The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-08-16
BUYING A RANCH.

view to the family living, but when.
Just as his university career was draw
ing 10 a close, his aunt died and left him
q 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
p groom and gardener-to accompany
him. With nearly 100000 in his pocket,
an outfit that would last lifetime
most of It could never be utilized where
he was going-two servants and three
dogs, he embarked for the United States.
After a quick passage he arrived In New
York, and here he 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 thatg' asked Horace
''Well, you see, sir, said the servant,
who was an Irishman, Il have an uncle
in this city who is a great politician.
went to see him last night, and he says IL
I'll stay here he'll make me p'liceman
IN ten days. He says as a 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 particltler."
So Hon. Horace was compelled to go
on his way without the groom, although
it had cost about $3.50 to flt 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 accordingly 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 settler What's your biz9 Come
aud take something"
Young Greenfield met a number Of
these gentry during the day. and being
q 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 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 in service.
"Are you prepared to reimburse me
for my expenses in bringing you heref"
asked Horace.
II can't afford that, sir, was the re-
ply.
Every well, - said Greenfield; "I can't
prevent you going The only creatures
that are faithful to me are my dogs. 1t
cost me about $500 to equip and bring
you two men out, and you 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 view the ranch
which he contemplated purchasing.
Things there were not exactly as he had
been led to expect, but they were not 30
bad as to cause him to change his mind.
The handsome two story dwelling, q
photograph of which had been shown to
him In London, turned out to be COM
binAtion of stable and cattle shed, with
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 gully
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 discour
aged, and having obtained a 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 price for them that made hii
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 die
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 a dis
tant ranch, and begged him to go an(
see some cattle he had to sell. Now cat
tie were what Horace wanted, and be
heving himself to be fair Judge o
them, he mounted his horse and rod,
away with his new acquaintance. Afte
a ride of about twenty miles the,
reached an inclosed tract of land, upoi
which over a hundred head of stock wer,
grazing, unattended by cowboys
II tell you, stranger" said the Texan
refining in his horse and looking owe
the fence, ''thar be the finest beasts II
this state, and they're to be sold as cheal
~ dirt-thirty dollars per head al
round"
Horace could see at a glance tina
there was no deception hereI they wer
really fine animals, and in fairly gooC
condition ~.
''How many are thereT he asked.
"One hundred and fifty" replied tn
ranchman. ,"In six months from now
with the pasture you've got, they'll
have put on three hundred pounds o
desh apiece, and you know what none,
that means"
The two men tied their horses to tn
fence, climbed over it and walked amonl
the animals. It was much the best her,
that Horace had seen in Texas, and as /
appeared to him that In a few months h
could make handsome profit out Of tn
transaction he announced his intention
Of buying the lot.
"Done with you, strangerr cried tn
Texan, shaking hands energetically wit
young Greenheldi ''and now Wen lis
trot into Austin and drink TO your sue
Oess. do the treating"
They rode into Austin, and going t,
the hotel at which Horace had stopped
q few days before drank to the younl
Englishman's success IN two quarts o
champagne, for which the generous
Texan paid $40 bottle. When tn,