Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1890-11-13
BUYING A RANCH.

Three months ago Hon. Horace Green-
field came to America to seek his fort
une. He has just returned to England
without the fortune. Being the younger
son of a peer of limited means, Hon.
Horace had been brought up with a
view to the family living, but when.
just as his university career was draw
ing to close, his aunt died and left him
a couple OF thousand pounds, he relin-
quished the idea Of taking orders, and
determined to go out to the far west in
search of adventures and wealth, and he
persuaded two Of his fathers servants
a groom and a gardener-to accompany
him. With nearly $4,000 in his pocket,
an outfit that would last a lifetime
most of it could never be utilized where
he was going-two servants and three
dogs, he embarked for the United States.
After o quick passage he arrived in New
York, and here ne met his first disap-
pointment. The very next morning, a
few minutes before starting on the jour
ney westward, his groom notified him
that their relations of master and serv-
ant had ceased.
''How is that?7 asked Horace.
sWell, you see, sir" said the servant,
who was an Irisllman, 4 have an uncle
in this city who is great politician. /
went to see him last night, and he says if
I'll stay here he'll make me p'liceman
in ten days He says as berth on the
p'lice force is worth salary OF 800 a
month and lot of outside money to a
smart chap as amt too partickler."
So Hon. Horace was compelled to go
on his way without the groom, although
it had cost about $50 to fit him out and
pay his passage. He had already been
in negotiation for a small ranch near
Helena, Tex, and it was thither that he
was going. On arriving at Austin he
found that there was no train for twenty
four hours, and acceydingly he put up
at the Shooters hotel Here came in
contact for the first time with genuine
Texan, who greeted him according to the
modest stereotyped formula: Morning,
strangerl Hain't seen you hereabout
afore. Glad to get 'quainted WI you.
Come to settle? What's your biz? Come
and take something.
Young Greenfield met /; aENkar of
these gentry durin.s the day, and being
a frank, unsuspecting young fellow, he
readily opened his heart to them and
told them Of his prospects, his hopes and
his intentions. They treated him kindly,
always inviting him to drink, but gen.
orally leaving him to settle the bill.
In the morning his remaining servant
came and begged to be released from his
service, stating that a nursery garden IN
the town had been offered to him, and
that, as he had saved sufficient money
to enable him to invest in it, he thought
that his chances would be better in an
independent vocation than III service.
care you prepared to reimburse me
for my expenses in bringing You heres"
asked Horace
II can't afford that, SIR was the re-
ply.
Very well, !" said Greenfield; Il can't
prevent you going. The only creatures
that are faithful to me are my dogs. It
cost me about $500 to equip and bring
yo= two men ee+, afstlgvze desert me at
the first opportunity. You can co.
Attended by his three dogs the young
man continued on his journey to Helena,
and the next day went to vitw the ranch
which he contemplated purchasing.
Things there were not exactly as he had
been led to expect, but they were not SO
bad as to cause him to change his mind.
The handsome two story dwelling, a
photograph of which had been shown to
him in London, turned out to be COM
bination of stable and cattle shed, with
a loft, which had been used by the last
owner as his habitation.
The soil was fairly fertile and the past
ture good, but the broad deep river which
he expected to find flowing in front Of
the building was in reality only 8 gully
a few feet wide, down which water did
slowly trickle in the winter, but which
was perfectly dry during the summer
months. However, he was not diseour-
aged. and having obtained concession
in the price, he paid the first installment
Of the purchase money. Then he brought
out his three dogs and all his portman-
teaus, and took possession of the loft
over the stable Two days later he be-
came the possessor Of a horse and a mule,
paying a price for them that made his
neighbors smile when they heard of it.
Every man in the locality now called
and offered to sell to him cheap many
implements and animals which they did
not need, but without which, they said,
he could not possibly get along.
One individual, whom he had previ-
ously met in Austin, came from dis
tant ranch, and begged him to go and
see some cattle he had to sell. Now cat
tie were what Horace wanted, and be-
1ieving himself to be a fair Judge Of
them, he mounted his horse and rode
away with his new acquaintance. After
a ride Of about twenty miles they
reached an inclosed tract of land, upon
which over a hundred head of stock were
grazing, unattended by cowboys.
81 tell you, stranger" said the Texan,
refining in his horse and looking over
the fence, thar be the finest beasts in
this state, and they're to be sold as cheap
as dirt-thirty dollars per head all
round
Horace could see at q glance that
there was no deception here; they were
really fine animals, and in fairly good
condition.
How many are there?" he asked
'One hundred and fifty" replied the
ranchlhan. In six months from now,
with the pasture you've got, they'll
have put on three hundred pounds Of
flesh apiece, and You know what money
that means.
The two men tied their horses to the
fence, climbed over it and walked among
the animals It was much the best herd
that Horace had seen in Texas, and as it
appeared to him that in few months he
could make handsome profit ont of the
transaction he announced his intention
of buying the lot.
.Done with you, strangeri' cried the
Texan, shaking hands energetically with
young Greenfield; ssand now wen jist
trot ints Austin and drink to your sue
cess. do the treating"
They rode into Austin, and going to
the hotel at which Horace had stopped
few days before drank to the young
Englishman's success in two quarts of
champagne, for which the generous
Texan paid $40 a bottle. When the
wine was consumed the ranchman said:
ssThe sunll be getting low, young
man, before you git them cattle home.