Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-03
San Angelo, the Richest Town
in Western Texas.
SITE OF FORT CONCHO
POST ESTABLISHED FOR PRoTEC-
TIoN AGAINST THE INDIANS.
Camp for the Cure of Consumptives-
Wonderful Properties of the
Pure Air.
ny wULIAM =. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence cf Tie star and the chicago
krcord- IIerAll.

Record Herald
SAN ANGELO. Tex June p 1905.
On the ranch of Charles K. MetcaIf. about
mile and a half from san Angelo, is
what the owner declares TO be the only
mule school in the world 1t is "a popular
impression that mules are SO stupid. stub
born and contrary that they cannot be
trained like other animals. hut MI Met
calf has demonstrated that they are just
as intelligent as horses. and by kind treat
mcnt and tactful instruction can he made
to do any trick that can he taught a horse.
To prove his argument. he takes his friends
to see a drove of sixteen mules from two
10 four years old. which have been trained
within the last year on his ranch to do al
most everything hut talk.
They ordinary mules. They have
never been IN circus and were never ex-
hihited for money. They go through mil
itary evolutions at the word of command
like well-drillod squad of soldiers and
introduce a Ettie comic business with
sham battle between the Russians and the
Japanese. Nearly all Of them have their
little individual stunts which they per-
form as they are called up one after the
other. They have dance and waltz
around the corral; one Of them pretends
to be sick and another comes up TO doctor
him, examines his tongue and gives him
medicine; they lie down and go to sleep
and are Weakened by the ringing of bell;
they have school with teacher, " 10
hears the scholars reCite their lessons and
spanks them for being naughty. Deity
DimIde says her prayers, ana the rest of
them DO their share IN the entertainment,
all OF which takes place in the open field.
There are no tents or benches or scenery,
which, of course, adds to the interest Of the
show.
The star performers are coal-black an
imal named Theodore and a pure white
one named Booker Mr. MetCa.f says
that Theodore IS the smartest mule in
m
He IS more energetic and strenuous than
Booker, but he is not so polite. -TLey
are great chums and pull together per
fectly. They have never had difference"
During the performance Theodore
makes a speech from the top of a dry
goods box that is rolled out on TO the
grass and If you allow yourself to come
under the hypnotic influence of Mr. Metcalf
you can perceive resemblance IN the
animals gestures and other oratorical pc
culIaTities to those of the President of the
United States Booker is an orator also,
but is not SO eloquent as Theodore
The closing number of the program. and
the most popular, is a lunch party of which
Theodore and Booker are the only
guests. The table (an old box is set by
mule of spotless white called Dixie"
and she serves a. waitress during the meal.
Theodore and Booker eat together in
the most friendly and even afectionate
manner. and rub each others noses; and
Mr.. Metcalf says:
II have never heard a single man in
Texas object TO it,
Formerly a Desert.
San Angelo is quite an old town, although
IT is located In the western part OF Texas
and upon what used to be considered des
ert. 1t was only few years ago that any
body thought of planting seeds in the
ground there because nobody believed that
anything would grow where so little rain
falls But the range cattle have gone
away far 10 the westward. and are driven
in here 10 be fattened and shipped TO mar
ket. There are a good many sheep on the
ranges of TO the southwest also, and lots
of fine mules and horses are bred in this
vicinity. Cotton is the big agricultural
crop. and last year more than 100000
worth OF farm products were shipped on
the Santa Fe road from this place. The
people Of SaE Angelo insist that it is the
largest wool shipping point in Texas. All
the clips within radius of 2JO miles are
brought in here. The Santa Fe road has
carried away as high as 100000 pounds
a year. Three million pounds have already
been shipped this season, and the price or
wool is so high that the farmers viii clip
their sheep twice this year They are now
getting from - to 80 cents pound. which
is the record price. Heretofore they have
been glad TO get 10 cents.
But here as elsewhere the ranges are
being broken up into farms, because IL pays
more money TO pillow the ground than il
does to drive cattle. II requires ten acres
to feed 'Critter.' and land is worth from
six TO ten dollars an acre, which makes il
ern people who are grumoAug about the
high price of beef would come out here
and talk to the cattle growers they would
get some new ideas on that subject. Cattle
are very scarce and very high, and those
who are in the business predict THAI they
are likely To be higher rather than lower.
The cattle business is changing very rap
idly As the ranchmen say. no one knows
what Is going TO turn up
This used TO be breeding ground and
the yearlngs were shipped 10 Kansas and
Nas
satisfied with eight and ten dollars
a head. but he now keeps the steers fat
tens them himself and sells them from If
teen 10 twenty-five dollars head.
Several Large Ranches.
There are still several very large ranches
in this vicinity. Blocks Of fifty thousand,
eighty thousand and even hundred thou
sand acres belong to the same owners who
bought them twenty-five years ago from
the state for fifty cents and dollar an
acre or forty years time, and are now SELL
ing the land in small lots for ten times its
original value. They tell OF one old moss
back who has tract Of 10000 acres of ex-
cellent land. but he will not sell an acre of
Il. because he does not knowe what 70 do
with the money. and is afraid some swim
dler will get it away from him.
While there is fairly good rainfall, irri-
cation IS popular. There is plenty of water
In the Concho river. and the canals and
bitches are being extended every season
Mr.. Charles Metcalf, the man who owns
the mules. the most energetic and progress
slve citizen Of San Angelo. has built a dam
in the river to make a lake that is used
both for pleasure and for profit. It fur
nishes the city water supply and provides
power for the electric light plant a cotton
gin, grlst mill and other industries There
are about ten thousand acres under irriga-
ton in this county and they not only pro-
duce ten times as much of a better quality
or all kinds OF vegetables and staples thar
can oe raised on the same soil without irri-
cation, but the crop is always sure. For
example, a bale and a half of cotton can he
raised on an acre OF irrigated land while
two ordinary dry farming" REQUIRES from
two TO four acres to raise bale.
Richest Town in Western Texas
San Angelo is the largest and richest
town in West Texas. 1t has all the mod
ern improvements waterworks electric
lights. telephone service an ice factory. n