The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-12-11
ANOTHER INTERVIEW
In r. egard 10 Uncle Rufus" and the st.
Louis Convention.

In the course OF his repOrtoEial
Tamblings yesterday, a STATESMAN
man encountered Mr.. J. NJ. Day, ia
miliarly called Doc Day, one OF the
leading cattle men of Texas, and a
resident of this city. 1t occurred to
the man of the quill that he would
be fitting parsonage Of whom to
seek light on the subject of the late
cattle mems convention at st. Louis,
and other questions germaine to this
great industry.
On being asked if he had read the
interview that reporter for the st.
Louis Post Dis patch had with Mr..
Rufus Hatch, of New York, Mr..
Day nodded an affirmative. Eyes, I've
read it, and my opinion about coin
cides with the sentiments of Col.
Driskill and the other gentlemen
whom you quoted in recent issue Of
the STATESMAN. Why, L know old
Rufus, and can give you a
A FEW POINTS
In that talk of his he makes the
modest assertion that the northern
cattlemen have forgotten more than
the Texas men ever knew" The op-
posite of this cheeky statement is
nearer the truth. Where did Mr..
Hatch acquire all his wonderful
knowledge about cattle? He was
never interested in the business till
about two years ago, when, in COM
pany with some other eastern men he
bought ranch adjoining mine, in
the strip between Kansas and Texas.
HE says that his company CONTROLS
about 100000 acres" remarked the re-
porter.
"Well, caaStell you how that is
said Ma. Day, with a smile. at is
true they have a number of cattle up
there-some 5000 head, perhaps, but
us regards the land, they don't own
foot of it, nor do they pay a cent for
taxes. Their ranch is located in what
the Stockmen call
NO MANS LAND,
the strip of neutral ground some, 80
miles wide and 166 long, mentioned
above. So his talk of controlling so
much territory is absurd-the land
don't any more belong to him than it
does to you. No, it will be an awful
cold day when Texans have to go for
information to men like Mr.: Hatch. l
have been in the business ever since
1857, and learned it from the back of
Spanish pony, not in riding around
in Pullman cars like the gentleman
from New York. And you might
| make a note of it; no man fully under
stands cattle who hasn't actually
handled them. Ii ne hasn't helped to
herd, and "cut out" and ground up"
and rope and brand, you can put him
down as a green-hOrn about cattle.
Though our Uncle Rufus blows so
loudly I'll wager there isn't cowboy
on any ranch in Texas that knows
more than ne concerning these mat
tiers.
Listen at this, said the reporter, and
he read the following from the inter
view: "They bring gang here (al-
ludlng to the men from Texas and
Colorado), some of them with about
twenty COWS and bull, or at most
few hundred cattle, and want to form
a national organization for their OVID
benefit and run it..
What do you think of that?
Take out your pencil and figure a
minute, said Mr.. Day. 1 will give
you the names of ten cattlemen who
went from Austin with, the number
of cattle they own or control. Now
divide the aggregate by the number of
men and see what the average is. 1t
was done, and the fact aScertaiRed
that each man on an average repre-
scented
TEN THOUSAND HEAD OF CATTLE.
| What don't look much like show
ling rabble of loafers who went with
free passes and for the big free
lunch? ?"
But about the national trail?
Well, we need the trail and ought to
have it. l speak as a disinteresteG
party. for all my cattle are out Of Tex
as. But it to the interest Of the peo-
pie down here tohave the trail.
Is the scheme practicable?
Certainly it is. 1t would have Co
be about 800 miles long-extending
through Kansas to the Nebraska line
by miles in width. The settlers
on the line or this trail could be easily
brought out, at a cost no. exceeding
100000 according to my calculatio9s,
putting the land at $315 per acre, aud
the rest 'uld be referYed. You see
there must be
SOME OUTLET
for the cattle, and with all the ridicule
that this wise gentleman seeks to
heap upon the project, it is not only a
feasible but necessary measure. Ii
congress won't grant it slaughter. pens
will be built all over the land, and
dressed beef shipped to the east in re-
frigerdtor cars. Or else the ranchme n
win take notion to drive anyhow
and stop their herds in mo mans
land" to Craze on the grass that
Hatch'S herds are now eating. l CUES:
ab ut that time our friend will change
his views slightly" said Mr.. Day, a:
he babe the scribe adieu.