The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-01-13

Cattle Population OF I.sOO, 900 Head.
IiHW the Industry Has Increased.

ErOcK.RAISING ~ TEXAS. /
Cattle POpuINtIOn OF I.SOO. 900 70 lead.
Ii"W the Industry Has Increased.
ian AniouiO CorCIpondence COURIER Journal,
This ancient cilidel d GassilIiRn chIvalry
may be properly called the supply station
Tor all that vast belt Of countrytp thenotth
and west devoted almost t3elustyeiy 10
stock raising. The old Territory Of Bexar,
which comprised that portion Of the Lone
Star State lying west oil the Colorado river,
IL one vast pasture. II ID not possible to
accurately estimate the number Of cattle in
Texas at present, but with the available
statistical information, and making a
reasonable allowance for the herds In the
Panhandle" they may be safely put
down ut 4,j00,000 head! Cattle
nring Is the second Of Texas
industries, the production Of cotton
being the inst It rAnkS aISt In the Union,
however, M q cattle.raising State. The
cattle business In Texas bad its inception
about half century ago. It's hrst settlers
then found its broad prniries covered with |
immense herds Of buffalo, wild horses and
antelope. To-day these same fertile liAnos |
are dotted with ranches, and the ranches |
annexed are alive with herds OF cattle. II |
is Il profitable occupation, and instances OF
successtu cattleraising are 10 be counted
by the Thousands. Asa recent writer APPLY
slys, "On0 Is struck with astonishment at
the sudden growth Of this magnificent In.
dustry, and with the realization oil the won.
dsrlnl natural increase Of cattle in this
favored climate"
EARLY 10 this century, under special In.
dncements held out by the Spanish author.
tiles in Mexico, great number Of emf
grants settled In the coast country, extend
ing from the Sabine river 70 the RIO Grande.
These settlers brought with them small
herds Of the ..
NATIVE DREIDs or CATTLE,
which In process OF time merged into a
common stock, especially distinguished
from other breeds by their deerlike forms
and long, spreading horns. These cattle
were wild, received little or no attention,
and increased with wonderful rapidIty up
to the war Of Texan Independence. During
that bloody struggle the cattle business
declined. With the restoration Of peace Il
WIS revived, the wild herds were subdued
and the man who could throw q lHriat
needed no other capital to establish him
self in the cutie business. The wild cattle
were considered common property, and
their hunting down was the romantic epoch
in the history 0i the industry.
Since that time the industry has steadily
increased in importance. 1t escaped the
ravages Of the war between the States with
hut hardly noticeable loss. The ravaGes
haYe slowly Crept north and west from the
narrow coast limit, and tho bulk Of the
cattle now feed on tho high Ruling lands
und pa.eaus, which latter localities are as
well adapted TO profitable stock raising as
the rich praiTies Of the coast.
With the growth Of the industry there
has been Il corresponding increase IN the
wealth OF the men holding clttle. Horace
Greeley once said that il cost no more TO
| raisU a beef in Texas than II did 10 raise
goos. on uOose geek, and he was not far
from right in this quaint comparison. Once
u man succeeds in getting "a start" In cat
tie his alter SUCCESS and wealth was an as
sured certainty. All that was necessary Tor
him To do was to turn his herd loose upon
the broad, untenCel and unbOunded range
and await the natural increase. The
prairie WIS covered with perennial pastnr-
aye, the climate Eas genial and wintering
Unnecessary. lis care hardly went beyond
the naturalization and marketing Of the
animals. Now the herds are held In check
by tho irrepl essible cowboys, who "round-
up," "Cut ont" and brand the calves twice
d wear. 1t Is safer in Teyas 10 kill man
than to slaughter branded beef or drive
OF bunch Of mAuriCks. For the former
crime one may escape punishment, but the
latter IL sure 10 bring the thief 10 IN I'm.
timely end, and usually without cost to the
State or profit to the bar,
asa sTRIEISG INSTANCE
Of the rapid accumulation Of wealth by
cattle men, will cite one case, that OF Mr..
OConnor, who ranks among tbs most sue
ceSstul and enteTprising Of the great cattle
kings. lie entered upon the business 10
1852 with 1900 cattle; in 1862 his herd
contained over 10000 head. During that
year he branded over 1900 calves, and
lis cattle sales realized him $4,000. This
han been about his average income every
wear since. This Is one instance Of remark.
able success, but It is paralleled by the
rood fortune which has attended such men
Us King, Kennedy, Ro6b and numerous
. others. -.
When the railroad boom began In Texas
ten years ago, and great tide OF immigra'
ton flooded the State on every train, the
economic and productive condition Of the
stock business witnessed radical changes,
and The industry is now undergoing CON-.
plete reorganization. Qld.time prejudiCes
against improvements are giving away,
fences are being built, wild lands are To-
Gated and tracts owned by the State or by
cur,Ioratious ure being leased for long
terms. The old log house is fast diBnp'
pclring, and no neutrality-suspicious. con.
sidprs his herd complete unless his bulls
are fulI.bloOd DurhAms from the rich blue
prasJ farms Of Kentucky. As q consequence
the stock raiser produces better beef, and
for tho past three years the market has
steadily inclined. No business pays q bet.
ter dividend on the money invested, and
shFcwd men, with Idle capital are taking
advantage Of the fact. Additions are com
stantly being made TO the vast herds, and
no ono can even conjecture when the max
! imum point will be reached.
II WIS not many years ago when lack oil
transportation facilities gave herd Of
Texas cattle only nominal value. The
beef which readily brings $50 or $40 to-day
was battered for the store account OF few
dollars. It was not until 1858 that the cat.
tie market assumed a settled permanency.
In that year beevVs began TO be shipped TO
the northern markets in scattered herds,
and the annual drive" became
4 FEATURE or rnE BUSINESS.
There was prejudice, however, against
these "loug horns," and 1t required shrewd
business management and steady perBe-
verance to overcome il. The opening and
settlement OF the Northwestern States and
Territories added new impetus to the
Northern market, and made the "traip
famous feature Of the business. The fine
prairie lands OF tue Northwest were found
10 be admirably adapted TO grazing pur.
poses, and thither large herds were driven
annually to graLe and fatten upon the rich
grass. Railroads opened up that country.
The driving Of Texas cattle north TO be
wintered on those rich prairies became a
special business, and many men accumu.
lated fortunes at II. SOt only were the
herds winteIcd there, but Thousands o!
cattle remained rs 'stock cattle" and were
the nucleus Of the vast herds which nov
roam over the Northwest.
In 1873 the Texas railroad boom set In,
and the State became connected by rail
with.Rll the great markets Of the West
Chicago, Cincinnati, St louis and Kansas
City-and although the price Of cattle was
still low, owing to the prejudice against
Texas beef, the ratticman was enabled to
realize sooner on his Eales, and the demand
| for beef began TO steadily increase, The
wears went by aud the market still advan-
ced there were spasmodlc efforts made 10