New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-06
BEEF From TEXAS.


From Our Special Correspondent.
ABILENE. lG5TH MILE POST OF THF UNIoN PAcTIc}
RAILWAY, KANSAS BRANCH, sept. a. 1867.
The Southwest" has not been much in the
mouths of Americans The words NORTHWEST"
have in the halls of Congress and the hastings Of
half the nation awakened million echoes that were
electric with the impcrous power with which they
were uttered And the Northwest is great. But the
Southwest is greater it is unknown, however.
The plack pali of Slavery and the gunpovder smoke
of sectional violence border ruiliani,m and social
lawlessness have obscured il for over quarter of
century But this occultation is at an end, and now
look at the Southwest on a. map of the United
States Western Arkansas, Western Louisiana, the
Indian Nation Reserve larger than Pennsylvania,
Texas. and New-MeXc0, are but portion of the Te-
rion II abounds in the sweetest natural grass and
in running water, and has % climate in which the
Notwithstanding Is unnecessary % the stOck-hrcrdcv
and i'm which cattle never sheltered OF fed during
what New-EugaudeTs call Winter TINS vast sec
tiou is superior 10 any and all others u the United
States for purposes of etock-ralsing. lac
imperfect census of 1850 conceded % Texas
one-eighth of all the cattle III the United states.
crediting her with 35O0OO head. OF which OlJCJ
only were milk stock The rest were STOCK cattle,
what Texan drovers call q" becVcs' The Indian Ma
tiou las the reserves occupied by the Scmnocs.
ChcIokccs ChOctaWs Chckasaws ana Osagrs are
geographically styled hCrc is the paradise OF cattle
breeders. who, with rare endowment OF natural
wealth have the option any year 20 become cotton
planters. HE blue Stauo bath i-u lll bldth-
walnut OAK openings, the so beneath dark ao lht'
and the climate seml-tTOpcal that barns ANA Sheds
are unhcaTd of except as convenience 10 Keep saddle
and carriage horses 90 hand for immediate use. The
war found of these civilized Indians so rich lu
herds that they did not know then wealth and could
not use IL. One of them was supposed 10 own lUuJj
horned cattle and &0UO horses and mulcs-p
neither he nor his slaves knew now many he had.
Cherokee farmers who owned lOU0i head o1 stock
were numerous. With thcr climate and their soil
there limit 10 the possibility of their wealth
All that they had 10 do was 90 SO SIN ana allow
multphcatiOnS 10 take place. interfering with ia-
lures stewardship oi their estates but once year 10
use the bIaudug-lTOn. SO 10 was M Western AIkan-
sss and Louisiana and the large trade OF Ncw-MeA-
leo in dry hides suggests the number ana size OF hcI
The cattle of the Northern and Middle States were
exhausted by the war even 10 the kIlng OF Inc
large mich COWS that were heavy enough To- Doe
accepted as beef. But the W;u saved the callIc ol
the Southwest. Ii pcnned them up Tor I'VE years
and closed all the outlets. They ceased 10 20 10 New
Orleans after Butler captured IT. They ceased To
cross the Mississippi at all points after Grant opened
il. The Rebels III arms could not get cattle nom
their Rebel brethren III the South W est, ana the
brethren would not and could not sell 10 the Yankees
So the cattle multiplied for abont hNe seasons ana
waxed IN years and weight. But the war ended.
The bars were down. and the cattle started iOi ihe
best market. About ZJO.OOO head crossed the lea
River destined for Northern and Eastern States.
But they were stopped Oh the lower borders ui
Kansas and Missouri by armed ruhans organized 10
blackuml the expected dToyers Passage across the
States lines was denied and forbidden, except Oh the
payment of so much tribute money, toll or tax per
head. These tOll-gahercrs robbers by instinct, ana
mtTdeIcls and robbers by education, were by
their numbers and their arms persuasive One
Texan Company paid $1,000 for the privilege
OF passing their lawless gate. Another PAID $ilVW
Texas suckles brave men. and some Of the drOyers
resisted this highway robbery. and undertook to
drive on. Their cattle were turned back. the herds
were fired into with TevOYers ana htahpcdeq anu
widely scattered; many of the animals were BILLED
and wounded, and the drOyers were threatened with
death. In the instances ia winch the owners Oh the
herds pcrsevered IN escaping this monstrous yllaIny
lcI
further North had killed the grass. OF course the
animals arrived IN market poor. Many OF the dIOycIs
were wholly broken up and the lucuest were Int
and badly hurt IN the market 80 that peace dld not
let down the bars that had long pcnued up the
cattle of the Southwest. They became so plentiful
that they almost worthless. as well ls burden
some. Thousands upon thousands Of beeyes" III
Texas could not find buyers al from 3 10 so head
in coin. In the mean time the Union Pacific Rail
way was advancing M the Smoky Hill Valley.
Last June young cattlc-dealer, with Scotch
blood in his veins, and the shIewdness, courage and
enterprise OF bis race IN his head, Joseph g. Mccoy,
the junOr partner Of the widely known firm of Nc
Gov Brothers went to Kansas to see If he could not
find path wherein the Texan and Indian cattle
could walk III peace to the East lie passed up the
line Of the raihOad, prospecting rs they say out
here. lie carried map of the United Statcs, W here
on with his finger nail he had traced air lines from
The cattle ranges OF the S0ulh-Nest 10 the track OF
the Union Pacific. The distances, the grass, the
richness of the land, the nelghborho0d OF timber
the peaceiuncss OF the Indian tribes through winch
the trails would run, Indicated Abilene. wafer STA
would establish tie biggest mart IN America lOI re-
ceiving and shipping cattle The point was well Sc
lccted Ii was ltj miles west of Kansas City, ON the
Missouri less than 35 miles from Northern Texas, -
from the mouth Of the AIkaHsas-Set within RIM
of stratiied limestone III the lOvehes ana richest OF
valleys, well wooded and well watered. with which
the Connecticut River bottom on the Mohawk Hats
wouldn't dare invite comparison. 1he tran 10 1T
was straight and level. crossing the Red River at
Bolens and running past Chlsms Ranch Fort Ar
huckle, and the mouth OF Little Arkansas. with
abundant water all the way, and supcrabundant
blue-stem and bunch grass IN the VIDE valleys
and bunch and buffalo grass on the uplands, and suf
fciea, wood for camping purposes. There were no
Organized bushwhackers and mustered ont Rebel
soldiers on the road to exact toll Iu CON- The semi
civilized Indian tribes COutented themselves each
with a lame steer or two for meat for the day, as
stuff, cient pay for tray eIsIng their lands.
After driving his stake down nj Abilene Mccoy
et his house I'M order at the East. and returned TO
Kansas and his enterprise in the last week OF July
On tie list day oil September ne had STOCK and ship
ming ward built that would hold 500 head Oh cattle
and load train of 40 cars in two hOurs had atehtnn
Fairbanks scale in position that would Welgh car
load al time and had Texas aud All the houth- est
placaided with hand-bs, in which lac invited df0N-
ers 10 come 10 Abilene and offered % pay cash lOr
all the cattle they would drive there ana gave mem
guarantees of innumerabc bank and railroad l1cal-
dents that he WAS "A responsible and an honest man,
and of Governors of States and well known POM
ciaus that gentlemen from Texas would nor ne
mOlcsted nor made afraid on account OF theii uJle
partIcpation in the Rebellion either on their aINal
at then destination OF on their way there. iheii