Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-12-14
TEXAS TALK.
Mr.. JOSEPH sPEIDEL RETURNS PROM THE
LONE STAR STATE
And Tells Of Some Of the Things BE Saw While
Thre-ABg Cattle Rsnehsn Winch
Wheeling Parties Are Inter
stsd.

Hal. have returned from u uNc "oeAS ~
iourn in Texas, all greatly improved In
health, and highly pleased with the coun-
try. Mr.. Spiedel combined business with
pleasure during his trip, he being one of
the stockholders in a large cattle ranche
in that State. A REGISTER reporter called
upon him yesterday afternoon and found
him busily at work At his desk in the
large establishment Of which be Is the
head.
ssYou are looking welln said the scribe.
"Ye," replied Mr.. Speidel, and am
feeling the same. Texas is q glorious
country. The air is fresh and pure, and
believe that the climate of the central
part of the State, in which our rancho is
situated, would be an excellent place for
anyone who is suffering from any sort OF
pulmonary trouble to locate or visit The
hunting and fishing is fne, and Hal and
myself had great sport. We captured lots
of fish and one day Mrs. Speidel went with
rs and succeeded in landing q fine catfish,
weighing six pounds. All sorts oil fish
are plenty, while quail and such
game abounds. brought home n basket
OF beautiful birds and they were delicious,
The weather was delightful when We We're
there the temperature being 50 mild that
one could 90 about minus a coat without
fear
In what part of the State is your
rancho situated!'
As | said before it is near the center,
in Mccullough county, q section OF country
that is quite mountainous. The company
owning the rauche is called the Mccullough
County Land and Cattle Company, but the
rancho is commonly known Is the J. U.
rancho. 1t Is about l03 miles from Taylor,
where Curran Mendel and Crawford Booth
are located. We first vent to Taylor and
those gentlemen accompanied us to the
rancho. After leaving the railroad We
were compelled to ride thirty miles over.
land from q place called Brentwood, in a
wagon, but the weather being beautiful
and the country interesting, this was not
the least enjoyable part ofthe trip.
''Yes; the rancho is prospecting. 1t com
prises 80, 600 acres of land and is about
seven miles in width and fourteen in
length. 1t is enclosed with seventy miles
of wire fence, five wires high, and is in eX-
cellent condition throughout, The rancho
is stocked with 6,2S7 head of sheep, 1851
head of cattle and lS3 head of horses.
There are some ninety bulls, most OF which
are short horns, Herefords and other fine
stock. Our brand is T. J. o., the T and J
being combined and placed OF the side Of
the animal and the . on the rump. Two
''round ups are made each year and II
a foreign brand is found among the herds
they are corlalled aud turned over to the
rancho to which they belong, and our
stray ones are returned in the same a
ner.'
How are the cowboys
''Oh, generally they are not half as
fierce and tough as represented, but tell
you some of them are ''tuf7' in capital
letters and when they assemble in n of
those little towns things howl
for the time being. We
passed through one place where
one whole street was lined on both sides
with saloons, one after another. In fact.
there was nothing but saloons. We did
not sec over forty or fifty Indians during
the whole journey. They keep pretty
well back from the railroad. All through
the Indian Territory Government detec-
tives ride on all the trains, armed with
Winchester rifles and revolyers, to prevent
Indians from boarding the trains
and going to town for whisky. No
passenger is allowed to stop Oft in the
Territory unless he has 4 permit or is we'll
known by the agents
What other Wheeling people did you
meet?"
well, | met Clarence Woodwork. He
has a paying ranch near Taylor, and Is
prosperihg. His health Is excellent and
he is fat and jolly. All the Wheeling peO-
pie are doing well down there, and | was
absolutely astOnished To learn the amount
of Wheeling capital that is invested in
Texas. Men have money loaned and in
vested there, whom | thought had No more
than they needed in their business here.
But it pays like sixty, for there. isn't q bet
ter State in the Union than Texas 10 invest
ones money. 1t IS settling rapidly, the
towns are building up and the State Is in
creasing both in wealth and population to
n degree that is surprising. Brady City, the
nearest place to Our rancho, beidg about
eighteen miles distant, is only one year
and q half old and already has q popula-
ton numbering $500, and is swiftly
growing.
"Yes,a number of Wheeling people have
stock in the rancho and it vas partly my
object in making the trip TO see how things
were getting along. The Wheeling stock
holders will hold a meeting this afternoon,
at which time / will make q report OF what
/ saw and the condition OF the rancho gen.
erally."