The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-24
Field, SchIick & Co
THE RICHEST WOMAN

The richest woman in the United
States lives in Texas. She is richer
than Hetty Green, and her name is
Mrs. Richard King. She is a cattle
queen and the owner of the largest
ranch in the world. Figures convey
but indistinctly the extent of Mrs.
Kings domain. For instance, unless
you are a surveyor, you will probably
fail to realize the greatness of her
possessions from the simple statement
that she owns 1,250,000 acres, or nearly
1000 square miles of land.
1t may convey the idea more clearly
to say that her ranch is larger than
some of the New England states, and
that her front gate is thirteen miles
from her front door, as the crow flies.
She has forty miles of water front, and
her barbed wire fences stretch out
over 300 miles. She could drive in a
straight line siXtyfive miles without
trespassing on the property of her
neighbors or leaving her own ranch.
This vast estate, over which Mrs.
King is absolute monarch, is located
in that southern point of Texas which
seems to project down into Mexico.
Her seacoast lies along Corpus Christi
bay Should Mrs. King ever wish to
secede from the Union, she could an
chor big fleet off her possessions. She
already has a standing army of 800
cowboys, who are supplied with 1,2OO
ponies for their sole use. The cow
boys, however, are employed in the
peaceful pursuit of looking after Mrs.
Kings great herds Of "scalawags,' or
long horned cattle, which number
something like 100000.
Almost in the center Of her estates
the palace-like chateau of this cattle
queen stands. 1t is on an emlnence
and surroundig it, after the manner
Of ancient baronial estates, are the nu-
merous and modest cottages of her
hundreds of dependents. Beyond them
are acres on acres of titled fields, when
a short time ago were green ana golu
with waving corn and grain. In the
distance, stretching far out of sight is
a fertile wilderness on which grows
mesquite and cactus and over which
Craze her great herds.
During the best part of the year Mrs.
King lives on her ranch, and her home
there is supplied with every luxury and
convenience to be found in any man
sion or Fifth avenue. When she wishes
a change. she moves down to Corpus
Christi, city just on the edge Of her
domains, where she has another pala-
tial residence. She built the branch
railroad which has it's terminus in Cor
pus Christi.
Mrs. King is a widow and is now
about sixty years of age. She is
daughter of the late Rev. Hiram
Chamberlain missionary, who estab-
Ijshed the first Presbyterian church
south Of the Rio Grande, and who went
there with Bible and staff to preach to
the Indians When a young woman,
she met and married Capt. Richard
King. who was one of the pioneers of
the great Southwest. He was born in
1926 in New York state, and when a
boy of ten ran away from home to be-
ccme a sailor. In 1S47 he appeared on
the Rio Grande as pilot and later be-
came a boat owner.
Capt King was an adventurous spec
ulator He foresaw the possible future
of that great country, and, with the
profits of his steamboating business, he
purchased the Santa Gertrudes ranch,
then in itself a vast possession. By
shrewd management and daring busi-
ness ventures, which turned out sue
cessfully, he was able to add to his
possessions from time to time until
at his death he had acquired a big
slice of this part of the Lone Star state.
On his broad acres grazed $4,000. head
of cattle, 10000 horses and 10000 Sheep.
Besides this he had accumulated
great deal of personal property and
had a big bank account. The whole
vast estate, of which the land alone
was worth $5,O00O0O, he left in fee sim
pie to his widow.
Jennie Moores.