San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-02-01

| Wv ~ III Wiz touuu-upb III MS VI
cinity TO look after his interests, and
see that his
YOUNG STOCK is BRANDED.
Of course, each calf follows the COW
to which it belongs, else the confusion
would be insurmountable. Each
brand is registered in the records of
the county, and is all that is necessary
to settle ownership.
The branding is not confined to the
spring roundup" During the sum.
mer their are frequent neighborhood
or local "round-ups" to collect beeves
for shipment and brand calves brought
forth after the spring branding.
A yearling or older brute, which
has escaped branding, is called a
maverick" and the owner of a herd
with which it is found is at liberty to
put his brand upon it, but the rela-
tons of me,m and t,nm are strictly
observed, and no honest man will
brand as his own cattle whose owner
ship he has any reasonable means of
ascertaining. Occasionally q cattle
man becomes unusually energetic in
branding mavericks" but he is spot
ted.
THE CATTLE BUSINESS
in Northwestern Texas is not carried
on without risk. Occasionally, hard
winter or extremely dry summer cause
the loss of much stock, but the in
crease is so rapid and the profits are
so large that losses which would break
up dozen wealthy farmers at the
North are borne with perfect equanim-
ity by the cattle kings. Any one
who is fairly posted as to stock rails
ing, has few thousand dollars to
start with, and is vigilant and indus
trious, has the chances largely in his
favor, and this when he has divided
the results of the closest figuring by
two.
At Colorado City, 4S3 miles west
of Texarkana, on the Texas and Paci-
fic Railway, is found one of the CEN
tiers of the cattle and sheep trade.
1t is situated on the Colorado River,
in Mitchell County, and is surround
ed on all sides by the
FINEST GRAZING LANDS.
Two years ago the first house was
built, and the population is now about
$500, having more than doubled
during the past year. The railroad
reached the town site in May, 1881,
and there has been steady boom
ever since. The town was laid out
by the railroad company, and the lots
were sold on liberal terms. Since
that time real estate has advanced
500 or 600 per cent. Brick and stone
are rapidly taking the place of boards
} as building material. An elegant
stone court house is nearly completed
) The business men of the place have
evidently come to stay, and everything
; is tending toward permanency. There
are two banks, that of F. w. James
& Co., which is the older, and is 6
prosperous institution. The Colora
do National Bank has just beer
{ opened, with a paid-up capital Of
$63,OOO. A. w. Dunn is it's Presi
dent, and w. FL. Hendrix is Cashier
1t has quarters in an imposing brick
block Just erected by Mr.. Dunn, Oh
Oak and Second streets, the business
centre of the town. Mr.. Dunn bull
the
FIRST HOUSE IN COLORADO CITY,
and is himself fair representative o.
y the skill and enterprise which make
towns prosperous, and is also one O.
! the typical cattle kings. He began
! with small capital few years ago
He has dealt in merchandise and cat
] tie so skillfully that during the pas
= = year his sales aggregated $1,OOO,OOO
- During the year 1882 Colorado City
= shipped $1,000 beeves and about 500,
; 600 pounds of wool, besides what wa'
. done in stock cattle and sheep. Th'
, total business of the place for TIT
l. year amounted to about $40, 200, 900
J This will be largely increased during
the present year. 1t is difficult to buy
a lot, even at fabulous price, in TIN
business part of the town, thougl
there are plenty of spectators on tn
ground. To show what Colorado ha
" to depend on for it's large volume o
= = trade, 1 give the following names o
u owners Of herds, with the value o
{ their stock: Dunn, White & Stevens
: $500, 900; Winfield Scott, $45O.OOO
L T. P. Stevens, 100000; Estes Bros
100000; Peacock Bros, 100000
il G. NJ. Mann, S28O,O00; Mcintyre
D Barnett. S2OO,OOO; Tom Dents