The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-03

stands first in extent of acreage and uni
verssl success. Rice has here been grown
about as long as 1t has In any county In
the State. and In addition the people seem
TO have shown more energy In trying TO
make 1t profitable and in increasing the
acreage,
The various rice farms and plantations
lie In two general districts one IN the val
leys of Taylor and Hllebrandt bayous
above their junction in the southern part
Of the county; the other along the valleys
Of the Neches and the Pine Island bayou,
northwest of Beaumont. All the farms
around and operated by individuals are lo-
Gated Oh Taylor and Hillebrandt bdyou'.
There are I'VE rice growing compdni
known as the Beaumont company, the Nc
Faddfn 4 Wiess: the Port Arthur, the
jefferson County Rice company; the south
ern Rice and Trust company the Gun hIce
Growing COMPANY, aud the Southwestern.
The last rice plants are small IN comparison
with the others and their acreage Is less
than some individual planters.
in the following fun descriptions are
given of only the three largest rice farms
in the state, lack Of space preventing the
giving Of details with reference TO other
plants:
Beaumont Irrigation Company com
pany has been operating one Of the largest
nlants in Texas. Its location Is In the
northern part Of Jefferson county, lying
along the south side OF lluc lsllNu nay GU.
There are two lifts to this plant. The hrst
one raises the water from Flne sllhu
bayou and is located near the crossing OF
the Southern Pacific railroad. Al me mr.
until 1900 there were two ConnesVllle com
Mound blower pumps With a cHpncty or
5000 gallons each per minute. There is
harncsscd TO each Of these pumps one iihlh,
luon -CorlisC engine of 300 horse power, ana
ench of the later Is supplied With steam
from 800 horse boilers. But IN Eop an
other pump of the same capacity OF the
above was installed with corresponding en-
zinc and boiler These pumps WORK against
n iii OF thlrty-on feet. They are heated
6fteen feet above the water In the bayou
ana force the water sixteen feet INTO tue
Hn5ne The nume Is four feet deep, twenty
one feet wide, 1900 feet long, aud has a
total fall Of only four Inches. Inc Don Is
constructed of kip inch plank, moor ana
sides being doubled planked, with all joints
broken and tarred The floor rests on
6y6 inch sills. and these are supported by
four Gy6 finch uprights: the distance between
these bents Is four feet. Inc canal is 100
feet wide. For three or I9nr niles s,rI ION
the lift the land Is covered Win pine CROWN
and somewhat broken
gradually rising from the nrst llft IL Is
about five miles from the nrst lltt 70 the
second the water being raised here nine
feet The pumps here nave the same ca
paclty and are Of the same make as those
Of the first plant but owing 20 tne 10"
! MT ARE OF a lighter build me engines
are ~ the same mike and are 100 morse
mover each. The hume here is constructed
! similar to that at the first plant out Is
! only 200 feet in length II is calculated that
/ anout $4,000 has been expended on this
| Dlontation. This company irrigated ABOUT
/ ZOO acres In 1899, hut 1900 acres are
/ heiug irrigated this season. Inc custom %
/ renting Is to charge two sacks per acre Tor
/ water alone. and two additional SACKS where
/ the company rents the land, making totai
! ~ four sacks per acre where both land ana
water are nted. 80. A., Joor
/ son comfy there are quite a number ef
/ nlsuts that derive their water from weils'
! 'rbese are located near llnmshire ana Chlha-
/ The wei OF George J. McManus near lam
| shire win serve as a type OF those Ia tals
| saetion There are two Wells forty Ltet
! anart connected in the pit twenty-five rect
| deep one is elghty-Vne fcet deep, Wh ~,
! tbe other il $50 The water bearing wv ~
sand was found - be seyeaty'two teet
! thick and the screen was put IN ~ thtes
| Iengths Of twenty feet each. II coHSiste9
| of an s-lnch pipe with Aineh NOES nofea
| with IL Inch clear space DetEesA mem ~;
Tba nine was then wrapped With no ~
wire ope-hfth Of an Inch apart ana On t ~
| was wrapped the copper ganze 0t Iaehh W. ~,
| M ana - to an inch. The 6inch van we
| nnmn is operated by 22-horse power Hehr-
] Ecntt steam engine. using Beas5lont o. itk
| Snoi one hundred and tweiN Acles 80 o.
rice we're irrigated from this plAn' IL i''@'