The Opelousas courier., 1885-06-27
4 CATTLE KKVGs
Row --e Esecame q Millionaire by Fol-
lowing His BiGe's Advice.

Pueblo, was a bankrupt, without q
dollar in the world and a hopeless
future ahead of0 him. To-day Col.
Charles Goodnight, of Corpus Christi
Tex, is a millionaire and an infuen-
tial man in the state. The Charley
Goodnight of Pueblo and the Col. Good
i night Of Texas are one and the same
man, and the revolution in his finan-
eial circumstances has been brought
about by the cattle business.
In 1873 the name of Charles Good
night, the Pueblo banker, would have
made a draft worth $4,000 or $780,
900. He was known throughout the
State as an upright, liberal and public.
spirited man, and vas respected in all
business circles, as we'll as popular
generally. The financial panic that
year shook the credit of his bank, and
the institution was not able to with
stand the succeeding shocks which
came upon all the banks of the country
during the next three years, until in
1876 it succumbed to a heavy blow
following a stock agitation in New
York. The ruined banker had a
young wife and two children depend
ent upon him, and his failure nearly
drove him to despair. After formally
announcing that the bank had closed
its doors to depositors he walked home
md threw himself upon alonngei in the
parlor. In an honest effort to save
his depositors he had made an assign
ment of everything he had in the
world, including his house and furni-
ture, and the thought of his wife and
children, who knew nothing Of his des-
perate condition, was agonizing to him.
His wife came in shortly, leading"one
Of the children by the hand, and going
up to the husband, kissed him on the
forehead. The man broke down and
sobbed aloud.
"TVhat is it, Charles" asked Mrs.
Goodnight, gently
81 am ruined, Jennie" responded
the banker. 81 have literally nothing
| shall not be able to pay u bakers
bill If he presents it tomorrow" and
a relation of his financial crash follow
ed. Mrs. Goodnight listened very
calmly until the story was ended.
Charles" she said,3 "do you remem-
Der my herd of cattle in Las Animas
eounty?"
"Ihave given up the ranch to my
creditors" he responded, drearily.
1.-The cattle too?' asked sAe.
"No. That is true, they remain
ne answered wSthpreeoyered hope, sit
ting erect upon the lounge. "When /
bought them for YOU, Jennie, four
years ago, / paid $4,000 for the 1000
head, and they must have increased
since. There is a chance for us yet.
Shall we begin life anew with my pres
emit to you as a eapitaly'
Gas You say, Charles" answered his
wife con6dingly. eve viii go away
from Colorado" she added fondly, land
you shall become a cattle king"
Her woman's prediction was fulfilled.
The banker, stimulated by her encour-
agement, aroused himself from his de-
preston, settled up his affairs in Pueblo
in a week, and going to his ranch hired
cowboys and set out for the Panhandle
Of Texas with the cattle. His health,
which had been impaired by his bust
ness trouble, began to grow better, and
the life of q eattleman grew to have a
charm fer him, while his devoted wife
aided him in the business with great
shreWdness, taking charge Of all his
accounts and handling all the money Of
the business. He had not been in the
Panhandle a year when he discovered
what he then insisted, and what other
people have since acknowledged it to
be, the finest ranch in the world, and
as lands were worth next to nothing.
be prevailed upon John Adair, an Irish
millionaire, to loan him the money to
purchase the land and more cattle.
The result was a partnership arrange
ment by which Adair furnished the
funds and Goodnight had a third inter
est in the property acquired. Mrs
| Goodnight still continued to help him
in the affairs of the ranch and the BUSH
ness prospered, until last month, when
he cast up accounts he found that he
was worth fully $1.000,00O. Adair
comes over from Ireland to visit the
ranch every year and he finds the
$4,000 he loaned Goodnight has quad
rupled under the influence of Texas at
mosphere.
The ranch occupied by the former
banker and present cattleman is situa-
ted at the head waters of the Pecos
River in the Panhandle, and contains
100000 acres of excellent grazing land,
surrounded by $50 miles of barbed
wire fence. Colonel Richard King, of
| Corpus Christi, down in the corner of