The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-06-11

a Full Line OF the Finest BIOOded
Correspondent Kansas City journal.
DURHAM PARK, Kan. May 2I.
Durham Park is situated in Mari
on county, Kansas, thirty miles
south of Abilene, and about the
same distance from Peabody. The
selection of this locality for thor
oughbred stock farm was the result
of a careful examination of Colora-
do and Kansas, by the Messrs.
Crane themselves, for e period of
three years. The park is oblong In
shape, being about six miles from
east to west, and three in width,
and contains ten thousand acres eff
land, of unsurpassed fertility. The
Cottonwood river, an unfailing
springfield stream, meauders from
west to east the entire length of the
estate; its banks are fringed with
dense growth of box elder and cot
tonwood trees, which are just now
in the full glory of their new foil
age. The land was purchased and
the first improvements made in Au-
gust, 1872. Mr.. Albert Crane, of
Chicago, is sole owner of the park
and stock. Mr.. Lewis A. Reed is
general superintendent and bust
ness manager. Major Daniel w.
Crane deVotes his entire attention
to the shOrt-horn herd. Mr.. Nc
Hardy is herdgman of the short
horn herd, and Mr.. Armstrong is
foreman of the laboring force. Act
i've operations IN building and fenc-
ing began in the spring of 1873, and
have continued ever since.
The residence of Major Crane
stands upon q beautiful knoll near
the center of the park, aud COM
mands view of the country for
miles in every direction. The build
ing is of liberal dimensions, two
stories high, with wide verandahs
running entirely around it, and is q
very convenient and well finished
house.
The taste of the owner is display
ed in the arrangement of the
ground. Large lawns are laid out,
and seeded to blue grass, walks and
avenues established, and shade and
ornamental trees planted. Only q
little age is needed to make this one
of the most attractive places in the
country.
The headquarters of the whole
concern is here. Mr.. Reed has his
Office ia the building, from which
he issues his orders to forty OF
more subOrdinates, and laborers.
To his rare executive ability and
untiring industry, may be credited
much of the success of the enter
prise.
Besides the residence of Major
Crane, there are q number of other
buildings located at different places
about the park. Mr.. McHardy oc-
cupies neat cottage at the stables
of the short-hOrns. Mr.. Armstrong
has his residence convenient to the
mems quarters, and the general cor
raj. Near the corners are q number
of cottages occupied by farmers
who work in the park and keep
watch of the stock. These men are
supplied with the best of teams and
implements, and paid a liberal price
for all they raise-all the outlay on
their part being their work and
time.
Twenty miles of tight board fence
have been Sbuilt, and twenty-three
miles of wire fence, and tho work
still goes on one-third of the es-
tate is yet to fence. There are ten
large pastures and five smaller ones,
exclusive of the numerous feeding
yards and cOrrals; each one is sup
piled with plenty of clear running
spring water; even the severe
drouth last summer did not serious
ly affect these streams.
So complete is the arrangement
of the lanes and gates that when the
cattle are brought in each one goes
to its proper yard or stall, without
delay or confusion. The sheds and
stables are from sixteen to twenty
feet in width, and aggregate four
teen hundred feet in length. They
are all substantially framed and
covered with good pine lumber and
shingles.
A shelter and grist mill, with a
capacity of two hundred bushels of
corn day, is also one of the OBJ
iects of interest. This occupies q
building some twenty feet square,
aud is ran by an eight horse power
outside.
Some idea of the immense amount
of lumber required for all this
building, including houses, fences,
stables, granaries, sheds, cribs, &C.,
may be obtained when we state that
it flied fifty freight cars to their
fullest capacity. The posts are of
cedar, brought from Chicago, and
are planted two feet nine inches in
the ground.
Three thousand five hundredIacres
of land are already under cultiya-
ton, and twelve breaking teams are
still turning over the sod. This
work is done by contract, and costs
the major about two dollars and q
quarter an acre. The teams are
mostly horses and mules, although
we noticed several old.tIne outfits,
with six yoke of oxen to each pillow.
The amount of grain in the park
this season il as follows: Rye, one
hundred and fifty acres Hungarian
grass, two hundred and fifty oats,
two hundred and ten, and eight
hundred acres of corn, all looking
very fine.
We noticed rye that was waist
high, growing in the gullies, wash
ed out by the old Santa Fe trail,
which crossed here. So much for
the great American Desert" In
addition to the grain, there are
seven hundred acres In blue grass,
also, quite an area seeded to timo-
thy and clover.
The number of cattle of all grades
and ages, is two thousand and four
hundred of this number one hun
dred and fifty are thoroughbred
shOrt-horns; two hundred and fifty
high grades" the balance Texans
and half bred Texans.
None bnt thoroughbred bulls have
ever been in the herds; of these,
there are twenty-five, ak of which
are for use in the soort-horn herd,
which has eighty-four cows of serv-
iceable age.
The common herd has GOO steers
which will be put in market
July. These are mostly long-horns,
and half-breeds. This herd also