The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-11-07

Not all good things together
Come to us here, my child.
So, when some dear JOY loses
Its beauteous Summer blew,
Think how the roots of the roses,
Are kept alive in the snow.
STAGING ON THE PLAINS, COLORADO.
On Friday morning, 2Sth of August, the
mail stage which runs between Pueblo and
Las Animas, pulled up in trent of the hotel
door, at 6 o'clock, and l stepped into the
vehicle that was to be driven ninety miles
that day to Las Animas. This turnout con-
sisted of two-wheeled no-top affair, called
agig by the natives, drawn by one mule,
and was capable of carrying two persons
the driver and myself and small mail bag,
constituted the full complement for this
novel machine. In few minutes we were
moving at mule trot over the smooth
prairies, with Pueblo out of sight in the
rear. We passed numerous cattle ranches
that day, and before proceeding with my
narrative, will give parting word to this
leading business Of Colorado.
The Arkansas river is the favorite locat-
ing point for stock men, and believe every
foot of that river in Colorado is taken up
by that class of men with small farmer
here and there. A stock man having To-
Gated his land, builds modest house
very modest these houses are-ef adobe or
frame, consisting of one low story, sinks a
well, puts up stable for his horses, and a
cheap shed for his vehicles, &c. All these
buildings are of the most unpretending
appearance, and without tree or shrub
near to break the dreary view. A cattle
pen is built of rude rails and posts, such as
the gnarled cottonwoods on the bottoms
afford, or of stone in localities near ridge
of rock. These pens are called carols in
the country. There is seldom any thing
attractive about these ranches, every thing
being the most dreary and desolate in
appearance imaginable. A few exceptions
are, however, found to this general rule
Some spots are favored by nature in a slight
degree, and further aided by the proprietor
opening an irrigating ditch, which covers a
few acres; and trees are planted, fields
fenced, crops cultivated and things look
more cheerful, green and comfortable about
the little farm, but a journey of half or
three fourths of mile with your back to
the river, will place your feet on the dry
and dun colored plains with the stunted
cactus, punches of bayonet grass, sage
brush, and tufts of buffalo grass, all wear
ing the pallid, sckly hue of the native vege-
tation of the country, and you may travel
weeks over this country and the same unin-
viting landscape will be around you which
no art of man can ever change. A cattle
ranch is a lonesome habtation to exile a
family to. Cut off from society almost
entirely, and every source of amusement
the dreary monotonous hours pass and life
runs sluggishly on. Considerable of capt.
tai is required to esta bish ranch, and at
least four years must be spent before any
returns worth notice begin to be realized
but once established, well-located cattle
or sheep ranch is a source of unfailing
income. More certain and larger the re-
turns will be, and with less care and danger
of fluctuation than simple farming can pos
sibly be. 1t is difficult to estimate what
the value of good ranch that can manage
four or five thousand cattle will be in the
future, but it is doubtless one of the most
valuable properties that can be had, owing
to its fixed and permanent character and
annual liberal returns.
There is a limit to the capacity of the
country to support stock which has been
almost reached. The lands accessible to
water have been almost all occupied, and
here the business will find its natural bound
airy. There is great danger of overstocking
in prosperous seasons, when good deal of
rain falls, and the grass is more abundant.
But dry season makes a corresponding
scarcity, and famine is to be feared.
The herder lives, as it were, on horse
back on the plains, and three good ponies
are required for one herder He must keep
the cattle from straying and scattering out
of sight and hearing of the body of the
herd. This requires great deal of hard
riding Being in the saddle nearly all the
time, except what is spent in sleeping,
when he is rolled up in blanket with the
turf for bed and the sky for tent. This
wild, free life, though so rough and lone
some, is full of health and inspiration to
the animal spirits, and soon becomes so fas.
cinating that its votaries prefer it to any
other. Some wealthy Eastern men own
valuable cattle ranches and devote several
months in the Summer to life on the
plains, their families and permanent homes
being in some of the large cities East. TIC
man who understands handling stock and
has sufficient capital, know of no invest,
ment SO sure of permanent returns as a
large cattle or sheep ranch, in Southern
Colorado.
To return to our gig stage from this
cattle depression, a drive of three hours
brought US up to the first post Office, TWEEN,
ty-one miles from Pueblo. We passed
farms along the river, which the road fol.
lows, and the irrigating ditch of the Land
Company, which had been opened for forty
miles, was but dry trench, and inside OF
it some farmers had combined and opened
ditch nine miles in length, which supplied
sufficient water for their purposes 1t is
pretty manifest that sufficient water could
not be obtained from the Arkansas to keen
forty miles ditch supplied, and irrigate
the land it covered.
Two school houses were passed between
Pueblo and Las Animas, the last about
thirty miles from the former town, and the
first ten miles distant. These schools were
taught by females, who received $40 to
800 per month. The pupils having to
travel many miles, rode ponies, which were
staked during school hours. About eigh.
teen pupils, was informed by the driver,