The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-02-07
FIELDS OF FIETY THOUSAND ACRES.
And Straight Strings of Fences Over Eighty
Miles LING In Texas.

anu otA1slBnb Strings OF EenceS over kS1SnSy
Miles Long In Texas.
Very few people at a distance, in
thinking of western Texas, under
stand that nearly the whole of it is
at present 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 Belcherville, Tex,
come the Silverstine, the Ikeard and
the Worsham pastures. This latter
contains 50,0 acres ard has one
line of fence 20 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 SO
miles long. Charley Goodnight, as
the owner is familiarity known, is
considered one of the richest men in
the panhandle, but l really feel sor-
ry for his boys if he ever sends them
out on "a hot afternoon to stop hog
holes in that line of fence. It is hard
ly likely that this is the case, how
ever, as all fences in that country
are bait TO turn cattle ami without
reference 70 hogs. There is a little
railway station called Goodnight,
which consists Of the Goodnight res
idence 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
buffalo in the United States
Another fair sized holding of land
is that of the Espinella Cattle COM
pany. This contains over 1, 500, 900
acres and takes in parts of Dickens,
Crosby and Emma counties. If the
land were in the form of a square,
it would be about so miles each way.
The Matterdero is smaller, but still
includes rather more than 1000, 900
acres.
These are owned by syndicates,
with headquarters in London, and
they are only two selected at ran
dom out of q large number. They
have had their bearing on state pol
itics. If it were not for the railroad
commissioners, the uniform text
book bill and the alien landholder
question, Texas politics would not
be worth shucks.
The largest of these alien land
holdings belongs to what is called
the capitol syndicate. A few years
ago the old capitol at Austin burned
down, and it was decided to build
another on q magnificent scale. An
English syndicate agreed to put it
up, and in payment therefor they
received 100000 acres of public
lands. Does the reader realize how
big 3, 900, 600 acres of land is? Imag-
inc slice of land "a miles wide and
extending across the state of Missou-
ii at it's northern border. Such q
strip would include the whole north
ern tier of counties and would be
larger than several states of the I'm
ion.
This would be about the extent of
the capitol syndicate S pasture. Few
people have any idea that there is
such a thing as a single pasture, in
one body and within one fence, lar
ger than some states of the Union,
yet such is the fact More than that,
it is owned by foreign syndicate.
It takes in half OF Deaf Smith coun-
ty and parts Of several others.
Another large pasture IS that OF
the l. T. Cattle company. 1t begins
with the Colorado line and extends
several counties back this way. The
Fort Worth and Denver railroad
runs through it. Some idea of its
size may be gathered from the fact
that the regular night express train
enters on the south side of the pas.
ture at II :05, and after continuous
running leaves it at $3.50 next morn
ing. A pasture which it takes an ex
press train four hours and quarter
to cross would be considered large il
some countries. Chicago Times.
Proper Food In Diabetes.