Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-09-13
A TEXAS LAND QUEEN



Aores-shs Can Eject . Consrsssmsa.
Thirteen Miles From Front Doa %
Front Gate.
Ono representative In the next congress
will DO nominated aud elected by WON.
an. She is tho widow Of Captain Richard
King, and she owns a principality In
southern Texas. Her landed estates con-
sist of about 1850, 900 aores--that IL TO
say, nearly 1000 square miles, which Is
bigger than Rhode Island and almost M
big as Delaware. For taking oare of this
vast domain small army Of men is re-
quired. Their votes are controlled by tho
mistress, who Ii to all intents and pur-
poses "A queen.
The records Of the land Office at Wash
ington reveal some extraordinary facts
with relation to that part OF southern
Texas which seems on the map TO intrude
into Mexico terminating In point at the
mouth of the Rio Grande. This region,
nearly as big as New England, comprises
four great counties and Is owned by four
families-the Kings, the Konnedys, the
Collinses and the Armstrong; Much the
largest Of the four shares belongs In fee
simple to Mrs. King.
Few men In this world have ever been
so hated and feared as was Captain King
He was character typical of Texas life 30
years ago. Employing the labor of largo
numbers Of ignorant MexicanA he induced
thom to acquire homesteads under the
laws Of the United States. Thoy were al
ways In debt to him, and eventually their
lands came to him. In this manner the
gigantic estate was largely built up. 9th
q white men who took up holdings In the
region were shut In with barbed wire
fences by the great prOprietor. They found
themselves inclosed as In mousetraps.
They could not drive out their cattle, and
90 sold their property to Captain King
The region Is at present the most shut up
portion Of the United States-a veritable
terra inoognita, wishout railways and In
the earliest stage Of development
The ancient road from San Antonio TO
Brownsville has been closed by Mrs. Kings
fences, and there are no gates. There Is
no road law In that country. The only
way to get from Brownsville to Alice Is by
q stage route Of 40 hours. The stage car
ries mail for large part Of Mexico. In
the entire distance there u not single
settlement because the territory traversed
belongs to Mrs. King. The region ID
wholly wild, being used for cattle grazing.
In "The West From q Gag Window"
Ms. King Is referred to by Richard Hard
ing Davis, who remarks that 1t is diff1cult
to Imagine solitary family occupying an
area larger than some Of the eastern states
-an area that would In the east support q
state capital, with governor and legisla-
ture and numerous small towns, with
composing railway systems and rival base
ball mines.
The owner Of this prinoipality Is q gem
erous and liberal minded woman, about 90
years OF age. She does much good and
takes care Of her people. 10 each laborur
on her estates she gives cow. Her ranoh
Of Santa Gertrudis Is the largest In the
world. 10 IL bounded by Corpus Christi
bay for o distance Of 20 miles and by
barbed wire fences for 800 miles more.
From her front door to her front gate Is 18
miles, and sho can drive In her carriage 65
miles In straight line without going of
her own premises
Her house looks like castle on the
Rhine--a typical baronal mansion. It Is
situated on slight eminence, surrounded
by the modest dwellings Of her dependents
and by fields Of waving corn. Beyond on
every side Is wilderness Of mesquite and
cactus.
This out of the way Texas chateau Ia as
completely furnished and as handsomely
equipped as any mansion on Fifth avenue.
No luxury that money can buy anywhere
is lacking to the widow, who Is the daugh-
ter of tho first Presbyterian missionary to
the Rio Grande. Corpus Christi Is the
terminus of a railway, and from that point
q continuous stream Of wagons carries Ice
and other necessaries to the ranch. Mrs.
King lives for several months Of each year
In a palace at Corpus Christi. Her son-in-
law, Robert j. Kleberg s general mana
ger Of the ranch, ON which are 900, 600 cat
Clio Of improved breeds. Long trains Of
freight cars are made up at Corpus Christi
TO carry Mrs. Kings cattle TO the east
To run the vast estate costs about $780,
900 year. For every 90 miles Of barbed
wire fence there IL o man TO make repairs
and see that no break oocurs. In the old
days, to cut fence was an ofense likely
to result IN the death Of the perpetrator Of
the act. Three hundred cowboys are reg
uiarly employed, /, 300 ponies being set
aside for their use. Every spring all Of
tho calves are rounded up for branding.
They are driven into pen through q
wooden chute, and as they leave the chute
each one Is caught by the log and thrown
upon It's side. Then one Of dozen irons
that are kept rodhot In an open fro Is
pressed upon tho animals nose All
brands arc registered. and sometimes each
member of family has one.
Mr.. Davis tells Of girl who came out
in society in New York three winters ago
and who Is known In Texas only as "the
owner of the triangle brand. Nobody can
get water In that country save by good
will OF tho owners of the great estates, and
no ono can travel without their permits
sion, inasmuch as there aro no public roads.
Tho climate Is scmitropical and water-
melons aro grown as readily In January IN
IN July. The soil Is rich and very black,
unlike that of tho rest of Texas, but re-
sembling the soil of the bottom lands of
the south in productivenoss. Crops grow
almost without water. York World
The Corbett- -Fitxsimmons Fight
Icro Dunn of Nav Yoxk has heretofovx,