The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-12-11
BRIEF CHATS

BRIEF CHATS
with Cattlemen About 'sUnele Rufus
and the ConventiOn-The Wall Street
Sage as a Truth Crusher"-The Ma
tional Trail
During the session of the cattlemen's
convention, lately held in st. Louis,
about which the press of the country
had so much TO say, reporter for the
st. Louis Post-Dispatch inveigled
Rufus Hatch, or Uncle Rufus, as he is
familiaily styled, the well-known
Wau street operator, intJ an inter
view. Their talk WIS about cattle and
the doings of the convention. and in 1T
Uncle Rufus delivered himself of some
very silly remarks. A good deal OF
what he said was not only "stutf, but
was really at variance with the truth.
In answer to the question, "what do
you think of itP"-meaning the con-
vention--he ans wered: Il think it
has been child's playa mere farce.
There has not been any wisdom or even
horse sense displayed in the meeting.
A DEMOCRATIC MOB
from two states and one territory has
come up here to run the whole bust
, ness. Here are the cattlemen from
TeXa', Colorado and New Mexico,
bringir with them bowling rabble
of loafers, who come because they can
get free passage and big free lunch
at this end They bring up six or
seven hundred and get them admit
ted as delegates, and every whipper-
snapper among them has as big vote
as man who owns $4,000 head of cat
tie. Who are these
TEXAS MEX
anyhow? How did they get their
cattle? Why, they picked up few
cows and a bull and sat down and
waited for the increase to make them
rich. Anyone would think, to hear
them talk, that there wasn'ta heifer
cattle men have forgotten more than
the Texas men ever knew"
This, and a good deal more, did our
Uncle Rufus get off in his interview,
unless the st. Louis bohemian that
wrote it up was possessed of more
imagination than conscience, and
colored the conversation at the eX-
pense of the truth. Armed with the
paper quoted from, a STATESMAN
man sought out a member OF our
representative cattle men in order to
get at the other side of the story,
from what might be termed Texas
point of view. The first gentleman
approached was
COL. L. j. DRISKILL,
an extensive owner of
Imam whose views are en-
nch weight. A few para
re read to him to his intense
disguss. Said the colonel: He is a
OLD HUMBUG,
Rufus Hatch is, and that rant of his
is without a particle of truth. He
says that his company owns or con-
trolls some 100000 acres in the strip
between Texas and Kansas
the neutral ground. they call
it. What lie; they don't own an
acre up there. It is true that he has
a few thousand acres leased in the
territory, but the other is all fiction.
When he says that lot of men from
Colorado and Texas want to form a
national organization solely for their
own benefit, ald run it to suit them
selves. he brushes the truth again.
Why, those men who went from here
to the st. Louis convention were men
of means and respectability. None of
them went on
FREE PASSES
either. When they got up there they
didn't try to have things all their way,
as this sleek New Y orkerintimates. For
two days no Texas man had anything
to say. They were not loud mouthed,
but modest. 1t was the eastern chaps
who tried to boss the job, and not the
men from down here. Men from
New York, for instance, voted in that
convention who hadn't bit of right
to a seat in it.
He says also that the national trail
is all nonsense, and that it will never
be established. What do you think of
that, colonel?
Well. L rather coincide with him
there; don't think congress will pass
the bill. 1t will cost too much money,
and take my word for it. the appro pri-
alton won't be made. Do you want
me to tell you, young man, the soiu-
tion of the whole business? 1t is
about this way: This system of div
ing cattle on foot through the Indian
Territory and Kansas is doomed to go,
and that quickly. only few springs
more and no more drives will be
heard of. The cattle will all be
shipped by rail, or else slaughtered
here previous to shipment. L think
the last plan is the better of the two,
aSuitniS more economical. These are
Views on the subject. and
Rerty to use nIy name.
IN tackled was Hon. G.
khember of the legislature.
ees county, real
CATTLE KING.
"I wasn't at st. Louis. said the gentle
man, but l have read the interview
Well. Mr.. Hatch is long way off his
base. Why, it Is simply Islander, and
nothing else. He alludes to the Texas
men as being a democratic mob.
Now, there shouldn't be any
politics in an organization of
this kind, but as a matter
of fact some of the men most largely
interested in raising cattle in Texas
are republicans, and were present at
the convention. L think the trail a
necessity. How else can we have an
outlet for our cattle? The plan of
driving Is the best. and it will be a
long time before it is abandoned. If
there was no other way to get om
herds out except by shipping it, would
put US at the mercy of the railroads.
Besides, it is the most profitable way.
The growth gained while on the
trail more than compensates for
the expense of driving, and,
he added, in conclusion, that talk
about cattle from Texas communicat-
ing fever to the Kansas stock is not
true. How can they communicate
something they haven't got. IL is a
rnade-up story to shut out our herds.
Mr.. James w. Taylor. another prom
inent and well-known cattieman of
Austin, remarked that Uncle Rufus
must have interviewed too many
brandy cocktails before his dialogue
with the Post Dispatch man. Three
fourths of what he says is buncombe.
Yes, we need that trail badly, but, /
am doubtful as 10 whether it can be
secured. But ii 1t isn't, then
GOOD BYE TO DRIVING.
If the trail is opened there will be
the biggest drive from Texas next
spring ever known if not. the system
will play out. The matter will come
to this sooner or later. Ranch men
will Orit rafxiucr oatt1a az nnnNa-Ou Il z