Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide for 1904 Page: 249

                                
THE TEXAS ALMANAC.                           249
DEAF SMITH      COUNTY.
This county is situated upon the western edge of the Panhandle, adjoin-
ing the territory of New Mexico. Hereford, the county seat, is 47 miles
southwest of Amarillo.
Population in 1900, 843. It has more than doubled since that time. Prop-
erty' assessment in 1903, $1,630,092. The surface of the country is smooth
prairie, sufficiently undulating to furnish natural drainage. The soil is a
rich loam, covered with a fine coat of mesquite and gamma grasses. There
are few water courses, but the Terra Blanco, which flows through Hereford,
is an unfailing stream of pure, clear water, well stocked with bass, eroppy.
perch and other fish. The entire county is supplied with an abundance of
freestone water, which underlies the surface at a depth of 30 to 200 feet.
This is brought to the surface by bored wells and windmills. By this means
farmers irrigate vegetable gardens, orchards and vineyards successfully.
The principal industry is cattle raising. The herds have been graded up
with the Hereford and Shorthorn breeds, until cattle shipped from   this
county have a high reputation. Wheat, oats, corn, Kaffir corn, milo maize,
millet and sorghum are the principal crops grown, but this year quite an
acreage of cotton will be added. The average yield for 1903, which was
rather a dry year, was: Wheat, 12 bushels per acre; oats, 35 bushels; Kaffir
corn and milo maize, 30 bushels, and forage crops, 2 tons. Good land is
now selling at $3 to $10 per acre, according to. location and improvements.
Large holdings are being rapidly divided up, and that which a few years
ago was a grazing country is now a stock farming country. The scholastic
population in 1903 was 420, and there are 10 good, substantial school houses
in different parts of the county. Add-Ran college is situated at the county
seat. This college belongs to the-Christian denomination, and has just been
completed at a cost of $30,000.- The Pecos Valley & Northeastern railway
(Santa Fe system) passes through the county from northeast to southwest,
with 221/2 miles in the county. Hereford, the county seat, is situated upon
this road. The town is only five years old and has a population of 2000. It
has the distinction of being the greatest shipping point for range cattle in
the United States.-G. F. A. PARKER, Hereford.
DELTA COUNTY.
The territory which comprises Delta County formerly belonged to Lamar
and Hopkins Counties, but in 1870 it was cut off and organized as Delta.
Its easternmost point is at the confluence of the North and South Sulphur
rivers, which point is about 60- miles west of the Arkansas line and about
30 miles south of Red river. It extends in a westerly direction, spreading
wedge shape about 33 miles. Cooper, the county seat, is 23 miles south of
Paris.
Population in 1900, 15,249. Property assessment 1903, $3,423,545. The land
generally has a high undulating surface, except in the creek valleys, and is
well drained by North and South Sulphur rivers, and by Lake, Brush, Big,
Johns, Doctors, Jernigan, Camp and other creeks, in which stock water is
plentiful. Good drinking water mnay be had at 12 to 20 feet. There is a plen-
tiful supply of timber, consisting of bois d'arc, post oak, red oak, elm,
hickory, ash and hackberry. Seventy-five per cent of the surface of the
land is a black loam or gumbo 'land, the remainder being what is* known
as gray land, all being underlain with a clay foundation. The black land
is exceedingly fertile, ranking with the best of its kind in the South. The
average yield per acre on this land is from 1/2 to 11/ bales of cotton per acre;
corn, 25 to 50 bushels; oats, 35 to 60; alfalfa and hay, from 3 to 5 tons. Sor-
ghum, potatoes, onions, pumpkins, plums, .peaches, grapes and blackberries
are also cultivated. The gray land is not as fertile as the black, but still
it is very productive, being better for fruits, vegetables and small 'grains,
and is susceptible to fertilization. Former large pastures are being cut up
and sold, leaving few large holdings in the county. Most of the farms
range in size from 40 to 200 acres. The' black lands sell at $25 to $65 per acre,
and the gray at $10 to $40, according to improvements and locations. The
Texas Midland railroad traverses the County in a southwesterly direction,
with 22 miles. The Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe railway traverses the north-
western part of the county for a distance of 8 miles. There are 40 public
schools in the county. In addition to the State apportionment, the districts
of Cooper, Enloe, Klondike, Ben Franklin and Pecan Gap have levied special
taxes for the support of the system The Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and
Christian denominations have churches in the county. Cooper, the county
seat, has a population of 2500, has two national banks, a brick plant, three
gins, cotton seed oil mill and a handle factory. Other towns are Ben Frank-
lin, Pecan Gap, Enloe and Klondike. Gough, Lake Creek, Prattville and
Charleston are inland towns.-Jo r L. RATLIFF, Cooper.
DENTON COUNTY.
Denton County is situated in the second tier of counties south of Red
river, and is one of the north central group, justly noted as comprising