The Waco Daily Examiner (Waco, Texas) Vol. 5 No. 103, Sunday, September 2, 1877

              EXAMINER PUBLICATIONS
Waco Daily Examiner,
(Official Journal of the City.)
Examiner and Patron
AN EIGHT-PAGE
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER I
THE MOO DAILY EXAMINER.
Cheapest anl best for the Household
Farm.
and
Weekly Estray Journal,
A good general newspaper, devoted t©
the Live Stock Interest. Established
through Subordinate Granges of Texas as a
common medium for advertising Strayed
or Stolen Stock. Also gives weekly list of
the estrayed stock in the State, enabling
owners to recover their property. Pronoun-ceil
the best Stock Journal ever published.
TERMS—CASH : '
The Waco Daily Examiner, 1 year,... .$8.00
Examiner and Patron (Weekly) I year..$2.00
Estray Journal, (Weekly) 1 year......... $1.00
Or both papers, two Excellent Weeklies
for $3.00 a Year,
copies furnishe 1 on application
Counting' Room on
Sampl
at the Examine
Street.
VOLUME V. WACO, TEXAS,. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1877. NUMBER 103
Bgw^uasaasgg
LYONS, LINDENTHAL&G0.
lUaJH
— AT • THEIR
MAGNIFIC1RNT IRON FRONT BUILDING,
AUSTIN AVENUE,
Annual Beview.
Tradeef thepist Year!
Every variety of Job Printing
executed at Lowest Cash Rvles.
3rd
neatly
sepldtf
norms of subscription:
i Strictly in Advance.)
i"c.r Annum............................. $ 8 00
0 months........................... 4 50
“3 mouths........................... 2 50
v KKKLY, tier Annum........................ 2 00
ESTRAY JOURNAL, (Weekly,)......... $1 00
A copy free to every club of Five.
W. DOWNS,
Waco, Texas.
j.
J.
Physicians and Surgeons.
WALTER COCK, M. D.,
WACO, TEXAS.
Residence: No. 21, North Sixth Street,
Office: T. J. Womack Drug Store.
aug19J3m
. V^K. A. A. B&VILLE,
SURGEON DENTIST,
Office over Peterson & Hoelin on Austin
Street, WACO, TEXAS.
Performs all Operations pertaining to the
Profession, either Surgical, Operative or
Mechanical.
Teeth extracted without paiu.
Diseases of the mouth a Specialty.
iulySdtf
The Fifth Anniversary of
iaoo’s Railroad Life
Willi AN ENTIRE NEW STOCK OK
Dry Goods, Boots, Shoes,
NOTIONS, &€.,
DON'T wmw F©a©ET IT.
augliid&wtf
and what comes
of it.
Waco Receives 40,000
Bales of Cotton.
EIKEL & BREUSTEDT,
HAVE removed their stock of Hardware and Agricultural Implements!
.No. 63, Austin Avenue—Wiuship’s old stand, where they are rapidly
making room for the largest stock of Hardware and Agricultural Imple-ments
ever carried by any one house in Central Texas.
We have a variety of Roods slightly .damaged by water, hut for u-e as
good as nevv, which will be sol < very
and now is the time to buy CHEAT
We are Agents for the
low to make room for
A Till WARE.
New Roods—
T. 1). MANNING, M. D.,
OCULIST AND AURIST
Austin, Texas.
Office of SWEARENGEN & MANNING.
Office over Tobin’s Drug Store,
Office hours from ID to 12 A. m., and 3 10
j r. ju jne3di&wl2m \r- M. JOSEPHTHAL,
OCCULIST.
Dfiice with Dr.-Sears, West Square, Waco,
Texas.
O lice hours—from 10 to 12 a. m, 1 will
give my professional services free from 12 to
to one. o’clock to any one who may be af-flie.
U-d and unable to pay. j22d&wly
H
HriHHING. J. M. ANDERSON.
D. A. KBLUET.
EKHINU, ANDERSON & KELLEY,
‘John Deere’ Moline Plow.
GILPiN SULKY PLOW, fill Iron and Steel,
E L L W AGO NS,
BARB FENCE WIRE
MIT C H
GLIODEN-An
Astounding Showing
Notwithstanding an
Annual Loss of
Territory here-tofore
drawn
upon for
Trade.
Wonderful
General
Increase in
Receipts of
PRODUCE.
(Japaued and Galvanized.)
Goods favorably know by all farmers and of which we keep constantly
a full supply on hand. All those in need of anything in our line are re-spectfully
invited to examine our goods and prices.
Waco, August 14, 1377. KIKEL & BREUSTEDT.
augl4d&wtf
•*u<vf.Nsors to Coke, Herring <fe Anderson J
Attorneys at Law,
Waco, Texas.
Oihcc in Odd Fellows’ Building.
_ 6e5 D2m Wlv
'W* H. M. I>. 6. 13. HAteufiTi', M. l>.
w ILtCES & HAMLETT, I nygieians and Surgeons,
Waco, Texas.
on, e in Womack & Kellett’s Drug
3!«re. Dr. Wilkes’ residence, next
i.oor to the Cumberland Presbyterian
Dhureh, on Washington street, between
fblrd and Fourth.
Dr. Harriett’s residence, opposite Fe-sale
College, on Olay street, between
Second and Third. iulv24d&w3in
FOUNTAIN JONES, M. D„
Surgeon and Homeopathic
Physician,
Waco, Texas,
Penders his professional services to
tbs citizens of Waoo and vicinity,
•it>ccial attention paid to Obstetrics
Aid Chronic Diseases.
Office, up stairs, next door to Fetor-
.mi & Bluffer, Austin Avenue.
Residence Austin Avenue, between 8th
tnd 10th streets.
F. BUCK, M. D.,
Waco, Texas.
■ Office at Grave’s Drug Store.—Residence
North6th Street, opposite Catholic Church,
ju lyTdOai
The Great Strike is Over!
Tin: WO R. OF
riiOFKJfFY
mi\] uah m RAILROAD
4 T; TM MENCTKIir
Farmers and Sloekmen
Trsul< They hny
Hardware, &<•
rcparing for the
Saddlery,
from
Fall
t.Iielr
Showing Large LIVE
STOCK Shipments.
Experiments in Fruit
Shipments prove
Successful.
Showing Rapid Growth
in Material welfare in
OY)®y. illreeisouft. - -
Attorneys at Law, Laud Agents, &c.
M SURATT.
O URATT & TA I LOR,
J. W. TAYt.OR.
8
LAWYERS & ;LAND AGENTS,
W ACO, TEXAS.
Office in 2d Story Masonic Temple.
tgjfSpecial attention given to the m-vesngation
of Laud Titles and Collection
of Claims.
REFERENCES.
Hon O M. Robeits, Chief Justice Supreme
Court, Tyler, icxis; Hon. IV. W. Lang,
Worthy Master Texas Stale Grange, Mar-lin,
Tt-xas; Hon. RleharcLCoke, U. S. Sena-tor,
Waco, Texas 'Leon &> H. Blum, Gal
vfston, Texas; Col. Wm. A. Fort,, President.
Waco National Bank. Waco, Texas.
aug22dvv&ej8:ii
«. H. R&ISfICK -t* A.CAh’SI'DAY
A uornev at Law , (Surveyor.
I^ENK’K A CASSEDAY,
ISuoohssci-s to Iteniek & Frazier.)
L ;i nd Ageti is ,
Waco, Tkxab.
Prompt attention given to paying
taxes, redemption of land sold for
taxes, and subdividing and selling
iauds in Central Texas. Refer to
Flint & Chamberlin, Bankers, Waco.
Our Mr. Casseday. an experienced
surveyor, will give bin entire time to
looking after lands, and protect ipg
Ihom from trespassers.
N. li.~Wo have no sub-agents fo
wiioBu iU'-ti vf> aro resiH)?jsibio
ox-t
-MANUFACTURER AND DEALER IN-HARNESS,
SADDLES AND BOLLARS.
Bridles, Whips, Combs. Brushes, , c.,
South Side Public Squar* WACO, TEXAS.
REPAIRING DONE NEATLY AND (HEAP,
WOIl Iv WA RRANTE3),
ALL
®W~ UNCLE SAM’- HARNESS OIL
july26d.3m
ALWAYS ON HAND.
JOHN FFI.hllAKK. -AIH3. PFEIFFER
GEO. CLARK. JOHN L. DYER.
Q LARK & DYF.lt,
Attorneys at Law.
Waco, Texas.
Practice regularly iu the Courts of Me-
Lennan, Coryelle Bosque, Hill and Falls,
and iu the Supreme and Federal Courts.
OtfifiOE—Over Waco State Bank, Sturgis
block. tlAwtf
B. W. BLACK, M. D.,
■ SB VMCJA N, SURGEON AND OB-
^TETRlflAN
Oiler# hi« professional services lo the
tineas of &?ctannuiu county.
PfST Residence and office near Flat-rock
*rosAiui»', on Worth Bosque, 10 miles north-a
cat of Waco. nvol6w’y
\yH I„ J. GOK&K,
DENTIST,
!•!living local otl in Waoo, oilers his proles-sional
services to the citizens of Waco and
surrounding country. Office over State
Central Bank. fbl5d3m.
FELDHAKE & PFEITFER,
Practical Tinnera
DEALERS IN
The Great ‘Western Stoves,"
— MAM O? it CTURERS Off--
Fill, Copper and Sheet Iron
Work, Kitchen Utensils,
AND
Household Furniture.
Particular attention paid to
Cornice Work, Hoofing and Oatferfsgj
-All kinds of Jobs promptly attended to. Bids from abroad solicited. Country
merchants furnished with all goods in our line at the lowest wholesale price.
No. 66, Austin Avenue, Waco, Texas.
vnrSdwIyz
«F. dts A.. E3. DAR.ROW.
• No. 65 AUSTIN ' AVENUE No. 65
DEALERS IN
Fruits, Produce, Choice Virginia Tobaccos.
— AND —
GROGE RIBS.
G ’ VK Us A (JaI.1. BEFORE 1U KCI1.N SING Ei.SFJWHItKK.
k. J. F.VAN8,
?Vs NS .V DAVIS.
J. V, DAVIS.
I
Attorneys & Counselors at Law,
a vo,
he pit
mrtnii
R
Attorney
Waoo, Texas,
u uonneotion, again resumed
etioe of the law in ail its de-us.
anlSu&wtf
W. DAVIS,
at Law and
Public.
Notary
Office with Rentals & Casseday, first room
over First National Bank, Waco, Texas.
J22dly,
mrSdly.
J. & A* E. BARROW.
J3iT.I‘0.“p5fg. zSs Cc„>=
if,
.Manufacturers ot tiie Celebrated;
JOHN BILLUPS COTTON SIN.
Mr. John Billups, of the above firm, made Gins .and Mills for a number of years* al
Mound Prairie in Anderson County, The Gin has been extensively ini roduccd in most
of the Cotton Growing Counties of the State, and its well-known ^Reputation obvi-ates
the necessity of more than this: They are made under the immediate supervision
of Mr. Jotm Billups. Corn and Wheat Mills Made to Order, and :speclal attention
given to Repairing, Our Prices Moderate to suit the times. Cont.rs.cl a may he made
with our Traveling or Local Agents, Shops at Nceterryillo, on the I. * Q. R. H., An-deraoa
Co., Texas. ine5d&wtf
Increase in Receipt of
Wool, Hides, Pecans
and CATTLE.
Large and unexpected
Gains in many other
A r tides.
sale of town lots in 1849, the growth
of Waco had gone steadily forward,
hut it was noted particularly as a
safe and reliable crossing on the
Brazos river, and for being the home
of a lew hardy and adventurous
persons, whose daring intrepidity,
honorable and manly bearing, unirn-peachable
integrity and acknowled-ged
intelligence, whom, subsequent-ly
became the nucleus around which
the traditional Waco village had an
existence, and which village in 1854,
gave way lor the more imposing
name of town and which town in
turn, in the year 1872, threw oft'all
rural restraints,'on the advent of the
iron horse, and now it is a city of
ten thousand inhabitants.
From (lie early settlement of the
city, it has been justly celebrated for
its mora', religious and educational
advantages, the enterprise of its
people, and its s lid and substantial
growth. Waco is now in easy com-muuication
with the commercial
world outside, though if lias at pres-ont
buta single railroad, yot,through
certain complications connected
with said railroad, and its efforts to
draw trade and traffic from sections
where other competing railroad
lines permeate, Waco, so long as this
is the complexion of the carrying
trade will be largely benefited. To
illustrate the enterprise and pluck
ot our people we will cite the fact,
that, during the war when it was
found that material out of which to
manufacture clothing was growing
uncomfortably scarce,[and that some
steps should be taken to clothe our
folks at home, and our boys iu the
field, then it was that Col. Geo. E.
Burney, James Thomason and Bay-liss
Earle got their heads together
and concluded to erect a cotton and
wool mill suitable for fabricating
cloths on a large scale. These gen-tlemeu,
and others whose names
have escaped us, though having but
little money to begin the enterprise,
had large property rights iu
their own names and largo influence,
and these utilized in the direction
of accumulating cotton which they
had arranged to have hauled, on ox
wagons, to the Rio Grange river,
Jive hundred miles away, they were
enabled after several months patient
hut untiring labor to place several
hundred hales of cotton, overland,
and over the sea, and in the city of
Manchester,England,where, the cot-ton
was exchanged tor machinery ;
and the machinery and experienced
operatives' transferred in time to the
town of Waco, going and coming
havieg traveled a distance of about
nine thousand miles, and where they
were placed in a splendid brick
structure and where they were
worked successfully to the close of the
war. Another evidence of the spir-it
of our people, when they conclude
that an enterprises indispensable,
may be found in the difficulties that
environed the builders of our pres-ent
beautiful Wire suspension
Bridge. Three-fourths of said
bridge is made of iron material, and
this had to ho manufactured in the
North, and afterwards transported
hither by rail, by sea, and overland
again, for a distance of ninety miles,
on ox wagons into this city. Many
other instances of extraordinary
import might be cited were it neces'-
eary, but we think those cited will
convey intelligently to the average
man of business the fact, that, Waco
whatever her rivals may say of her
they cannot sal’ that shots slowto
niitrro BfiTC 1A eft ; i reW Tiv LUgiSH
the >»gp5rianc«yof which are appar-
A-ntBT'
WaTTd we think is favorably loca-ted
for the inauguration of a sue-selves
above poverty, and it is a re
markable fact that there are tewer
idle people iu Waco than are to ho
found in any other railroad city in
the State. So say travelers of ex-perience,
and therefore, we deem
it unnecessary to speak of chari fa-bio
institutions in other than general
terms of the spirit of genuine phi-lanthropy,
which inspires the citi
zens of our highly favored city.
We have referred briefly to the fa-cilities
of transportation aud their
importance tor the development and
promotion of the interests of the
city. As before stated, we have hut
one railroad, upon which all the
irade and traffic of this section do-pends.
At preteent this road is oper-ating
its business in such manner
that it gives us quite ail the ad van-tages
of competing lines; just lmw
this is brought about it is imueces-sary
to detail. The season lust an-proaebiug
and upon which vve to-day
enter for another race in the
struggle for commercial supremacy,
bids fair to eclipse in magnitude of
its business any that have preceded
it, by large odds. By ext raordinary
discrimination in favor ot Waco, as
a point at which to ship the pro-ducts
of the upper and western tier
of counties, as compared with Dal-las,
Fort Worth, Rockdale and Aus-tin,
the managers of the Central
railroad will be enabled to concen-trate
at the depot in this city a very
large per centage ot the business
that has for several seasons been at-tracted
to the railroad points named
above. This will he damaging to
them in no inconsiderable measure
to be sure, but it will bo a large gain
for Waco, and so long as the central
railroad is satisfied with it Waco
will certainly be happy, for it is a
well known tact, that,’ the town or
city that lias the “wagon trade”
reaps richly of the very essence ot
local traffic. In addition to these
advantages for business and the ac-quirement
of wealth, the import-ance
of
CLIMATE AND HEALTH
should not he overlooked. The cli-mate
is above the average in cverr
respect, not representing the ex-tremes
in any particular. As to
health, did our space permit, we
could establish incontestably hv the
official mortuary report that \Vaco
Is beyond comparison, in the lead of
all the cities of the country in this
respect. In fact, it is not a desirable
place for the sexton, the undertaker
and the physician, though the latter
is here largely represented, both as
respects numbers and intelligence.
Demonstrating the incon-trovertihle
tact that
Waco is the Huh
of Texas!
INTRODUCTORY.
To-day tor the first time in the
commercial life of our city we pre-sent
to our patrons and the public
generally an Annual Review of the
trade, commerco and general im-provement
of the city of Waco. The
Examiner in inaugurating this new
feature of business enterprise—so
far as it concerns Waco—has but
one object and purpose to subserve,
and tbatis, to keep tip with the city’s
steady and eubstantial growth,
which, to say the least has been most
remarkable and in some aspects of
the case wonderful. Wehave always
believed that Waco presented many
advantages for the labor of enter-prising
merchants and manufactures,
and it there is reason why it has not
been made more apparent is because
Waco men have been unwilling to
lift the bushel measure that has cov-ered
their light. Now, that the city
is about entering upon a new era ot
business thrift we shall indulge the
hope that our retail dealers and real
estate operators will use the oppor-tunities
at hand to extend and en-large
their operations.
It will he observed that we have
called this the “First Annual Re-view”
of the trade and commerce of
the city. We do this in this instance
simply because of universal custom.
This statement however is intended
to he more comprehensive in Its get
up and is designed to reach outfurth-er
than ordinary annual statements
do after facts and figures appertain-iug
to the material interest of this
section ot Texas ; aud thus it hap-pens
that we have paid our respects
to every feature of business enter-prise
known to our city, and we have
even gone beyond the city limits in
order that this our first forma! in-troduction
to the commercial world,
might inform our new acquaintan-ces
“what we are” as well as “who
we are.” And believing that in this
connection a brief description of
Waco and its surroundings would
lend additional interest to this our
first annual statement the writer
gives it from memory and without
no!C3 as follows : .
Waco is the county seat of Me-
Lennan County, Texas, aud was
laid out iu 1849. The original plat
comprised but 640 acres, since it has
been added to until the area cover-cd
by improvements now embraces
four times the size ot the original
plat. The city takes it name from
the tribe of Texas Indians that had
their village and abiding place here
on the banks of the Brazos river that
flows centrally through the entire
limits of the city. The county was
named in honor of Neil McLennan,
Sr., the pioneer settler, who had
while living, his homo on the Bos-quo
river, eight miles northwest of
the present city of Waco. After the
eessfnl system Of manufactures, liav-ing
an abundance of splendid timber
and water. Here rushing out in
large volume from the banks of the
Brazos river, are several largo
springs of water, affording we think
waterpower that ought to he aud
will some day be made to do duty on
a large and magnificent scale. In
addition to these advantages there
are immense coal fields only twenty
fto-4tfk^y miles away -which will not
mumSjinger remain unworked. The
cost oi such fuel as we now have is
very insignificant and it is here in
large 'quantity. While our city is
destined to become a manufacturing
centre from the peculiar advantages
surrounding it, yet, in her near fu-ture
her commercial importance will
be rapidly developed and must take
rank among the first in Texas, from
the fact that she possesses many ad-vantages
that are unknown to rival
localities. There is a vast territory
now open to enterprising merchants
and manufactures for which there is
no rival but Galveston. But pru-dent
people do not content them-selves
with these facts alone. They
desire educational, moral and relig-ious
ad van tages, which Waco posses-ses
in an eminent degree. In anoth
er part of this paper will he found a
history of Public Free education in
Waco and its progress made, and
other interesting matter in connec-tion
with tiie educational facilities
of the city, which places it at the
head of the most favored cities in
this respect to be foundiu tiie South.
In addition to our Public Schools,
the people of the city take great
pride in pointing to the Waco Fe-male
College, and to the Waco Uni-versity,
which affords ail the facili-ties
for a thorough classical cduca-tion
that are to be found in the most
favored institutions. Nor is Waco
deficient in the provision made for
the moral amd religious instruction
of her citizens. There are in the
city sixteen churches, as follows:
Baptist, two white and two colored;
Methodist, one white and two color-ed
; St. Paid Episcopal; one German
Methodist; one Catholic ; one Cum-berland
Presbyterian, one Old
Sciioo! Presbyterian ; one Christian
or Campbelito ; one Union Church,
in East Waco ; one colored Cumber-land
Psesbyteriau. Besides these
instructors in moral and religious
teachings, there are several Lodges
of Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of
Pythias, and Temperance organiza-tions,
which it they do not teach theo-ratical
christlanity'are an important
factor in disseminating among the
people a high moral standard, which
is a component part ot true chris-tiauity,
and serves to establish a
high moral tone in the community.
The public buildings compare favor-ably
with those of other cities of
the State, and in some respects are
much finer and more imposing
structures, if not better. Noticabie
among these is our new Court House
just completed at a cost of about
$50,000. Also our Union Market
House which is also just completed.
Last year we could boast of the fin-est
Opera .House in the State. Un-fortunately
it became the victim of
conflagration and as yet remains a
thing of the past. And our,
CHURCH BUILDINGS
will not fail to attract the attention
of those who look to comfortable
places ot worship as a prime desid-eratum
in their choice for a home.
Almost every phase of the Christian
religion is fairly represented, and
hut few of those inclined to a wor-ship
of a Supreme Creator will find
themselves at a ioss in choice. In
the matter of charitable institutions
for the amelioration of the affile-tions
of tiie unfortunate and poor,
our city has made as yet hut little
progress. Charities here are dis-pensed
liberally in a private way,
and by sucli public institutions as
have been named elsewhere. The
truth is, there are no really poor peo-pie
in Texas, and Waco is singularly
exempt from these. Every man,
woman and child here who has a
sound spinal column consider them-
POPULATION.
Wehave alreadj referred to the
population as to numbers, and can
only refer to its character. There
are but few communities of the
country iu which there is any higher
moral tone than iu Waco.’ Toler-ant
to the last degree in all respects,
yet all the requirements of a hiarh
moral culture can be found on every
hand, which has elicited the warm-est
commendation of strangers who
have been “found within our gates.”
In numbers, the population ot Waco
is rapidly increasing, notwithstaud-ing
heretofore untoward surround-ings,
Dotli material and political;
and now we are promised large ad-ditious
from the West, North and
East, that will swell oiir already fiat-tcring
proportions until the reckless
and senseless provisions of our co
------ » I I
stacles to impede our onward course
in all the higher, nobler ana more
prosperous pursuits of life.
RENTS AND TAXATION
arc matters that those seekiug in-vestment
cannot overlook. Thanks
to tlio prudent management of the
City Government, the expenses have
been kept within a reasonable limit,
until to-day the entire indebtedness
of tiie city is less than twenty thou-sand
dollars, which, if wise councils
prevail, will with the outgoing of
the present year lie reduced to at
least five thousand dollars. While
many of the municipalities of tne
State have found it necessary to levy
a tax of from $1 50 to $3 00 on the
$100—for municipal purposes, Waco
can boast that her taxes are below
those of any city ot equal population
in the country. This is an advan-tage
the capitalists cannot overlook.
The result of this low taxation, ena-bles
the owners of residences and
property to offer reasonable rents to
those who may desire to settle
among us. Wc feel safe in asserting
that no city in the country can offer
lower rates of rents, while at the
same time no city of equal size has
displayed on its front doors less pla-cards
announcing “For Rent’’ than
Waco. In truth, the capitalists and
business mtn are in a condition to
take advantage of reviving trade.
And right here, we have the fullest
authority for saying, as regards the
business status of our
BUSINESS MEN
that they, as a class, stand higher in
the estimation ot the largo dealers
and manufacturers iu the North and
East than any similar class, of any
city or town on the continent. Waco
has more credit aud lower failures
than any city ot equal population in
the world. And there is not a sin-gle
business house in this city held
as a homestead.
In addition to the low municipal
taxation, which prevails in this city,
we understand there is a movement
on foot among'.he largest property
holders and taxpayers to offer, as an
inducement to those who desire to
locate here and engage in mauufae-tnres,
to remit the tax upon the cap-ital
employed for one, two or three
years, thus enabling the proprietors
to bridge over the strain of the first
years of new enterprises. This mat-ter
will he brought before the City
Council, probably at its next meet-iug.
This is a movement in tiie
right direction, calculated to induce
capitalists to come among us to en-gage
iu business. The Council
should carefully consider the subject
and they will no doubt learn that
within a few years they will have
increased the resources lor carrying
on the Municipal Government. Our
people are
OUT OF DEBT,
comparatively speaking; tho city has
prudently and judiciously managed
their business, and the records of
the Courts of Bankruptcy will show
that but few towns have so success-fully
escaped this last resort of tho
conscientious merchant aud manu-facturer.
During seasons of great
business depression that have ot late
caused such fumbling and toppling
over of business bourses, of the very
best standing, the hanks of thiu city
were able to carry their customers
through the financial pressure which
has prevailed, showing most conclu-sively
the good standing of our bus-iness
men and merchants, as well as
the prudent and careful management
of these banking institutions. This
was accomplished on an aggregate
capital of less than a quarter of a
million dollars and without suspen-sion
of a single hour. We speak of
this matter with some pride, since
it is an evidence that Waco business
men have exercised a wise precau-tion
iu conducting their affairs, while
many in surrounding towns and
cities have gone to wreck. This is
largely due to the character of moil
who have watched over and conduct-ed
our material interest.
PEOPLE AND SOCIETY.
The country might bo ransacked
from end to end, and we defy com-parison
in the character of our peo-pie
and the elevated tone of society.
Sociable in a remarkable degree, yet
in no sense is there any laxness that
might be required to secure the
highest virtue and morality among
the people.
Security from disastrous fires
has not yet been obtained, nor will
it he until our people shall have cou-eluded
that water works are hides-pcnsable
in order to secure such im-muuity.
At present we have a well
organized and equipped Fire De-p.:
rtment,at least j ust as well equipp-ed
as the city is able to afford, con-sidering
the difficulties in the way
of levying a special lax for Are pur-poses.
The comm n council of tlio
city has responded always as Jiberaly
as they were authorized to by law
aud have manifested the most scru-pulous
regard as to their duty in af-fording
property holders the great-cat
security fom disaster by fire,
but had they ever so much money at
hand.for iire purposes, there would
slid he no security against confla-grations
so long as water, the only
extinguisher, is the desideratum.
We allude particularly to this mat-ter,
because it is the only important
home institution to which our poo-pie
give but a passivo concern. The
establishment of a system ot water
works would encourage investors,
because ihey. would have the best
security that human contrivance
could effect, while it would lesson
tiie expense of insurance, possibly’
do away with it altogether. Water
works and a paid tiro department
would aflord all tlio security that
could be had.
FINALLY.
Wo have thus endeavored iu a
hasty and rather desultory manner
to refer to the many* advantages
Waco possesses as a place of busi-ness,
of superior advantages in mor-al,
religious and educational affairs,
and we are conscious that in no res-pcet
have we exaggerated the facts
at command, but feel that we have
fallen short in our appreciation ot
the many, very many advantages
which our beautiful city possesses.
We invite the strangers to visit us
with a full consciousness that the
half has not been told, and that they
will give us credit for modesty ratli-er
than bold assumption.
the miller, referred to above, if lie
had ever seen the Nicarauguan
wheat aud he said not, whereupon
we described it to him and he gave
it as his opinion that it would prove
just the article for patent flour. We
learn that this heretofore neglected
wheat is peculiarly adapted to our
climate and soil, in fact, that there
is no trouble iu growing good crops
of it almost any year, etc. If this
is the fact, then our farmers should
begin at once to raise Nicaraugua
wheat, both for home consumption
and for shipment away. The hard
wheat of Minnesota, spoken of
above, commands fifteen to forty
cents per bushel more than other
varieties of wheat raised anywhere
We do hope our farmers will look
further into this matter ot hard
wheat and patent flour, aud give the
Nicaraugua wheat a full iuvestiga-tion
aud trial.
fruit and vegetable culture
IN WACO AND M’LENNAN
COUNTY.
It \vas but a tew years ago that
the present writer ventured the as-sertion
that, within the coming ten
years McLennan county would take
a prominent place among the fruit
producing sections of the South.
Our prediction was then treated
with levity, many’ of those who were
best acquainted with the county’
being utterly incredulous. But time
has more than made good our words.
There are to-day’ in McLennan coun-ty,
according to the latest statistics:
Apple trees, 11,000; peach, 30,000;
pear, 5,000; plum, 10,000; cherry,
1,000; nectarine, 1,000; making a
grand total of 58,000. Ten years
ago the total was loss than 1,000.
Ot vines, grape and the berries,
there arc many thousands, but we
have no exact statistics.
The cultivation of the peach and
plum are among the most not eworthy
fe if tire of progress in fruit growing
iu McLennan county. More has been
done in this icgat-d during the last
three years than all the titae UeL>*e.
dChn—venture of oue uf
in June last, whither lie went w*T
several car loads of fruit and vege-tables,
though only partially success-ful
as regards the pecuniary return
it made, has served beyond doubt
to demonstrate the entire feasibility
of the shipments of early fruit to
tho North. The party referred to
says when lie reached Chicago, on
the 24th June, Irish potatoes were
worth $2 per bushel, and with the
exception of a very indifferent arti-cle
of Bermuda potatoes Texas held
the field alone, having sent the first
and best potatoes of the season that
were grown in the United States.
The shipment of our friend were
principally potatoes and peaches.
The latter brought $6 per bushel,
aud were the very first that had been
received in Chicago. This venture
caused very considerable mention
all throughout the North, and at
once directed the attention of fruit
growers towards Texas. This Me-
Lennan county’ experiment will
doubtless give the proper impetus to
fruit and vegetable culture iu our
midst, and another year these will
cut no small figure in our reports of
home products. Smaller fruits,
such as grapes and berries, grow to
perfection in this section and would
doubtless be extensively’ cultivated
but for the one great drawback to
the general prosperity, i. e., the ah-sence
of competitive railroad facil-ities
for transporting our surplus
products to market.
WHEAT.
The receipts ot wheat iuto Waco
for the year 1877, were 175,000 hush-els,
against in 1872, 35,000 bushels.
This is a very fair showing of
grain, but not near so good as would
have been the case had the past two
seasons been up to the average. The
year 1875 was the last good season
for wheat growing that this imme-diate
section has known. That year
tiiere was a wonderful yield all over,
but ill some places in McLennan
county the yield was immense. We
remember among many others the
crop of J. L. Sears, of Searsville, on
tho Bosque riycr. His crop return-ed
him forty-five bushels to the meas-uredacreof
ground. The seed used
in planting was of the White Bow-den
variety, a most excellent article
of white wheat but extremely diffi-cult
to grow m auy other season
than what might he called a good
one. Wheat growing in this section
is gradually increasing from year to
year, and when our farmers shall
have obtained a quality or kind of
wheat that is entirely adapted to
the peculiarities of our rich prairie
soil, tiff then no one can guess close-ly
at what might be considered the
yield per acre for this county.
The writer, while m Wisconsin
and Illinois this summer, heard a
great deal said about what is now
called, iu that region, “Patent
Flour.” And with a view of loarn-ing
just exactly what constituted
patent flour, as distinguished from
auy other flour, we called on a iner-chant
miller, in the city of Chicago,
at the Oriental M ills, west side. The
very gentlemanly miller, (his name
we have forgotten) informed us that
patent fli ur was made from an ex-tremcly
hard variety of wheat, oh-tainsd
principally from the State of
Minnesota, and first raised aud in-traduced
into that State by the early
Norwegian settlers. It appears to
be the fact, that our ordinary soft
variety of wheat will not admit oi
that degree of separation of the
hull or husk (we mean the outer
coating of the grain of wheat, usu-ally
called bran when separated from
the wheat dough,) that harder varie-ties
will. In other words, the bran
can he driven entirely from hard
wheat when ground, and from sof-ter
varieties of wheat it calmot.
This discovery by the inventor gave
origin to the renowned patent flour.
When we had the modus explained
as above, but more intelligibly than
we give it to the reader, it occurred
to us that we had a variety ot wheat
in this country, a very hard wheat
called the “Nicaraugua” variety
that is considered here almost worth-less,
because of its hard and flinty
composition, that would prove just
the thing out of which to manuiac-tnre
patent flour, and so we asked
CORN AND OATS.
The receipt of these articles of
grain for the year have simply been
enormous, anil in the absence of a
market at home for the crop, and the
high rates of transportation prcclud-ing
the shipment abroad of our im-mense
surplus, no account has been
kept by which we can m ike a report
showing actual receipts for the year
just past.
We will say, however, in this con-nection,
that there is no land under
the suii that can possibly return a
more flattering yield per acre, of
both corn and oats than can McLcn-nan
county lands. Corn never fails,
neither does the oat crops. The
farmer will yield on an average,
thirty bushels to tho acre, through-out
the entire breadth of the coun-ty.
Aud oats will average, all over,
seventy-five bushels to the acre.
In the idiomatic vernacular of the
old Texan, these crops are “cor-tain,
sure.”
BARLEY.
We regret to report that our far-iners
have of late years given but
little attention to the growing of
barley.
Were it generally known, and it
is a fact beyond successful contra-diction,
that the best grain of this
variety is grown in Texas, we feel
convinced that our farmers would
give more of their attention to tho
cultivation and growth of it. Sam-pies
of barley grown in this county,
on Mr. Fogarty’s farm, were exhib-ited
at tho Board of Trade in Chi-cago
this summer, and were pro-nounced
by the very best judges,
Chicago and Milwaukee brewers, to
be tho champion barley grown iu
the United Slates. Texas barley
commands a higher price in tiie wes-tern
cities than any other by 50 cents
per bushel.
HOG PRODUCTS.
This is a subject that we shall take
a special pleasure in referring to iu
this our first annual statement; be-cause
of the very gratifying fact
that we now raise almost quite
enough of hogs to supply tho bacon,
lard, etc , which rniy two years ago
had we have compiled a statement
such as this one, we should have had
to chronicle the fact that our sup-plies
m that direction came from
Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago.
Another year and McLennan counly
farmers will have a large surplus
that-if sold at'all will have to Tie
sent hence for a market. In
of limited resources, hut arc indue-trious
workers, and bring with
them to this country a thorough
practical training in all that apper-tains
to successful farm work. They
are from no one section of the Uni-ted
States to Texas, hut come from
“all over,” and are truly a cosmo*
politan people. They rent and lease
lands the first years after coming,
which enables them the second or
third year to make purchases of land
for their own account, b’ir.t class
prairie lands, unimproved, are worth
here from $2 50 to $10 per acre.
What are denominated poor lands in
McLennan county are lor the most
part better than what are usually
called poor lauds elsewhere, but the
truth is, this county has no unpro-ductivc
dirt in it, though there are
lands here that can be had cheaper
than the figures indicated above.
STATE AND COUNTY TAX.
Taxable property, 1872 $3,735,259 00
No polls............. 2,866
Rate, taxation.......... “ $2.17£ on $100
Taxable property, 1877 5,600,000 00
No polls..................... “ 4,500
Rato taxation.......... “ $1.25 on $100
No school tax levied.
Elsewhere in these columns, we
have made mention ot the municipal
rate of taxation, and now wo give
the foregoing table furnished by F.
O.Rogers, Esq., Tax Collector,which
shows very satisfactorily as regards
tho rapid growth of McLennan coun-ty,
both in wealth and population,
and which goes to corroborate in
part the tabulated statements given
heretofore. It will be seen from the
above that our population has nearly
doubled itself in the short space of
five years, and that the rate ot taxa-tion
has been reduced nearly one-half,
and that the taxable property
of the county lias increased until
it is non nearly double what it was
in 1872. We give these important
facts to our readers without panic-ular
comment, preferring to leave
these with the average man of Intel-lect
as food for reflection, rather than
insult his intelligence by trying to
prove their weight as argument in
favor of a home in our comity.
BRICK MAKING.
Among the number of industries
successfully established in our City
we know of none that deserve more
extended notice than does brick
making. The whole business por-tion
of tiie city is built of brick, and
of late most of the dwelling houses ;
and of a consequence the demand
for brick lias been very considerable.
There are two very extensive yards
here that have turned out for sale an
average of about six millions brick,
per annum, for the last five years.
MCLENNAN COUNTY
pins crops of corn an3F 'oats, would
it not-prove a good field for invest-ment
to place these in swine? This
is the way they do it up in tho North-west.
COTTON.
The receipts of cotton for the cal-endar
year, 1877, amount to 40,000
bales, against 14,000hales for thecal-endar
year 1872. It will he obaery-ed,
that, in the receipts of the great
staple as in the receipts ot every-thing
else, both from our own fields
and pastures, aud the fields aud
workshops far away, there is a heal-thy
and steady annual increase,
pointing unerringly to Waco as a
commercial centre, and that she has
a future that may be anticipated by
the shrewd aud calculating capital-ist,
as well as the prudent farmer
and husbandman. Although there-ceipts
for the present year afford
much cause for gratulation, and en-couragement,
the limit is far away
in the future. Tiie incoming season
will result m the handling, in this
city, of at least 75,000 bales cotton.
And we now predict, that in twenty
mouths from this writing, Waco
will handle one hundred thousand
bales of cotton. But, of course,
Waco will not do this work it she
suninely and senselessly reclines oil
a Galveston bed of natural advan-tages;
but, she will most certainly
fulfill our prediction, if she but
make the proper exertion. And
what constitutes “proper exertion,”
you may ask? Why, work ! work !
work ! toil! toil! toil! The planter
must plant. The farmer must sow,
and the merchant and tradesmen
must advertise. As Dallas tnd St.
Louis have done, so must Waco do,
aud that has been to advertise. Not
in the newspapers alone, but send
out your business emissaries until
not a village, hamlet or town can say
that “Waco is unknown here.” Let
these emissaries he composed of in-telligent,
local business men. Select
them for their peculiar fitness for
“drumming” up trade, and scatter
broad cast printed dodgers; and hu-mail
dodgers who in their artful
practices may escape the scalping
knife of the red man aud ascend to
the highest peaks of the mountain
ranges, where with brush aud a free
fist they may blazon forth to Hie
semi-savage in letters as big as the
man in the moon, “Tom Badgitt’s
greatest Saddlery house on Earth,”
or, something like this: “Waco
shipped seventy-five thousand bales
ot cotton last year, and now stands
without a rival as an inland cotton
mart and shipping point.” Of
course, deal in facts, but deal largely
and widely. Spread them all over
the back country thick, fast and un-tiringlv.
Do this and you will have
done your duty to yourselves and
your county.
lias an area of about 611,000 acres
about hall' of which is covered with
timber, and the other half beautiful
rolling prairie aud very fertile. G oe-graphically
it isat ornearthe center
of tho State, and is about 700 feet
above the level of the Gulf ot Mexi-co.
This elevation coupled with the
free and ample drainage incident to
its tmdulatiEg surface, secures to us
an atmosphere pure, clear and free
from malarial poison—as much so at
least as any county in tho State.
The Brazos river divides the coun-ty
into twoparts, nearly equal. Into
this stream, from each sideasprima-ry
and secondary tributaries, flow
numerous streams, as the Teliuaca*
na, Williams, Tradinghouse, White-
Rock, Aquilla, Childers, North Bos-quo,.
Soutli Bosque, Middle Bosque,
Hog, Harris, Waco, Cottonwood,
Flat, Castleman, Bull Hide and Cow
Bayou-creeks, The Brazos l iver, a3
well as tlio creeks, has its bottom
lands which are remarkably rich and
productive, but are little more so
than the sandy loam of tlio wood-lauds
or the black soils of the prai-rie
which tie back from the river and
creeks. In a word, wo may say that
this county embraces almost every
variety ot soil ia Texas. More than
a bale ot cotton to the acre is often
a m up made on the l-ivcr and creek bottoms
Oil the
‘ ------
from 30 to 50 bushels of barleytfr
oats are the usual products of an
ANNUAL CONSUMPTION OF
MEATS IN WACO.
Of fresh beet.........................
Of fresh pork.........................
Of fresh mutton...................
FRESH
HEAD.
6,000
5.000
3.000
Total.................................... 14,000
In this connection wo will mention
that two ot our largest butchers
packed 10,000 head of hogs during
the past season. The approaching
packing season will witness a much
larger business in this line, as a reg-ular
pork packery is one of the en-terprisosnow
mooted in livestock
circles here. Another year and
other packing of meats will also be
among the items ot interest here-abou
t.
FARMS OPENED.
From such sources of information
as we deem entirely reliable, we
have learned that no less than sixty
thousand acres of land have been
opened up to cultivation within the
past twelve months in McLennan
county; and that ail these new acres
of farming lands are making abun-dant
yield of the different or diver-silied
crops that obtain iiere among
our thrifty farmers. The size of
these farms range from fifty to two
hundred acres each, and are for the
most part prairie. The persons
opening and improving these lands
are principally of the poorer classes,
acre in this county, aud these yields
could no doubt he very much in-creased
by the adoption of a more
thorough system of cultivation.
Water is readily obtained any
where in the county by digging wells
from 15 to 50 feet deep, and when
found is generally good. Our cli-mate
is delightful, never extremely
hot or cold. We have never known
a case of coup de soliel, or sunstroke
to happen in the State, on the other
hand we have known good skating
on tiie Brazos river at Waco. About
one half of tho lands in the county
are covered with a good quality ot
biliidi >g timber, such as pecan, ce-dar,
ash, cottonwood, hackberry,
pin-oak, Spanish oak, walnut, elm,
burr-oak aud live oak.
The various species of oak, the
walnut and the pecan furnish an
abundance ot mast upon which
thousands of hogs fatten annually.
The pecan trees are most abundant
of any and are a source of profit for
the nuts they hear which are gather-ed
in large quantity here and ship-ped
to all parts of the civilized
world for sale.
With a soil and climate unsurpas-sed
in their adaptation to t he growth
of cotton, wheat, barley, oats, rye,
peas, beans,Irish and sweet jiotatoes,
and every variety of horticultural
products, as well as all the common
frails, such as peaches, figs, plumbs,
pears, quinces, etc., where can the
immigrant look for a more desirable
location or home ?
Of the 614,000 acres of land in our
county it is estimated that there are
this year 100,000 acres in corn ; 50,-
000 in wheat; 40,000 in cotton ; and
at least 30,000 iu miscellaneous
grains, orchards, pastures &c., &c.,
making an aggregate of 220,000 acres
in cultivation aud other equally pro-
Stable employment, leaving baliance
of nearly 400,000 acres unimproved.
Stock requirts no feeding here dur-ing
the Winter except it be such as
is worked; We know nothing of
laboring through .the summer to
gather torage with which to feed
our stock through the winter, and
yet a good horse, a fine cow or a
tine mule will command as good a
price and as ready a sale here as iu
Ohio or Missouri, even though the
absolute cost of raising them is lit-tie
more than tho cost of raising a
chicken. Grape culture has been
commenced in this county with a
fine prospect of success. It is asser-ted
by persons who have been cu-gaged
in the vineyards of Califor-nia,
but who are now engaged in the
cultivation of the grape in this coun-try,
that our soil and climate have
advantages over that of California,
lor the successful raising of the
grape. Large quantities ot wine are
made every year by our citizens
fiom our native grape, aud that too
of excellent quality.
TIIE WACO COTTON COMPRESS "COM-PAN
Y
Is another one of the many new
agencies our city has recently called
into requisition, which will this the
first season of its existence give ad-ditional
impetus to tho development
of our city as a cotton centre. The
storing capacity of this establish-ment
wc should think would afford
accommodat ion for 20,000 bales, cov-ering
as it does an entire block of
ground. Its substantial brick con-structioi),
combined with an inner
yard extensive in its dimensions,and
alj modern pracautions against fire,
ought to secure very low insurance
rates tor all cotton stored here. The
particular advantages to he desired
from this compress enterprise are
among other things a considerable
lessening of the expense attending
the shipments of cotton through our
principle gull port, Galveston. The
cotton after being compressed is
dumped on the railroad car at the
door of the compress warehouses,
and goes hence without further hand-liug
until it reaches shipboard, thus
obviating many little commissions
such as our shippers have been long
acquainted with. Another advan-tage
to Waco is that foreign cotton
buyers will now come here in num-
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