The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-12
Texas Has Fields as Large A. an Ordinary
County.

County.
Very few people at distance in
thinking of western Texas understand
that nearly the whole of it is at pres
ent fenced up in mammoth pastures,
yet such is the case. Many Of them
are larger than ordinary counties, and
some OF them embrace large parts of
three or four counties
just west of this place tBelcherville.
Tex, writes Il correspondent come
the Silverstein. the lizard and the
Worsham pastures This latter con-
talns fifty thousand acres, and has one
line of fence twenty-three miles long.
Pastures of about this size continue in
almost unbroken succession until we
reach Armstrong county. There we
find what is known as the Goodnight
ranch, the southern boundary of which
is little string of fence eighty-threc
miles long. Charley Goodnight, as the
owner, is Familiarity known, is consid-
cred one of the richest men in the pan
handle, but l really feel sorry for his
boys if he ever sends them out on n hot
afternoon to stop hog holes in that line
of Tense. 1t is hardly likely that this
IS the case, however, as all fences in
this country are built to turn cattle
and without reference to hogs There
is a little railway station called Good
night, which consists of the Goodnight
residence and the depot Mr.. Good
night lives in almost baronial style
His park contains deer. a drove of elks,
and one of the few herds of buffaloes
to be found in the United States.
Another fair-sized holding of land il
that of the Espinella cattle company.
This contains over SOC, 600 acres and
takes in parts of Dickens, Crosby and
Emma counties. If the land were in
the form of square il would be about
fifty miles each way. The Matterdore
is smaller, but still includes rather
more than 1000, 900 acres. These are
both owned by syndicates with head
quarters in London, and they are only
two selected at random out of a large
number They have their bearings on
railroad commission, the uniform text
book bill and the alien land-holder
question. Texas politics would not be
worth slucks.
The largest of those alien land hold
ings belong TO what is called the capi-
toll syndicate. A few years ago the old
capitol at Austin burned down, and it
was decided to build another on a mag
nifcent scale An English syndicate
agreed to put it up. and in payment
therefor they received g. 600 00o acres Of
public lands Does the reader realize
how big 5000, 900 acres OF land L.
Imagine a slice Of land twenty-four
miles wide and extending clear across
the state Of Missouri at it, northern
border. Such strip would include
the whole northern tier CT counties,
and would be larger than several states
OF the union This would be about the
extent OF the capitol syndieate's past
ture. Few people have any idea that
there is such thing as single past
ure, in one body and under one fence,
larger than some states IN the union.
vet such IS the fact More than that
it is owned by foreign syndicate. Ii
takes in half of Deaf Smith county and
parts OF several others
Another large pasture is that Of The
Y L 7. cattle c mpany. II begins with
the Colorado line and extends several
counties back this war The Fort
Worth j Denver railroad runs through
IL Some idea of its slze may be gath
cred from the fact that the regular
night express train enters on the south
side of the pasture at lies and after
continuous running leaves j. al $50 The
uart morning rzs-sgr@ which Il
taxes an express train three hour and
a quarter 20 croas would hse considered
large IN some couu tries st Losis
(f~Rm- 4.