The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-11-22
COL. KINGS RANCH,
A Farm of 16O, 900 Acres on the Rio Grande
How the Proprietor Manages His Vast
Estate-His Personal Peculiarities.
From the Chicago Tribune

Estate-His Personal Pecullarities.
1From the Chicago Tribune.l
WASHINGTON, d. c., Oct, live
are likely to hear some very. extraya-
giant stories about the Mexican border
during the next few months The ad-
venturers who are seeking to incite the
two countries to trouble along the Rio.
Grande for the sake OF, booty or am
bition are here in considerable numbers,
and are sometimes able to attract a
curious crowd to listen to the stories of |
the wonders of their Eldorado.
These are colored by warm inn
aginings,' but have reason to
think that the one which follows is SUBJ
stantially true. At all events, have it
from one of the gentlemen who spent a
considerable time in the service of the
Government along the Rio Grande bor-
der, and who could have no special in
terest in calling upon his imagination
for his facts. At any rate, the Story Of
this big ranch, as told to me, runs in
this way ou "i <fa9if I
A FEUDAL BORDER FARMER. o.
Col. King is fair type Of one of the .
| former feudal Knights of our Mexican 4
border He found his way to Mexico
during the Mexican War, as a camp
follower in the wake of the army SUBJ
sequently he became a cabin-boy on a
steamboat ON the Lower Rio Grande..
He picked up a little money in this pur-
| suit, and soon had accumulated enough
to begin steamboating on his own ac-
count. The accumulated earnings of
l, ho fod IN, C,,n, ,sch
land grants, saving his grants until he
had secured a large amount of 'sacre-
age" which he settled in one locality
From the time of the Mexican, War un-
til our late Civil War, he devoted him
self to agricultural pursuits. At the out
break of the last War he commenced
operations in cotton, in which he made
another fortune. The excitements of
the border, and the love of speculation
together, helped to make him rebellious
during the War, and he became a Rebel
of that passive, sort which permitted
other people to do the fighting while he
pocketed the gains. I am informed by
an officer in command along the border
that during the War Col King found a
more congenial residence south of the
Rio than north of it. He is a man 55
years of age, of Irish parentage.j He
has family of three daughters, whom
he is educating at Louisville, KY, and
who are the heiresses to the most =
MAGNIFICENT FEUDAL ESTATE ,.,
: in Republican America. As might be
expected from his life, King is man OF
little education, but possesses much
: natural ability, and has acquired con-
siderable polish from contact with the
world. He has had no time for cultiva-
: ton. He now owns most of the istean-
boats on the Rio Grande, and controls
the Gulf trade between Galveston and
a magnificent proportions which can be
best appreciated by the ambitious West
ern farmer. His estate itself comprises
J 100, 900 acres OF this, 100000 are un
g der fence. In one inclosure there art
: 100 miles of fencing, built at cost o.
t $500 per mile. The ranch is situated
9 in diversified country ON the Lower
! Rio, made up in part of rich low lands
S and in part of wooded rolling hills
: The figures which represent his STOCK
are of such character that the addition
; of a cipher or two would make NJ
appreciable difference in the imagination
OF the ordinary reader. He has 22,OO'
horses, $4,000 cows, 10000 stock cattle
$4,000 mules, 900 sheep, and jack
n asses and pigs in countless numbers
g He EMPLOYS 800 rMexicans to manage hi
y ranch. They are of peculiar tribe o
g clan, from which the horsemen of tn
,e border are usually chosen, and are of
| alor h<av
le bandit clans whose occupation consist
of in predatory incursions upon our terri
a. tory. These herders are, tame, ,quiei
le inoffensive, and faithful, and constitut
g in themselves an army either for offens
ID or defense which the isolated bands {
1e plunderers dare not heedlessly attach
m The ranch itself is large brick built
Il ing, unpretentious in appearance bt
x comfortable in its appointments.
'lt large brick warehouse is necessary
a contain the stores of this plantation
OF One section of this store-house, strongl
re built, is called the 'sTreasnry.' In
ne this farmer Knight of the Border keel
at his money, mostly in the shape OF gol
or and silver coins packed in bags. si}i'
lo HOW HE SPENDS HIS MONEY. b
ne The "Colonel had OCCASION, whe
u my informant was there, to go to Il
DIS nearest large town on commercial bus
lS ness. He travels in a style correspon
ea ing in lavishness with the extent Of b
ne own broad estate. The spending mon'
II for the trip was contained in 10 or
ge bags of considerable size, filed wi
ny gold and silver coins. On arriving
the little town he threw out these, ha
.ad on the ground with careless unconcer
M and directed the hotel man to take ca