The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-08-16
LETTER FROM TEXAS.
Scenery and Climate Of the Lone Star
State.
Cool Evenings and Pleasant Days Spent
on Cattle Kanch-The Writer'S
Experience with n "Batch" OF
"Flap-jaoks."

Experience with "Batch"of
"Flap-jaoks."
Editor Enterprise.-It has been my In.
tention for long time to write letter to
the Enterprise and In this way to redeem
promises made to write TO numerous
friends In Wellington and Huntington.
Such promises are made in good
faith at the hour OF parting but alas
how often are they left unredeemed to
haunt the mind with vague sense Of dis
comfort. This feeble effort is put forth
to redeem all such pledges and to nolle
complaints Of injured friends.
This Is TO be a rambling sort Of missive
from a poor exile In Dixie land begging
you 10 make all the allowance you can.
hereby affirm that 1t is not q literary
effort, and bid defiance to any captious
critics In Wellington, who never utter q
sentence without first seeing II 1t will
parse. II they had been in the Panhandle
as long as have and heard judges and
other great ~ men say me an him is
going oyer 10 the cotehouse" and like ex-
pressions, they would realize that the roy
al road TO distinction does not always, lie
through conjugations and declensions.
might write about Amarillo, the queen
of the plains and the great domains Of
| the cattle barons around II,
But believe that a description of a
cosy little ranch down on the Red river
will be Of more interest to you because II
belongs TO family well-known in Well
ington and vicinity, the Finches, of Burl-
inggaue, Kan.
gladly accepted an invitation from
John Finch, who has charge of the "bar
90" ranch to visit his family at the ranch
headquarters.
Newlin is The nearest railroad town on
the Fort Worth & Denyer, aud is ninety
miles from Amarillo and 100 feet lower
| in altitude. 1t is not on the plains at all
but in the valley Of the Red river, just
where It leaves the Panhandle. The
ranch headquarters are seven miles from
Newlint
The road leading thither Is not much
like Ohio roads. Six gates have 10 b
opened and numerous deep defles passed
through before one comes to the roaC
leading between rocky cliffs on one sld'
and the river bed on the other TO th,
house, perched costly at the base Of
hill.
This hill is softly rounded In outline
and Is covered with mesquite bushes. D.
not imagine any connection between mos
qultos and the beautiful, feathery mes
quite. can honestly affirm that | hay,
neither seen nor felt "ary skeeter" here.
This ranch Is small as compared wit
the "T, anchor" IL X" "shoe bar" o.
any OF those great grazing tracts, whic
measure so or 90 miles in length. l
contains sixteen sections. or square milei
and consists of canyons, rocky bluffs anC
sunny upland pastures.
Parts Of the herd may be seen In thes
canyons away from the heat of the blaz
ing MONDAY sun, and with their whit
faces and smooth red sides these pure
blooded Herefords do not detract fIOr
the beauty Of the scene.
The fret evening at the ranch we sc
out doors 10 enjoy the cool air and ih
moonlight. Whatever grudges you ma
have against Texas you have to admit thG
the nights are perfect. They are neve
close and sultry; gentle little breeze
wander past and give you pleasant gree
ing.
On this particular evening the moo
was full and shone with resplender
grandeur on bluffs and river bed an
where the moonbeams fell on the wate
the effect was indescribable, unless 20
fall back on the much.used adjective
silyery, shimmering, fairylike. Scent
like this reconcile me TO Texas and weaV
new romance about ranch life.
The Red river Is the upper part Of th'
river which gives It's name to Gen. Bank
campaign IN Texas. Here It's bed Is
mile wide and Is red enough TO justify !
name. 1t is very low now and only has
current after heavy rain.
Ny principal pastlme here is riding au
driving. Croppy, my particular iavorI
for the saddle, is sorel pony, who is
. knowing as Texas ponies are reputed
be. He once had the fortune 10 be stole
by an Indian, who slit his ears, and thu
when he regained a civilized master
was bound to be called "Croppy."
He will go all day on an easy little rae
or canter or run away with you accordir
as You give him the chance. The instin
to no round up every COW he comes
contact with is as strong as life WI
. Croppy.
: The work ON the ranch at this time
year consists In watching the windmi
!, TO see that they are pumping, In keepr
q au eye on the herd and warding OIL I
hungry wolves aud watching the fenC
and gates In the spring the round'u