The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-07-02
Texas Pasture Fields.

Texas Pasture Fields.
A correspondent in the Baltimore
american, who is visiting the immense
cattle pastures, describes visit to the
one of these, the Fulton and Coleman
Companies grazing lands in Texas.
"We left Fulton after an early break
fast, on the morning of the 31st of May,
and were soon out on the open prairie,
approaching the lands of the Peninsula
Pasture Company, which are but short
distance from Rockport There were
but six in our party, four of whom were
ladies, with Col. George w. Fulton as
pilot. Eight miles from Rockport we
passed through the gates of the Big
Pasture of the Coleman-Fulton Pasture
Company, and entered on its broad
domain of los, 900 acres, or 206 square
miles, of what is regarded as the very
| best pasture land in Texas We were
to stop at the ranch, the herdsmen's
headquarters, ten miles from the gate,
for dinner, and to rest horses, and after
wards to continue our journey to Mr..
Coleman's mansion, eleven miles fur
ther on-making twenty-one miles from
the gate to the house.
"When fairly on our journey inside of
the Big Pasture, on casting the eye
around, the horizon was seen to be as
sharply defined in every direction as it
is at sea. There were few small motts
of live-oak trees, and some scattered
cattle browsing on the plain, but moth
ing else, not even fences, obstructed the
view. By the Impractical eye there
was really no road to be seen, but dur
ing this and subsequent drives both
Colonel Fulton and Mr.. Coleman
seemed to know every cowpath. These
cowpaths are made by the cattle going
to the lakes for water, as on such occa-
sions they always walk in single file,
and pursue the same course day after
day. This was the case before the new
pasture system was adopted, when al
instinct seemed to guide the cattle in
the pursuit of water. Then there were
no artificial lakes, with the winter rains
stored in them for the use of the cattle
as is now the case, and it often hap
pened that the distance between watel
and the grazing grounds was twenty
miles or more. In a dry season thou
sands of them would die from burning
thirst, and leave their bones along thu
cow-tracks, or, on reaching the water
drink to such excess that death wa
sure to follow. Now there are five o
six of these lakes on this great pasture
one of them three miles in length anC
from fifty to five hundred yards in width
while the Chiltopin river forms it
northern boundary.
"The Coleman-Fulton Pasture Com
pany's lands are by careful estimat
capable of sustaining at all seasons o
the year about $4,000 head of cattl
and horses, though at the present tim
there is not more than half this numbe
there. During the past year the stoc
of cattle was reduced to about one-hal
the full complement, and the gras
, allowed to renew itself by seeding. TIL
pastures are consequently now covere
with a heavy coat of mesquite grass
, and the company are filling up tn
pastures with cattle purchased froI
Texas and largely from Mexico. Durin
, our soiourn lot of 1000 head arrive
from Mexico, and despatch announce
) that 1000 head more, purchased b
3 their agents at Sc, SO and $12 per heat
: were on their way, this price includin
, their delivery in good order in the pa
ture. When they arrive the beeves wi
r be fattened, and shipped to New Orlear
as soon as in condition for market, til
COWS will be driven to the Barada pa
{ ture of $4,000 acres, used for breedin
0 graded stock, and the male yearlins
e driven to the Big Pasture of 105,0(
acres, which is devoted to beeves an
r stock for the market. The sorting ar
t separating of the cattle require expel
: ence and good judgment, and va
force of men and horses. The prospec
@ of the company were never so good
d at present, they having just declared
cash dividend of per cent. for the pa
ii six months, while they are very con
q dent of increasing it to - per cent. p
e annum.