Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-05-14

y
ioire( (called Picket Wire, out there, with
the Arkansas We had heard Of some
famous farms near Las Abimas, aud de-
termined TO visit one CT two. We there.
fore left Las Animas about noon, aud rode
over to the farm or rancho Of Mr.. Bogss,
a sheep raiser, and Mr.. Powers, cattle
raiser.
Both Prowers and Roggs went into the
Arkansas Valley ut an early day, nearly
twenty years ago, as trappers for the
American Fur Company, with headquart.
ers at Fort Lyon. They were comrades of
Kit Carson indeed the children OF Kit
Carson have been adopted by Mr.. Boggs,
and live with him to-day, and are as
healthy, hearty looking youngsters as you
ever saw.
These men began their farming expert
ence in a very limited way. To-day
Mr.. Boggs owns over ten thousand sheep.
and Mr. Prowers over four thousaud cat
tie. They live on as excellent, well i'm
proved farms, aud in as neat and well
finished farm houses as you ever saw.
have only space here to give you
some particulars Of Mr.. Prowers' success.
lie told US that he opened his stock rails.
ing with 1894 and black steer, and that
to-day he owned at least $50, 900 in cat
tic alone. All the monyy he saved while
in the employ of the American Fur Co.,
or of the Government. he transferred into
stock, and the increase was so rapid and
his losses so small, that he found himself
rapidly prospering, aud proceeded to i'm
prove his grades of cattle by importing
blooded bulls and cows. Said he, "In-
dustry and economy is all any one requires
here. There is no better country for a
nan to rise in."
The best illustration of his prosperity,
was, perhaps, his barn-yards. In one
large, clean cow-pen, with well built sheds
from native lumber,) all around it, we
eouud seven fne blooded bulls, as hand
some animals as the writer ever. saw, one
of which he had purchased the month be-
fore, for $3.50 in Illinois. In an adjoin.
ing pen were a dozen or more of his own
choice yearlings, one of which, fine
yearling bull calf Of pure breed, he sold
that day to stock raiser from Trinidad,
who was visiting him, for two hundred
and fifty dollars,
He entertained us Hospitality, and when
the writer asked bin for some data or
figures, showing the increase on definite
number Of cattle, he took down an ac-
count book from his desk and showed US,
among others, this transaction
Two young men, brothers, King by
name, came into the valley in the fall Of
1868. They had but little capital, and
hired some stock of Prowers. The agree
mept was that King Bros. were to take
the stock for three years, keep them, and
at the end of that time the original ami
mails we're to be returned to Prowers with
half the increase.
You will bear in mind the stock were
not to receive pound of grain; that they
needed no other food than the grass to be
found on tens of thousnds acres of land
everywhere. and no other care than an
occasional herding in order to look after
and mark the young calves.
On Nov. 20th, 1868, Prowers delivered
to King Bros, 1913 cows and eight 'bulls,
On September 2Sth, 1871, King Bros re.
turned to Prowers the original animals, less
II COWS that had died, which were re.
placed from the remainder of the herd,
and left herd of three hundred and thir-
ty bead, to be divided, Of which Prowers
received one hundred and sixty.fv as
his proportion for the loan of one hundred
and twenty-thrce cews and eight bulls
The division was made short time be.
fore the expiration of the three years, be-
cause King Bro's had an offer to sell out
their half interest in the increase for 3d..
900, which they did, after having made a
good living during the three years out Of
the choice COWS of the herd, from making
butter, etc.
! Prowers said that this was nothing re.
markable, and that the increase would
have been much larger had King Bros
not been very unlucky with their young
calves in the first year, losing nearly six
ty, and thus cutting down their increase
considerably. We thought, however, thai
an increase from l3l to 46l in three
! years was very good, when there had beer
no outlay exccptin the matter Of labor
and that to only trihing extent.
j These men, Prowers and Boggs, hae
sixteen hundred acres under cultivation
They had "taken out ditch seme year
before, but had not irrigated their land il
the last two years tho rain fall hayinl