Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-03-29
OWNER OF 100000 CATTLE.
Six Million Dollars In the Cattle business
In Wyoming.
rinoinpati Rpnrirar

In wyoming
Cincinnati Enquirer.
A. H. Swan, of Cheyenne City, is not
only the cattle king Of Wyoming Terri
tory, but probably the leading cattle king
in the entire West, having control of as
much stock a any single individual on
the continent. II IS pre- sc at possessions
amount to betw zen s., 600 900 and So, ,OOO,-
600, while the am punt of stock of which
he has the exclusive control and man
agement is over 100000 head, and val
ued at over S6,0C0,G00. He was tie or
ganizer, is directly interested in and is
President and General Manager of no
less than five different stock organiza.
tions in Wyoming, having the personal
superintendency and entire management
ofthe same. One of these cattle ranges
is 100 miles in length by from so to 100
miles in width, and hence contains an
immense acreage of grazing surface, in
Guiding the best land in the Territory,
and living along the Laramie, Medicine
Bow, Norh PlattelandIotAer ylyers. Be
sides the large amount of capital invest
ed in stock of VIII .ch this Individual has
full control, some of the companies have
made large purchases nf land on which
they have completed extensive improve
ments, and which were done by this cat
tie kings suggestions and directions, so
that he has the entire credit of accumu-
lating, amassingand controlling this i'm
mense cohgregation of wealth.
The career of this person has been re-
markable for its brilliant success, hnan-
cially. At % years of age he travelled
from his native PLACE, Green County,
Pa, to Iowa, locating in the latter State
on some wild land when every thing in
that Commonwealth was comparatively
free from the intrusions of civilization.
This was in 1853. At that time he had
but 81 900 in his pocket as his stock in
trade. After making some improve
ments on his land he sold out at an ad-
vance, and then pushed still farther on
the frontier. again investing In land.
Two wears after his first entrance into
Iowa he returned to Ohio where he pur-
chased farm, remaining in the latter
State for seven years, at the end of which
time he again returned to Iowa, and
began dealing in sheep and cattle, buy
ing and selling. Taking his brother with
him as a partner the two began turning
their attention to the cattle business ex-
clusively, beginning with herd of {, 900.
This herd was increased at various times
as follows, naturally and by purchases
In 1874 to 5000, in 1875 to $500, in 1876
to 10000, in 1877 to IL 600, in 1873 to Il, :
900, in 1879 to $1,000, 1880 to 24,0O0, in
1881 to 28.OOO, and in 1882 TO $4,000.
Most of the increase was natural.
BY this time the profits of the two
brothers in the stock business had been
SO great, not including the stock on hand,
that the next year (1SS3), with several
other stockmen, they purchased $1,000
more cattle on a range westo the Black
T i by .,dnmia. two herds iptG E 1.soa Snsl
said with a sri,A Alpany, with an
-ss.,..-Jbs Jbst ptsf 20, ,555, ,S25. A. H.
Swan being made President of the same,
fit salary of $4,000 per year, the
amount of cattle numbering 115,0OO
Negotiations are now pending for the
sale of Mr.. A. II. Swans interest in his
company at the princely sum OF $3.50, ,0O0
Mr.. Swan next organized four other COM
panies on a similar basis, to all of which
he has been given the direct manage
mept. One Of the companies, known as
the Ogalalla Land and Cattle Company,
of Nebraska, owns $1,000 head of cattle
The latest enterprise in which this cat.
tie king has been engaged was the or.
ganization of land syndicate and stock.
wards company, which purchased two
thousand acres of land adjoining the
city of Omaha, Nebraska, a portion to be
sold in lots and balance to be reserved
for this land syndicate and stock yards
for the slaughtering and shipping o.
dressed beef in refrigerator cars to East
ern markets. This latter establishment
is to be ready for operations by July
1884, and its capacities are placed at l,
600 head per day. Among this cattle
kings private possessions are l5O,OOt
acres Of land under fence, with ter
houses, eight barns and hfty corrals TO-
the branding of stock. He is also th'
owner of land in Iowa, forty miles from
DesMolnes, valued at $350,O00.
He claims to have never had any lltl
cations about contracts. never havlDi
forfeited his word to any person will
wh ON he has had any business transac
tons either IN buying or selling. Ii
appearafice he stall, btit well proper
toned, and his countenance bears tn
imprint of modesty, frankness and intel
ligence, and though naturally easy II
his bearing, yet he is free from that suav
ity and independence of action 80 com
mon among frontier stockmen.