The Hearne Democrat from Hearne, Texas • Page 12

FROM OVER THE STATE GAME FARM BEING STUDIED A committee of the Game, Fish and Oyster Commission and members of the Department now studying and in- vet-tigatinjr a plan for a game propagation farm to ho established somewhere in tlie State. The. committee consists of tins Kerrville, (tone Howe, of Amarillo, the chairman, executive secretary and secretary of the commission. DOLLAR LUMBER IH'SI- NESS IN GREGG A survey shows that lumber business of Gregg county, during 192!) netted more than More than $4 00,000 was paid for cross ties: lumber mills bought $300,000 of log's, and local box and implement manufacturing industries were also substantial buyers. Increased attention is being given in the county this year to re fore.station and the prevention of forest, fires.

FORTY KILLED BY AUTOS IN FORT WORTH IN 1920 Automobile accidents in Fort during 1929 took a toil of 40 lives and injured 313 according to the report of the chief of police of that city for the. year. Traffic fatalities in Tarrant outride the city of Fort Worth, totaled eleven. Violent deaths claimed the lives of 86 persons during the year, of whom 33 were slain by other persons and 21 took their own lives. PRICES 65 YEARS AGO Many of us fee! that prices of dress goods and many other necessities are too high now, especially when the bills for same are presented, but the prices now paid arc very low indeed when compared to the prices which prevailed 05 years ago.

The prices given below arc taken from the advertisement of a dry goods concern printed in a Texas newspaper in 1865: Prints, 45 to 66 cents a yard; ginghams, cents a yard; ticks, cents; denims 55 cents; canton flannel 75 cents; brown sheeting 54 to 72', cents; bleached cottons, 61 to 77 cents; finer goods were priced proportionately with staples. SAME PLOT HIS HOME 88 YEARS Scott Beeman, who died in Dallas rc- made the same plot of ground for the long period 88 years, ir. Beeman was born in. Bowie county in 1842, he was only two months old bis father moved to what is now East Dallas. The trip was made from Bowie, county in an ox cart, Mr.

Beeman's father cutting the first road through Dallas county. His mother was the first white woman ever known to have set foot in Dallas county. The Beeman family arrived shortly before the first settlement was made at this point on Trinity river and twenty-nine years before the town of Dallas was incorporated. TJI 1S48 his sister, Margaret Beeman, married John Neeley Bryan, an Indian trader. This was the first wedding in Dallas county.

When the city of Dallas grew out to his homestead Mr. Beeman sold the land, which had been under cultivation 42 years, and the same was developed into what is known as the Owenwood addition to Dallas. ANNIVERSARY OF TEXAS' GREATEST FIRE March 21 marks the. fourteenth anniversary of the great fire at Paris, Texas, possibly the most, destructive conflagration in the history of the State. It is doubtful if any city ever sustained such a high percentage of loss at the hands of the flames.

Starting in a warehouse on the afternoon of March 21, the fire raged until after daylight on the morning of March 22. The flames spread by leaps and bounds from house to house and continued their work of destruction until there were no more houses in their path to prey upon. Many large buildings were destroyed by dynamite with the hope of checking the flames, but with no success, the fire leaping the destroyed buildings to attack others. The wind was very high, and while several fire companies from neighboring towns and cities aided the local companies in a heroic fight, it was impossible to check the spread of the flames. Flying shingles scattered the fire far and near, setting fire to houses two and three hundred yards distant from the building that was burning.

The property loss in this great fire was above ten million dollars. More than 1400 houses were burned, but only three lives were lost. Not a building was left- standing on the large square, and the entire business district was wiped out, with the exception of three or four houses on side streets. Seven churches, a college and a high school were among the buildings burned. Not a dry goods store, a hardware store, a drug store or a bank was left in the city of 16,000 people, and not a business concern or a professional man had an office left.

Thousands of people left without a change of WORK ON BIG DAM STARTED Work has been begun on the main dam of the project which is to be undertaken by Emery, Peck Roc.kwood, of Chicago, for development of hydro-electric power on the Colorado river about ten miles above Marble Falls. The dam will have a length of two miles and a maximum height of feet. A force of about 300 men will work on the project. Several smaller dams will be constructed along the Colorado river below the big control dam. It is sa.id the company- lias spent or contracted to spend £500,000 in tiie purchase, of land which will be inundated when the water is impounded by the big flam.

The dam will cost about, $11.000,000. The reservoir will si ore 1.150,000-a-cre feet of water as a yoar-sround power supply for the five dams below. OLD STONE FORT AT NACOGDOCHES The old stone fort at Nacogdoches, which played such an important part in the earliest settlement of Texas, was torn down in 1902, but was re-erected from the same stones by the Cum Concilio Club in 1907. The Spainiards built this old fort in 1778 as a protection against the Indians, and it became the nucleus of the settlement. The old fort served many purposes.

For a time it was used as a place of divine worship by the early pioneers: Heyeclen Edwards used it as a base of operations against the Mexicans in the Fredonian rebellion. It was within tho walls of this old fort that Davy Crockett, while en route to San Antonio to aid in gaining independence for Texas, took the oath of allegiance to Texas. Many years later the old fort was used for a time as a saloon. In 1907 the stone from the walls of the old fort, which had been torn away, was removed to the high school campus, and there the old fort was re-erected. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION NOW IN PROGRESS Railway lines now under construction in Texas include the Santa Fc extension from Paisiona Pass, near Alpine, to Presidio, and from San Angelo to Sonora, these being extensions of the former Kansas City, Mexico Orient, now owned by the Santa Fe.

The Santa Fa i.s also building for the Cane Belt a line from Guy to Lane City, in South Texas, where a new sulphur mine is being developed. Important work completed in Texas last year included the Santa Fe lino from Cheyenne, to Pampa, Texas, and the Rock Island from Stinnett, Texas, to Liberal, Kan. Smaller projects included a Missouri Pacific line from Edcough to Weslaco in the Rio Grande Valley, a short extension south from Brundage, Texas; the four-mile line of the San Diego Palangana, where a sulphur mine has been opened, and a ten-mile extension of the Texas Pacific in Winklcr county, north of Kermit. TO BEAUTIFY HIGHWAYS WITH RED BUDS A movement is under way to beautify the highways of Texas. Inasmuch as Texas will celebrate its centennial in -1936, the work will be pushed in order that the highways will be a continuous of beauty by that time, when visitors and tourists from every section of the globe are expected to visit Texas in large numbers.

One of the plans for beautifying tho highways that seems to meet with especial favor is that of lining the roads with red buds. This beautiful shrub grows and blooms to perfection in most sections of the State, and in their season, nothing would add more to the attractiveness of the highways than a continuous stretch of red buds. To give impetus the movement a meeting was recently held under the auspices of tho Texas Federation of Garden Clubs at i ar co-operation of all the people of the State was urged in this splendid work. Property owners having land bordering the highways are urged to plant a few red buds at this time. If there is the cooperation in this beautifying movement that there ought to bo the highways in Texas will be a continuous stretch magic beauty by centennial year, that tourists may well travel thousands of miles to see.

CELEBRATED SIXTY-THIRD WED- 1)1 A NIV A Rev. and Mrs. Samuel C. Osborne, of White Deer, Carson county, celebrated the 63rd anniversary of their wedding Christmas day. These good people were married December 25, 18u(j.

They are natives of Georgia, but moved to Texas 40 years ago. In 1871 Mr. Osborne was ordained to the ministry in the Baptist church. years old. he, preaches frequently, lie served in the Southern army as a lieutenant during the.

Civil To this couple ten children were born, nine of whom are still living. They have descendants living and 69 of them were present at the anniversary celebration. NEW LUTHERAN COLLEGE DEDICATED The new Lutheran College at Seguin recently dedicated four new buildings, two teachers' residences, a central heating system and a new dormitory, at a cost of more than $100,000. This was the first unit of a new and extensive development plan for the institution. This college receives its support from more than Lutherans of Texas.

Last year a new building was erected to care for the, library and chemical laboratory and to give additional class room space. Future plans calls for a new "commons," a gymnasium, a science building, a boys' dormitory, an auditorium and the remodeling of the main building. REFORESTATION PROGRAM IN TEXAS Nurseries at two Texas State forests are now growing approximately 600,000 forest tree seedlings annually for distribution throughout wide areas of the State that are adaptable to forest tree growth. This is the beginning of a program that it is hoped may eventually halt the rapid decline in Texas forest resources. It is estimated that the original forest area of Texas was 14,000,000 acres of pine and from 4,000,000 to 6,000,000 acres of merchantable hardwoods.

There now remains about 1,000,000 acres of virgin pine and about, the same area of hardwoods. There are something like 4.000,000 acres of good second growth pine and hardwoods. The remaining 000,000 acres has been turned to agriculture or is in cut-over land with scant growth of timber. Texas now has three State forests, which are administered by the Texas forest service. Two of these were acquired by purchase.

One is located in Newton county and includes 1,700 acres of land, and the other in Montgomery county and includes 1,633 acres. Both are in charge of resident superintendents. The third State forest, which includes 2,360 acres, is located in Cherokee county, and was formerly State prison land, but was transferred to the A. M. College of Texas for forestry research and demonstration work.

Research and demonstration work is being carried on at the two first mentioned forests. The work includes growth studies, thinning practice on natural stands of second-growth pine timber, forest planting, including a testing of various planting methods to determine those most practical for the country and the planting of various species of pine, trees in addition to those native to Texas in order to find, if possible, any species of pine as good or better than those native to the region. Forest tree nurseries are maintained at each of, these two forests in which approximately 600,000 forest tree seedlings are grown each year with various methods of treatment in order to develop a forest tree nursery practice that is best adapted to successful forest tree seedling production under East Texas conditions. CONTRACT LET FOR TRINITY DAM At a price of the contract has been let to the Trinity Farm Construction Company of Dallas, and associated companies for the construction of the Bridgeport and Eagle Mountain dams on the west fork of the Trinity river not far from Fort Worth. The contract provides that the work must be completed in 700 working days.

The lakes project to be formed by the construction of these dams will involve an expenditure of $6,500,000. Thousands of acres will be available for irrigating field crops when dams are completed. CONTRACTS FOR NEW BRIDGES Contracts for new bridges have recently been let by the State Highway Department as follows: For a steel and concrete bridge across Red river between Gainesville, Texas, and Ardmorc, Oklahoma, on Texas Highway No. 40 and LI. S.

Highway No. 77. Contract awarded to Tom L. Green, of Oklahoma City, for Concrete and steel bridge, and earth approaches across Copana Bay on Highway No. 87.

Contract awarded L. K. Meyers of Dallas, at $470,028. Concrete and steel bridges across Sabinc river between Newton county, Texas, and Beauregard parish, on Texas Highway No. 63.

Contract awarded Austin Bridge Company, Dallas, at $179,240. By J. W. RIDGWAY Former Director of Dairy Department, A. M.

College. Tho general prosperity o.f Texan is primarily dependent upon its affricultunvl income and the dairy industry J'H basidy important to a permanent system of agriculture. In this State as a result of tho activities end support of various agencies such as the chambers of commerce, the railroads, public service organizations nnd M. Colloffc, tho dairy industry grown where it rnpro- Benta tv fuctor In our agricultural program, markets for' dairy products nro now depressed as a ro- fmlt of a Hurplus production; BO much HO that tho rcturnH to our farmers aro below the cost of production and if cimtimiml on tho m-osent basis tho industry will sufl'm- materially, loading to curtuilmc.nt In tho supply of dairy dairy products vital to our diet. KH wo are told by eminent food uithorittas that the scarcity of dairy pro- ducts in one's diet may become a serious cause of malnutrition.

We are informed that if ve were to increase the consumption of dairy products from 15 to 20 per cent there would be less instances of the "overfed and under-nourished." All kinds of dairy products are noT available at prices far below the actual comparative food value. A lib- oral uso of such products will materially promote good health and at tho same time render assistance to an industry that is of vital economical Importance to thin State, The Honorable Her. bert Hoover naid "Tho white race cannot jmryivo without dairy products." Wo cannot afford to ignore tho prenant emergency and it behooves each cltlzzon to consider carefully his responsibility In tho matter, not only for the health of his family but for the good of tho community. (Any sulwurlber Oils newujiMpei 1 hsi fluent Ion Ui nbont lifa dairy onttla uhoulj wrlto Mr, unit he will tw clad to answer it froa root, 1012, Furl Worth. A GOOD DOCTOR MADE TEXAS A STATE This story of making Texas a State in the Union is vouched for by several papers printed 75 or 80 years ago.

Eighty-six years ago a joint resolution providing for the annexation of the then Republic of Texas to the Uniou was passed by Congress. Oil the following, day President Tyler gave his official assent to the measure. So was taken a that loci not only to the acquisition of the vast Lone Star State, but also to the Mexican war and the consequent expansion of the United States over a tremendous western territory, including the present States of California, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. Yet if a sick man in Indiana hadn't had a good physician all the tremendous course of events might have been changed. In 1843 Daniel Kelso, a prominent Hoosier lawyer, was running for State Senator from Switzerland county, Indiana.

The district was close, great interest was manifested in the. election, since the Indiana Legislature would be called upon to choose a United States Senator. The sick man referred to had once been charged with murder and had been acquitted. Kelso had defended him and the man naturally felt under great obligations to the attorney. A week before the election the doctor told his patient that his end was near.

The sufferer begged him to use every means to stave off death until he could cast his ballot for Kelso. On election day the sick man was carried to the polls, cast his vote and immediately collapsed, dying in a few hours. When the vote was counted it was found that Kelso had won by one vote. Then came the election of a United States Senator by the Hoosier lawmakers. The annexation of Texas was the great issue before the people.

The South favored the measure, but in the North there was bitter opposition on the ground that such action would increase the area and political strength of the South and certainly lead to war with Mexico. as always, was a doubtful State, and the Legislature was evenly divided between rival candidates for the toga, one of whom favored and the other opposed the annexation, of Texas. For days the deadlock continued, until finally Daniel Kelso made an impassioned speech in which he urged the Legislature, as a duty to t. whole nation, to choose a United States and advocated the election of Edward A. Hannigan, who favored annexation.

The address carried the a and Hannigan arrived in Washington just in time to PERMIT GIVEN FOR NEW LINE Authorization for the Gulf West Texas Railway to construct a line in Gillespie. McC'ullough, Goncho and Tom Green counties, was rec(jflly given, cnndiitonally, by the Interstate Commerce Commission. The proposed road would extend from Fredericksburg to Brady, a distance of 11:5 miles, and from Eden to San Angelo. The petition was granted conditioned that work should begin on the Fredericksburg-Brady line prior to July 1, 1980, and be completed by June 30, 1932. TEXAS RAILWAY EARNINGS Statistics of operation of the railroads of Texas in the calendar year of 1928, a compilation of which was recently completed by the Texas Railway Commission, show that gross earnings from operations amounted to $243,192,113.

while operating expenses were $176,414,514, leaving a net operating revenue of $66,777,599. For the preceding year the corresponding figures were $245,162,395, $186,531,926 and $58,630,469. Figures for the calendar year 1929 will not be available for several months. Texas led all other States in 1928 in trackage laid, with 443 miles of new line. Texas also led all States in railway construction in 1929 with 158.82 miles.

Construction in 1930 will equal or exceed that of 1929. The present railway mileage of Texas is 16,547 miles. This is approximately 4,000 miles more than the trackage in Illinois, the second State in railway mileage. In pre-war times the passenger service of Texas railroads.provided approximately 30 per cent of the total revenue from operation, but the percentage is very much lower now. In 1920 Texas roads carried 30,947,106 passengers; in 1928 the number of passengers carried dropped to 7,910,483, or only 25 per cent as many as in 1920.

Passenger revenues have not declined in the same proportion for the reason that loss in number of passengers has been largely in the short-haul class. vote "aye" on the bill providing for the admission of the Lone Star State. His was the deciding vote, since the measure passed tho United States Senate the strength of Hannigan's "yes." On February 28, 1845, the joint resolution passed and President Tyler signed it as one of the last and most i mportant acts of his administration. THREATENED INVASION THAT DIDN'T MATERIALIZE Historians speak lightly of a ened invasion of Texas by the Mexicans two months after Texas independence was won at San Jacinto, but since the invasion didn't materialize, not much attention is paid the incident by the early writers. Judge Felix D.

Robertson, of Dallas, recently found among the papers of his father, General Felix H. Robertson, who died nearly two years ago in Waco, a letter which was wjKtten by General Thomas J. Rusk, whichjHtells oi the threatened invasion and sounds a call to arms. The letter was given General Robertson by his father, Gen. Jerome B.

Robertson, who was a soldier in the Texas war for independence and a captain in the Somerville campaign of 1843. The letter is as follows: "Headquarters, Victoria, 11 June, 1836. "To Gen. Thomas J. Green.

"Sir: My spies have just brought information from Matamoros, of the date of the 9th and 10th inst. "It consists of letters from Captains Carries and Teal and Major Miller, who were arrested after having received passports from General Felisola. The information is of the most important character. It details the fact that. Felisola was ordered to turn back with his troops about half way between Matamoros and San Patricio.

Urrea had been appointed commander in chief and had arrived in Matamoros on his march to Texas with 4,000 new troops. Four thousand more were to embark at Vera Cruz in a few days. "Urrea took up the line of march from Matamoros for La Bahia about four days ago. They have all sworn to exterminate the Texans, or never to return to Mexico. My force does not exceed 350 men.

I have ordered in the cavalry that were directed to join you, and have also ordered Major Ward with his command to join me immediately. "You will immediately see the necessity of joining me with all the force you can raise. You had best march by way of Coxey's on the Colorado. It would be well to detail all the cavalry you can in advance as they are the most important troops for immediate service. I have directed all the supplies, to Cox's Point on the opposite side of the LaBaca.

"I have the honor to be with great respect, "Your obedient servant, "THOMAS J. "Brig. Gen'l. CoMjk "Issue proclamations and bring'on ali the volunteers you can raise on the march as there is not one moment to lose. J.

RUSK." Three days after Gen. Rusk wrote the above letter President Burnet issued a proclamation calling the people to arms. The threatened invasion, to materialize. At that Anna, the president of Mexico and com- mander-in-chlef of the Mexican armies, was still held a prisoner in Texas..