild and
Wollv West" Perhaps, too, this
may reach some of my many friends
to whom it is impossible 10 write
personally. So l will give brief
description of this part of the Lone
Star State where am now situated.
San Angelo is situated in the
southwestern part of Texas, about
200 miles from the Mexican border.
1t is frontier town, and being
the terminus of the Santa Fe Ry,
is the shipping point for a large
portion of West Texas. 1t has
population of about 6000. Like
mcst towns in this partof the coun-
try it covers a large area. The
houses look rs If each man had
tried to get as far from his neighbor
as possible. This undoubtedly a.
rises from the fact that there are
so many good building sites.
THE country is level and althongk
low in appearance, it has an eleva-
tion of 1900 #. No tree breaks tie
monotony of the vast prarie. A
lscraggy Mosquito is seen here and
fthere, but II II SO dwsrfed and siis
lOrted that it can hardly lay claim
70 the title of tree. Exceptions are
nund, however, along the river
where Pecan, Oak and other trees
are found. Occasionally mouh-
tain (an East Teensseean would
call 1t a hilD rises in the distance
| clearly outlined against the sky.
lnpumerable Prarie Dogs greet the
intruder with bark and them
suddenly disappears in their holes.
Blue quail and Jack Rabbits are
also to be seen within 100 miles Of
here deer and other game are quite
plentiful. The butcher shops keep
venison almost as regularly as beef.
The atmosphere is so dry that
meat which is exposed to the air.
instead of spelling merely dries.
1t rains SO seldom that farming
cannot he -rried on except along
the rivers where the land can be
irrigated.
| The climate is somewhat warmer
than that of Tenn. but the changes
are SO sudden that one feels the cold
almost as much here as there. No
one forecasts the weather here.
No one is so foolish as to predict
the kind of weather we are going
to have tomorrow. There is only
one thing of which you may be
sure,-there is going to be some
weather. You may safely expect,
tco, that there will be some wind
and possibly little dust with it.
But it is impossible to tell whether
tomorrow is going to be like sunny
May or black December.
Cattle raising is the chief indust-
ry and is carried On extensively.
Recently there were 5000 head OF
cattle in the stock-yards awaiting
shipment. Sheep raising is also
given some attention.
The Cowboys, with their large
, saddles and small ponies never
. fail to attract the strangers atten-
tion. They wear high-heeled boots
and immense spurs which jingle
merrily ~ at each step. They ara
rough but free hearted and have q
respect for the rights of othurs
which might put to shame some ot
their more polished Eastern breth-
ern.
Some of the-but I guess / had
s better quit for lhe Editors patience
y may give out and this little epistls
would then find resting place ID
q the awful depths of the vast
= bafket.
Sincerely Yours,-Arthur Greer
|. In personal letter to US, Arihu
says that he is improving slowly.