Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1913-05-31
DEiLL'NfMENT on FARMING N
PANHANDLE HAS BEEN RA-
PID AND NOTABLE.
R[FUTEs EARLY CROAKERS
Stinnette in second Article Tells oi
First Visit to This section and
of Remarkable Changes
Since.
"a. =. Stinnette)

IN May. 1884, got aboard a stage
coach Of the Orr q satterwhite state
Line and journeyed west through
old Clarendon TO Mobeetie. from
thence 10 Tagcosa. At that time the
Old Fort Elliott. near Mobeetie was
still occupied as garrison for
certain number OF United States
troops. such having been established
ed there in former years for the pur-
pose OF holding the indians IN check
met here aud there the breezy
ranchman and cowboy, as the ranges
were then rapidly covered with cat
tie from all sections. ln looking
over the vast expansive plains ! wae
convinced that had never seen such
vistas OF fertile lands before In all
my life. though | was fairly famil-
lar with the black lands of north
Texas. and also OF hin. Ellis. Me
Lehman, Bell and Williamson coun-
ties
inquired here and there TO know
IL there was any farming with the
inyariable reply that there was not,
and would never be as the upper
plains were nothing more than a
cattle country. and would remain so
forever. aud this knew to be err
roneous as ! was just as firmly con
vinced then az now that the upper
plains would ere long be one OF the
greatest agricultural belts of the
continent
Returning to Wichita Falls ] cX-
perienced confidence and enthus-
lasm that nothing could shake. A lit
tie later ] took another trip through
Seymour. and ont over the counties
OF the lower plains. going as tar
rst as Floyd Hale and swisher
counties. and II my faith In the fu-
ture had needed any reinforcement
II certainly received il on that tour
OF observation. and in my forecast o'
the future growth and greatness %
the Panhandle the glowing optimism
OF that sage, Col Norton. seemed
very feeble.
There lived near Wichita Falls a
MIR. Tom Williams. from Dallas
caunty. who had filed and establish
ed his residence on "A school section.
before the advent or the railroad.
and he had been cultivating some "a
OF 30 acres in corn and wheat !
inspected about ten acres he had In
wheat which was harvested In the
early summer OF 1884, and which
yielded about % bushels 10 the acre,
aud o. better quality OF wheat was
never produced
This afforded a certain cue as 10
the possibilities for this splendid ce-
real throughout this section. AZ
mi. iuncture there came In here and
there a family, filing on school see
ti0ns and IL was soon seen for a
radius OF several miles the aggregate
O. such families reached quite a
number.
among others. united In form
IN a club OF the business men 70
r. out the resources of the coun-
L iu the production OF wheat. ano
" -aised the necessary funds and
b. shipped In from Missouri two
cr.- Of winter wheat. OF the Mcdit-
e. mean variety. and distributed II
a.gI the new settlers who had bro
D. lp a great deal OF land prepara
Co.. to the fall season, and the re-
sr vas a fairly good yield OF wheat
f,.tod by a liberal influx OF set.
ta taking up school land. with d
v 90 the production of wheat on
ouch lerger scale.
irouth and hot wi&ds caused a
c. .ate failure the second year. and
sr.. was repeated the third year
u not enough wheat LEFT in IN,
s-r.luding communities for seed
IT, anne sprinkllng Of settlers taxi
n school land had spread over
ss adjoining counties and a.,
pIu -ed drogth covering two year.
w.. no production. left them 10
W., destitute Circumstances. anr
n edslature OF Texas. coming 9,
Il -elief. appropriated lar1e san
O. uey, known as the "Droutl
5 RS Fund. which was 10 Do
o.. .a supplying these settlers with
n corn meal and bacon.
drm handled this fund an,
a., 1ted this flour and bacon fol
v a County. on orders issued D.
Rarwise. the first Judge o
VlHa County. and BY way Of di
r. IN would state that ! had I
r.r.rt visit from this venerable
hl-s here at Amarillo. who Is ye
ie and hearty at the advanced ag'
O. Years.
Tnlismayed the business men