Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-26

| Joseph G.. Mccoy was born in Illinois
and was one of three brothers, all of ad
venturous spirit In 1866, at the close OF
the war, he came west, determined to enter
the business of cattle raising. At that time
the Texas cattle had but two ways of get
ting to market. One was via St. Louis, then
down the Mississippi or by railroad to New
York; the other via New Orleans, both
drives being long and dangerous because
of the warm latitudes through which they
extended.
Mccoy upon reaching Kansas noted that
the Kansas Pacific railway, now the Union
Pacific, was built about half way across
the state westward and conceived the idea
of forming cattle station thereon
He selected Abilene, a station 165 miles
west of Kansas City, consisting of a log
house or two and saloon. Making ar
rangements with the railroad company for
the construction of yards, etc., he started
off alone across southern Kansas into the
Indian Territory, stopping the long herds
bound eastward and turning them to the
Kansas shipping point by telling them of
the rich pastures and excellent shipping
facilities. The first herd sent northward
belonged to some Californans, and it was
followed by several more that season. The
long and expensive drive through the
Ozark mountain region was gladly evaded
and the promises of quick sales and big
profits at the comparatively near point
tempted the cattle kings. The disparity
between the Texas supply and the north
ern prices was equalized by the close con-
nection, and in 1867 $4,000 head of cattle
Sought the new station
When several train loads of the fat
beeves had been shipped to Chicago in bet
ter condition than any had ever been re-
ceiyed before, a special excursion train
brought large company of stockmen
from Chicago and Springfield, HIS, to see
the new shipping place, now grown to a
rambling village of board shanties and tents
and known as ''the wickedest city in the
west" But the surrounding country was
well watered and had plenty of nutritious
grass, and the inhabitants of the town
rather gloried in its title, designation
which afterward was applied to Leadville
and Dodge City. In 1868 there were 75, 900
cattle shipped. In 1869 the number in
creased to 10000 and in 1870 to 300. 600. or
per cent. of all the cattle in Texas Two
or three principal trails had been laid out
and were well worn by passing hoofs.
OF these the best known was the "Chis-
holm trail" so called after partly civil
lized Indian who first guided herds along
it. Then there was the Shawnee trail"
the favorite of western Texas. Leaving
the Red river 1t ran eastward, crossing the
Arkansas river near Fort Gibson; thence it
followed the Arkansas valley until it came
into Kansas, when it was only necessary
to traverse the eighty mile divide between
the Arkansas and Smoky Hill valleys, in
hn LOT Cf f.l, l.
There We're side trails and cutoffs to evade
swollen rivers or hilly sections of country,
but the trails pursued their general direc
tions comparatively closely.
Mr.. Mccoy was large cattle dealer in
Abilene and the first mayor of the town.
But the end was not yet. In 1871 not
less than 100000 cattle were driven into the
section of country surrounding the town.
For scores of miles the prairies were dotted
with herds grazing under the surveillance
of the cowboys. But the market was glut-
ted. Prices fell off, the owners could not
sell and over 100000 were wintered on
Kansas prairies. No provision had been
made, and the brutes were compelled TO
paw away the snow to secure the dead buff
falo grass that lay beneath. 1t was esti-
mated that two-thirds of the number died.
and their bones whitened the sWells of the
plain for many years.
The reaction had set in, and the next
year saw less than 10000 head shipped from
Abilene. Ellsworth, eighty miles farther
west, was the new Mecca, and after that
came Dodge City, on the line of the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, then
just completed through the Arkansas
valley. Here the old scenes We're re-enacted.
Cowboys made the town a terror to law
abiding citizens and murders were every
day occurrences. Finally civilization
pushed its way westward and the saying
"There is no Sunday west of Dodge City,
and no God west of Pueblo" became obso-
lete. The cattle trails are being covered
with grass, and soon they will be only a
But for the bones of unfortu-
nate animals which died on their journey
it will be impossible in a year or two to
trace them. They were for a time the
trunk lines of the plains, and the great
commerce of the prairie throbbed along
them, along the arteries of O system.
Abilene and Ellsworth are quiet country
;ities, and Dodge City has a theological
seminary.
After the decadence of the cattle trade |
n his chosen town Mr.. Mccoy followed it
% southern Kansas, finally settling in !
Wichita.
In June, 1890, the superintendent of the
ensus recognized his familiarity with the |
took industry and made him superintend- |
mt of the range cattle department of the |
i've stock bureau of the late census.
Since completing the task Mr.. Mccoy
las been i'll Oklahoma.
CHARLES MoREAU HARGER
DR.. Henley's Celery. Beef and Iron, the great
erve tonic. Sold by all druggists.