The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-02
TEXAS CATTLE KINGS.
sketches Of ssme of the Great fSahch'
men of the Lone Star State.


at the head waters Of the Red River
in the Panhandle. Colonel Richard
King. of Corpus Christi, down lnthe
corner of the State next to the Gull,
has more cattle than Mr.. Goodnight,
but North Texas men insist thatthe
Latter has the best water, the best
Grass. and in fact the largest ana
finest ranch in the world, and that
is saving a great deal.
Mr.. Goodnight's cattle are as ilne'
ly bred as any in the State, as he
has graded them up by introducing
the best foreign breeds, and in the
market these bring - to 20 per cent
more than those from other ranches.
His 100000 acres of land were
bought at 80 cents and 81 an acre
within the last three or four years
but could be sold readily at double
that price to-day. When it is con-
sidered that the State Of Rhede Is
land contains only $4,000 acres, Ii
will be realized that Mr.. Goodnight
owns what the ranchmen call quite
spot of land.
Another very large ranch is that
of Miller & Sux, in the San Joachim
Valley, which consists OF 6OO,OOO
acres of fenced pasture. The Meta
dor cattle Company have over hall q
million acres under fence, but 1t Is
in several separated tracts. This
property was recently purchased by
them TOR 81, 1,250,0O0. Their princi-
pal range lies in the Panhandle, IN
Motley County, and with the cattle
upon ii. it is valued al S2,OOO,OOO.
The company is composed OF Scotch
men-Edinburg and Glasgow capl-
talists-but their resident manager,
II. H. Campbell, whose name inai-
Gates his nationality, has large In
terest. The canny Scotchmen re-
Ceive
QUARTERLY DIVIDEND OF FIFTEEN PER
CENT
from their investments in this blast
ed country, and az 3 per cent per an
mum is considered a fair return over
there, it may be guessed that they
are not anxious to dispose Of their
Texas property.
Another Scotch Company has re-
Gently invested over two millions IN
Texas lands and cattle-mostly in
the Panhandle-and it is estimated
that not less than Sl2,000,0O0 has
been placed here by the subjects Of
her Majesty within the last few
years.
Mr.. Goodnights experience has
been quite remarkable. He used tC
be a banker at Pueblo, Colorado
and while there bought bunch o.
cattle-a thousand or so-and gave
them to his wife 1t proved to be q
verv wise investment and a wiser
gift, for in the financial depression
that followed the panic of 1873 he
failed, aud in 1876 found himself
penniless, even the ranch on which
his wife's cattle were pastured being
surrendered to his creditors. After
settling his affairs his health was
very much impaired, and he drove
the cattle down into the Panhandle
of Texas, where they could find a
free.range, and he could rustic&te
awhile.
While there he discovered what
he then insisted, and other people
have since acknowledged, to be the
finest ranch in the world, and as
lands were worth next to nothing
he prevailed upon John Adair, an
Irish millionaire, to loan him the
money to purchase the land and
more cattle. The result was a part
nership arrangement by which Adair
furnished the funds, and Goodnight
had a third interest in the property
acquired. Although it was only
seven years ago that he failed com
pletely, Goodnight is now worth
more than a million dollars, and no
money would buy him out. Adair
comes over from Ireland to visit the
ranch every year, and finds the
100000 he loaned Goodnight las
quadrupled under the influence OF
Texas atmosphere. The ranch will
carry three times as MANY cattle as
are now pastured upon it-some
600O0-and the herd is being in
creased and improved in quality each
year.
THE MEAT MONARCH.
Although Goodnight has perhaps
the largest and best ranch in the
world, the cattle king who looms up
over even him is Colonel Richard
King, of Corpus Christi, whose
ranch in Nueces county, way down
in the other corner of the State, on
the prairies or salt meadows thai
border the Gulf, contains more cat
tie, horses and sheep than wer,
ever owned before by a single per,
son.
Colonel Kings history is ever
more remarkable than Charley Good
nights. He is an lrishman anC
came TO America when a mere youth
as a cabin bov on an ocean steamer
He landed at Charleston or Savan.
nah sometime in the early fortie,
and became mate on a steamboat on
the Chattahooche river. When tn,
Mexican war broke out he sailed Il
Brownsville on government vessel
and finally went ashore in that town
where for time he kept a saloon
or dance-house. But he didn't lik,
the business. and after the war, il
company with man named Ken.
nedy, purchased a small boat. anC
ran it up and down the Rio Grand,
River, carrying freight for the gov
ernment, and private parties. They
made considerable money, and Joint
ly invested their profits in lands and
cattle, so that in 1856, when they re
tired from the river, they had fin,
ranch, and an immense herd o
stock.
The partners separated their in
terests, but established ranches side
by side in Nueces county. Las
year Kennedy sold his original rancf
for s2,5Oo,000 to a Dundee, Scot
land company, but immediately
purchased another of 250,O00 acre
in the same locality, and has organ
lied cattle company, the stock o