The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 106, July 2002 - April, 2003 Page: 512
675 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
are selling their homes for a mere trifle." The local editors, desperate to
appease land-agent advertisers and railroad interests, accused the corre-
spondent of "unwarranted exaggeration" and doing "a great injustice ...
we had a good soaking rain scarcely three months ago.""
Albany shipped water thirty-five miles southeast to Cisco, and artesian
wells were attempted, but the water quality was poor: "Mac thinks the in-
dications are that he is approaching a subterranean beer brewery or a
stream of vinegar bitters." Land promoters in Pecos City bragged about
their four artesian wells flowing "40,000 gallons per hour," but admitted
they had "a slightly brackish taste."14
Farmers had no cellars or storehouses so they had no choice but to
plant and hope rain would follow. Having planted two or three times un-
successfully now, they were without seed-and still no one seems to have
realized that spring wheat was not a crop suitable for West Texas. Those
who bought university lands before 1883, inquired about forfeiture in the
event they failed to make interest payments. It was in this environment
that the Reverend John Brown assumed a leadership role on behalf of the
farmers.
Governor John Ireland issued a proclamation asking those not affected
to contribute to "Brown, Coleman, Callahan, Eastland, Palo Pinto,
Stephens, and other ... contiguous" counties. Ireland wanted the United
States Senate seat held by Samuel Bell Maxey of Paris, but though a meet-
ing was quickly held in Paris to respond to Ireland's call, it was poorly at-
tended. Mayor John Henry Brown of Dallas organized an elaborate plan
for sending relief, Callahan County farmers issued a resolution request-
ing seed wheat, and a gathering in Jack County accused newspapers of
misrepresenting the drought."
The seriousness of the drought was debated in leading state papers like
the Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Gazette, and the Austin Daily States-
man, and the controversy quickly found space in out-of-state newspapers.
Pecos City and Midland County efforts focused on selling lands for Jay
Gould. The Abilene Reporter said Taylor County resented an offer of aid
from Mitchell County because "Mitchell [cannot] help . . . herself," and,
initially, Shackelford County met resistance when offering aid to Haskell
County though it was later accepted. Presbyterian ladies in Fort Worth
sent "a consignment of provisions" for Midland causing county leaders
to swiftly suggest they look elsewhere because "inquiry fails to disclose a
' Fort Worth Gazette, July 8, 1886 (1st quotation); Albany News, July 1, 15 (2nd and 3rd quota-
tions), 29, Sept. 16, 1886.
" Ibid., Sept. 16, 1886 (1st quotation); Dallas Mornzng News, Sept. 1, Dec. 9 (2nd and 3rd quo-
tations), 1886.
" Taylor County News, Aug, 2o, 1886 (quotation); Dallas MornmngNews, Aug. 18, Sept. 2, 1886.April
512
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 106, July 2002 - April, 2003, periodical, 2003; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101223/m1/590/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.