The news., 1885-07-21
LIFE ON A RANCH.
An Old Lawyer Sighs for the Free Life
OH the Prairfes

LIFE ON A RANCH.
An Old Lawyer Sighs for the Free Life
on the PrRiries
';lf was young man" said Henry
G. Townsend, the well-known lawyer.
yesterday, Il would go to Colorado
and try my success at cattleraising.
But am too old to change my habits.
and a irontiersman life is one of ex-
poSure and privations. I have lust
received a letter from my son, who is
located on ranch in Mesa county.
Colorado, giving glowing picture of
life on cattle ranch in the far West.
Mesa county is located about the mid
die of the western tier of counties in
Colorado, on the western slope of the
Rocky Mountains. Its principal trad
ing point is Grand Junction, a lively
Western town on the Denver and Rio
Grande Railway, where the Grand
river emptics into the Gunnison. The
cattle ranch, or Grove Creek Range
as the boys call it, is located on the
Grand Mesa, sixty miles northwest
from Grand junction. in the Grand
River Valley. By locating alternate
sections along Plateau creek, a tribu-
tary of the Grand river, the company
OF which my son is a member have
virtual control of tract of fine graz
ing land, covering in extent nearly
thirty thousand acres. Speers of the
Rocky Mountains hedge this tract on
two sides and fence line on the third
limits the wanderings of the cattle
Beside the Plateau river three other
streams cross the tract, affording un-
limited water privileges. The range
forms portion of the old Ute reserya-
tion from which the Indians were
removed in 1879 to their present hunt
ing grounds in 0uray, some two hun
dred miles further south. Shortly
after the departure Of the Utes the
land was taken up in alternate sections
! by Frederick S. Rockwell and William
{. Needles for stock-raising purposes.
In 1881 these adventurous frontiers
men were joined by Frank Walworth
Smith, son of Ex-Governor Smith, of
Vermont, and J. Trowbridge Bailey
son Of Joseph f, Bailey, of Bailey,
Banks K Biddle, of Philadelphia. One
year later my son, Lawrence Town
send, went out to Colorado and Joined
the enterprise. These five, with
George IL. Cowles, of Osceola, Iowa,
are the proprietors of the claim,
Young Bailey and my son are
Philadelphians born and graduates of
the University of Pennsylvania, while
Smith was. think, educated at Yale.
Rockwell and Needles are ranchmen
and cattle buyers of long experience.
From a small beginning, with a few
hundred head four years ago. their
herds have grown until now they
number some 1000 head, together
with a number of bulls of the Here
ford, Polled-Angus and other recog-
nized fine bloods, Every spring two
or more of the partners make trip
into Utah and purchase additions to
their herds from the Mormons and
drive them to the corral on the Grand
Mesa. During the summer months
the cattle range far up the mountain
side and penetrate to the headwaters
of the mountain streams which cross
the valley, until the blasts of Novem-
ber drive them for shelter and sup
plies to the plateau below. During
the winter months, even, the cattle
feedupon the grasses upon the plateau.
for the snoT-fall is very light and the
mountain ranges protect from wintry
storms
"To manage and care for this huge
army of beef on foot force of from
fifteen to twenty cowboys is neces-
sity. They are located at the camp,
in very nearly the centre of the range,
under the charge of Captain John
Durant, the superintendent, who is
quite a character.
a soldier of the late war, he has
since developed into the frontiersman
and cattle ranger, whose stories of wild
adventure ON the plains would fill
volume. But my story is concerning
our Philadelphia ranchmen who live
in their little cabin near the lower end
of the plateau, where the fence line
forms their boundary from the open
plains. The plateau itself is elevated
$500 feet above the sea level, while
the surrounding mountains, lifting
their heads 5000 feet towards the
clouds, form on the north and west
perpetual barrier to the storms of
winter. During the summer months
the thermometer in this lovely valley
registers from 80 to 40 degrees at
night to IS or so degrees by day,
while in winter the mercury rarely
falls to zero. The security of the
range allows our ranchmen opportun-
ity to try their skill with the rifle,
while the mountain slopes TEEN with
elk, deer, wildcats and occasional
bears. During the winter one or both
of the boys come home for few
weeks recreation, and tell wonderful
tales of their adventures in the wild
West that would match the best
performance of Buffalo Bill.
''My story simply shows what the
Philadelphia boys are doing in the
West, and l think they are entitled to
great credit for their pluck and self
denial in separating themselves from
home and friends to lead the rough
and adventurous life of a frontiers
man. And yet as / said to you in the
first place, if were younger and not
too strongly welded to my creature
comfort, l would 90 out with the boys
and try Western ranch life for a change.
Philadelphia Times.
sss-
, Had nm Object.
A New Yorker who was in Missouri
/ last Fall found number of men dig
| ging ditch between two small lakes.
81 don't see the object, he observed,
fsNon frvlv answarad tha hose