The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-14
LIFE ON A RANCH.
An Old Lawyer Sighs for the Free Life Of the
PrairIes

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''If l was young man." said Hen
ry G. Townsend, the well-know law
yer, yesterday, II would go to Colora
do and try my success at cattle e-rais
ing. But am too old to change my
habits, and frontiersman life is one
of exposure and privations. l have
just received letter from my son
who is located on ranch in Mess
county, Colorado, giving glowing
picture of life on a cattle ranch in the
far west. Mesa county is located
about the middle of the western tier
of counties in Colorado, on the west
ern slope of the Rocky mountains. Its
principal trading point is Grand juno
tion, lively western town on the
Denver and Rio Grande railway,
where the Grand River empties 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, tributary of Grand
river, the company of which my son is
a member have virtual control of a
tract of fine grazing land, covering in
extent nearly thirty thousand acres.
Spurs of the Rocky mountains ledge
this tract ON two sides, and fence line
on the third limits the wanderings of
the cattle. Besides the Plateau river
three other streams cross the tract, af-
fording unlimited water privileges.
The range forms portion of the old
Ute reservation from which the
Indians were removed in 1879 to their
present hunting grounds in Ouray,
some two hundred miles further south.
Shortly after the departure of the Utes
the land was taken up in alternate
sections by Frederick S. Rockwell and
William G. Needles for stock-ralsing
purposes.
''ln 1881 these adventurous frontiers
men were joined by Frank Walworth
Smith, son of ex-Gov. Smith, of Yer
mont, and j. Trowbridge Bailey, son
of Joseph F. Bailey, of Bailey, Banks,
g. Biddle, of this city. One year later
my son, Lawrence Townsend, went
out to Colorado and joined the enter
prise. These five, with George ii.
Cowles, of Osceola, Iowa, are the pro-
prietors of the claim.
young Bailey and my son are Phila-
delphians 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 few
hundred head four years ago, their
herds have grown until now they num-
ber some seven thousand head, togeth-
er with a number of bulls of the Here
ford, polled Angus, and other recog-
nized fino 5loods. 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 head-waters
of the mountain streams which cross
the valley, until the blasts of November
drive them for shelter and supplies to
the plateau below. During the winter
months, even, the cattle feed upon the
grasses upon the plateau, for the snow
fall is very light and the mountain
protect them 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 center of the range,
under the charge of Capt. John Du-
rant, the superintendent, who is quite
q character.
"a soldier of the late war, he has
since developed into the frontiersman
and cattle ranger, whose stories of
wild adventures on the plains would
ill volume. But my story is concern
ng our Philadelphia ranchmen who
i've in their little cabin near the lower
md of the plateau, where the fence
inc forms their boundary from the
open plains. The plateau itself is
elevated $500 feet above the sea level,
while the surrounding mountains, lift
NO their heads five thousand feet to-
ward the clouds, form on the north
md west a perpetual barrier to the
torms of winter. During the summer
months the thermometer in this lovely
ALLEY registers from 80 to 40 degrees
It night to rs or 80 degrees by day,
While in winter the mercury rarely
alls to zero. The security of the |
ange allows our ranchmen opportun-
ty to try their skill with the rifle,
While the mountain slopes TEEN with
TX, deer, wildcats. and occasional
,ears. During the winter one or both
Il the boys come home for few
veeks' recreation, and tell wonderful
ales of their adventures in the wild
gest that would match the best
performance of Buffalo Bill.
"My story simply shows what the
boys are doing in the
vest, and think they are ENTITLED
o great credit tor their pluck and self
enial in separating themselves from
ome and friends to lead the rough and |
dventurous life of frontiersmen. And
ct, as | said to you in the first place,
{ 1 were younger and not so strongly |
7edded to my creature comfort, L
yould 90 out with the boys and try
yostern ranch life for a change. y
hi'adelphia Times.
A petrifed hickory log, four feet long and
inc inches in diameter, was dug up on July
/, about eleven feet below the surface, by the