The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-04-06
THE TEXAS CATTLE KINGS.
The Mighty Stock Farms OF the Plains
Texas Cattle observation-disclosures Riches
I'm the Heart of the Continent The Para
dise of Fortune Hunters in America.
From the Pittsburg Commercial.

FROM Ule fUtSOuTU COWHtIc1Ut.
Texas alone has $500, 900 cattle, divid-
ed into $4,000 beeves, $50 900 cows, and
100000 young cattle. The plains on
which these cattle roam contain about
lj2, 100000 acres of ground. The prin-
cipal pasturages are on the Nueces, Rio
Grande, Guadalupe, San Antonio, Colo
rado, Leon, Brazos, Trinity, Sabine, and
Red Rivers. The cattle are owned by
scores of ranchmen, each one of whom
has from 1000 to 10000 head. On the
Santa Catrutos river is a ranch contain
ing S4,l32 acres. 1t is owned by one
man, Richard King, and has on it 81, 900
head of cattle, 10000 horses, 1000 sheep,
and 5000 goats. This immense number
of live stock requires 1000 saddle horses
and 800 Mexicans to attend and herd it.
Ten thousand beeves are annually sold
from the ranch, and 10000 young calves
branded. There is another ranch on the
San Antonia river, near 'Goliad, which
grazes 10000 head of cattle, and brands
II 900 head of calves annually. Mr..
OConnor, the owner of this ranch, sells
$4,000 worth of stock each year, and his
herds are constantly increasing. In 1852
he began cattle raising with 1900 head,
and his prt sent enormous herds and
wealth are the result of natural increase.
On the Gulf, between the Rio Grande
and Mucous, is a ranch containing l42, =
$40 acres, and owned by Mr.. Robideaux.
1t is on a peninsula, surrounded on three
sides by water. and, to enclose the other
side, has required the building of thirty
one miles of plank fence. Every thre e
miles along the fence are houses for the
herders, and enormous stables and pens
for the stock. There are grazed in this
enclosure 10000 head of beef cattle, be-
sides an immense number of other stock.
A ranch on the Brazos river contains
80 600 head of cattle, 800 horses, and so
herdtrs John Hitson, the owner, drives
| 10000 cattle to market annually. Ten
years ago he was poor farmer in Tennes-
see, but selling his land and going to
the Brazos, he succeeded by dint of hard
labor in getting together sixty cows and
nine brood mares, when he went to rails,
ing stock. He has now so 600 head oi
cattle, worth at least $l50.OOO, and he i:
still only forty years old. This man il
| establishing a stock ranch on the South
| Platte, in Nebraska, where he now has
5000 head of cattle, and next spring viii
bring in 10000 more.
There is ranch ON the Concho river
Texas, where, am told, one man own:
1000 head of steer and milch cows.
The best grazing counties i'll Texas
are those of Throekmorton, Stevens
Jack, Young, Callahan, Coleman, Brown
Tarrant, Ellrath, Comanche, Pslo, Pinto
Hill, and johnson. These counties liz
along the Rio Grande, Nueces, Guadu
lupe, San Antonio, Colorado, Leon. Bra
zcs, Trinity, Sabine. and Red rivers
The stock from these countries are driver
to the Gulf in great numbers, wher,
they are slaughtered, packed in steamers
or put on alive, and shipped to New
York, Boston. and other northern mar
kets. A great many cattle are driver
! North on foot by way of Abilene, Kan