Show The Coming Famine GALVESTON Tex April nThe past week has been one of expectancy and disappointment dis-appointment to the people of Texas No rains of any consequence having fallen throughout the immense area now suffering from drought Dispatches and letters to the Galveston News the San Antonio Express Ex-press and other papers still contiuue to de I tail the widespread and threatening character char-acter of tho drought which has perceptibly increased since the last report The drought now extends from the for western grazing lands across tho State for a dis tance of 800 miles into the pine regions bor dering on Louisiana but decreases in i severity in the pine region from which i section complaints are of recent date The general rains which usually set in at tho full of the moon are wanting and the cool dry winds of the past fortnight continue to I prevail except tho district immediately west and southwest of San Antonio em bracing Medina Banderia Uvalde Frio and Atascoa counties where moderate rains fell yesterday but not enough say the dispatches dis-patches from that vicinity This is one of the grazing sections of the State where the stock was dying Between San Antonio and tho coast embracing such fertile counties coun-ties as Guadeloupe Gonzales Lavaca Colorado Col-orado Caldwell Bastrop and others the drought has assumed a serious aspect putting put-ting an embargo upon all agricultural agricul-tural development especially cotton the chief product of this section One correspondent describes the roadways throughout tho belt as covered to a depth of several inches with dust The fields are barren even of weeds while strings of cattle almost too poor to stand up are traveling constantly in search of grass and water In central Texas embracing about thirty coun ties surrounding waco uorsicana and Bur net tho situation is scarcely less promising all reports agreeing that nothing but very early and plentiful rains will avert serious damage or entire failure of crops In north ernand northwestern Texas the drought is not as severely felt as in other sections but complaints are increasing daily A slight sprinkle of rain fell during the week in Mitchell county along the line of tho Texas and Pacific roads but no report of rainfall in tho great panhandle district has yet been received The result of the drouth is notable nota-ble in the scarcity of early vegetables at the principal points Anxiety over tho situation is becoming greater every day The wholesale whole-sale houses hero are calling their drummers off the road as country merchants refuse to buy pending the uncertainty of tho crop outlook |