Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-05-11

be regarded as being the pioneer
in the cattle trade of the Vest
Being shrewd, energetic business
man, and settling as he did in one of
the best grazing regions of the West,
he amassed large fortune in the busi-
ness. He engaged largely in breeding
and raising cattle, and we believe he
was the first to introduce the best
English breeds of cattle into the West
ern country. In later years Madison
county, Ohio, became famous for
grazing cattle, and also for raising the |
best breeds known in the country
Among the pioneers in that county |
may be named E. W. Gwynne and
Peter Buffin nbar9er. Gwynne estab |
lished himself on large farm, situated
near Lafayette, some twenty five miles |
west of Columbus, Ohio. He engaged |
extensively in raising cattle He
would, however, buy young stock cat
tie, and one of his standing rules was
to hold on until he could sell and
make money-having any amount of
the finest grazing land, and at all
times an abundance of feed raised hv
himself, and with all, an unhounded
credit added to a large capital of his
own, there never was any such thing
as catching him in a corner. He was
one of the most successful operators
in cattle, on large scale, that Ohio
ever had. Mr.. Gwynne died some
years since leaving a large estate.
Peter Buffinbarger was a Virginian,
and at an early day settled about seven
miles East Of Loudon, Madison coun
ty, Ohio. 1t is now jQst about eight
teen years since we staid ever night
with Butfinbarger at his farm He
was then a bachelor, well advance in
life. He treated US with genuine hos
pitality, and seemed to take both a
pride and pleasure in giving us a full
history of his career as a cattle man,
from the time he first came to Ohio
and settled where we saw him. At
the time we speak of he had three
thousand acres of splendid grazing
land, all under fence, divided into
fields of convenient size, his wood
land all handsomely cleared up as to
underbrush, old logs, etc, All this,
with his cleared land, was we'll set with
bluegrass, except small amount kept
| for ordinary farming purposes. His
buildings were OF the old log cabin,
cheap kind. On his farm he kept
about eight hundred cattle, large and
small He told us that his general
aim was to keep all his cattle fat the
year round on grass, without using
any other feed, and said he generally
got along in his way of keeping cattle,
except such times as there might be
snow on the ground. BY letting the
grass grow up in his wood land during
the summer, and keeping it for winter,
he carried his cattle through on it with
out any trouble. About the 10th Of
June every year, he would have two
hundred ripe, four-yea old cattle,
ready for market, and these were always
sold about that time at good prices
generally sold at home, After selling
these lie would buy liz ht young stock
cattle to keep his supply up, his whole
g object in his way Of operating being
to make the growth of his cattle Will
grass alone, as before stated At thC
time we saw him he had his land al
! paid for, his stock of cattle paid fer
!, and kept large amount of money il
! bank, and by the pro cess we have de
r scribed he had grown to this condition
: from an exceedingly small, weak be
t ginning. We have given the above
Y description for the purpose of sayins
I that we consider this the soundest an(
n safest plan fer carrying on the cattl
o business of any that can be adopted
it William Wilson is now living in th
: Northern part of Madison county
5 Ohio, engaged in the cattle business
Y having accumulated large propert
e in the course of the last forty wears
d He is now we'll advanced in life, an,
Y may be regarded as connecting lin
between the present and the past
/, He began his career when everything
It in the way of business was old fogy
and now lives TO see railroads, tele
e graphs, and all The latest improve
It ments.
: -e44eil--f eil--f1fio f1fiorccrs that We hav
y named have been succeeded by a larg
is number of cattle men less prominent
T. but energetic, persevcring bushes
d men, who have, as a general rule, mad
d themselves independent as to thi
: worlds goods. We have thus ia
n spoken Of the trade in Ohio Whe
J. emigration began to move Westwar
IS from the state named, it was earl
t found that Illinois with her immens
ID stretches of fertile prairie lands mu!
y become one of the greatest States
IS the Union for general agricultural pre-
J.. ductiveness, and particularly for gra.
b. ing purposes, and soon after thes
IN rich lands were surveyed and put int
's, market the Funks. Strawns and other
s secured some of the best localitit
Il within the limits of the State for gra
b ing cattle. These eally pioneers
Il the trade ihIllinois have grown up
nd to their business, with the advancir
prosperity of thecountry, until by Il
introduction of our general railroad
e system, in connection with the rap
on and general settlement Of the countr
ell the large. tracts of land which tht
bought at an early day have becon
cir immensely valuable, and so these M
TT, are among the wealthiest in the Sta
Or ut the present time. Within the la
twenty five years railroads and Il
telegraph have changed the whole sy
m tenn Of business. This has oper; t,
in in the cattle trade to bring an arm
eS. Of middle men into the busine
he Among uhis class of men, John
on Alexander, well known to all our rea
ell ers, stands at the head, but 1t has be-
found that this kind of business Ii