Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-14
THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF
RANCHMEN

during the past week we have talked
with such old timers in the cattle bust
ness in Barber and COmanche counties
and the Indian Territory as VIC. Mills.
f. \. Ewing, II. W. Phillips. John
Keyes, JAS. Wilson and w. W. Standi-
ford, and they all agree that cattle are
in splendid shape, in fact better than
they have ever seen them at this season
of the year. During the spring and
summer just past, there has been quite
spirit shown by many cattlemen TO
sell out and move on towards the set
ting sun, where they expected to find
new pastures unoccupied, that were
fresh from the tread of the buffalo. ana
where the old time manner of holding
cattle, once practiced here, might again
be indugurated. Several of our most
prosperous ranchmen sold out at what
was then satisfactory PRICES, and at
once started in search of a new COW
country where losses did not occur and
where the wheels of civilization had
not left their mark. They visited Ari-
zonia, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico.
spent the summer in prospecting. and
with few exceptions have returned with
ont making a purchase, and TO find the
herds they sold increased in numbers
and their value advanced at least % per
cent. They have lost one calf crop. one
years growth in young stock, and their
ranch privileges have increased in value
IN the same ratio as their cattle. and
they are looking around for an invest
ment of the proceeds of their former
herd. They say the grazing country is
all occupied, and considering their quail
ty and location, cattle are cheaper i'm
this section than in any they have WISH
Ted the only way to get a foothold
now for ranching cattle is to buy some
one out, and that the old adage, "a roll
ling stone gathers no moss" has proven
true in their cases.
The idea that there are no losses in
the COW business is a false one. for ev-
cry business has its reverses: vet the
list of western men who have GROWN
wealthy OF late years. shows that none
nave done so more quickly than the
ranchmen or the growers of cattle and
IN looking over the list of cattlemen
who have accumulated fortunes in a
short time, ii is evident they are not
confined alone to Texas men. but renre-
sent almost every state in the Union.
The result of our observations is that
the Texas men, who are the original
ranchmen and who, with few executions
have grown wealthy, and are now fire.
quently styled ''cattle kings, have
with few exceptions, made their money
IN Southern Colorado, Western Kansas.
Northern Texas or the Indian Terrific
~. They were formerly drovers. and
seeing the superiority of this country
over Texas, located ranches here and at
once engaged in raising cattle and i'm
proving the original Texas herd bv the
introduction Of improved bulls, which
has proven more profitable than they
had expected. y few located here nc
early as lS7l-75, but the majority of tbe
ranches were located from 1870 To 1879
ana with Few exceptions, they were
men of small means. They confined
their business to the growing of cattle
at once. and while many of them still
reside in Texas, their business is here.
Although reverses have come they have
nurSed their business i'm true husband
man style, and to-day find themselves
wealthy; and of all who did likewise
We know of none who have not made
handsome profits on the original invest
ment. True, cattle have advanced in
price each year and to-day will sell for
more than double what they sold for
six years ago. and yet each year the
has been that cattle are too
high and must come down.
In ISIS Texas cows with half-breed
calves sold for $3.50 to $40 per head