The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-16
CATTLE KING OF FLORIDA.
story of the Life and MOney-Mal1ing
of Ziba King.


Tampa, Fla, Jan. 15.-For the past ten
days the other guests of the Tampa Bay
Hotel have appeared to be mere pigmies
compared with one towering figure, now
familiar object in the corridors of the hO-
tel. For the first few days the man of
large stature was regarded with much in
terest on account of his proportions, but
his affable manners now prove to be his
principal attraction.
To add to the interest manifested In
Judge Ziba King (for it was he), a bit of
the history of his eventful life became
known, and was sufficient to make the
guests DESTROYS to learn more of this self
made man, who, by his own efforts, had
risen through a life of hardships to place
of prominence in the history of this state
Judge King, or ziba King, as he is IA
miliarly Known, was born in the year 1888
The state of Georgia is his native home
and he relates many interesting stories of
his youthful farm life when he picked
cotton on the old plantation, now the site
of Waycross in the early fifties. Although
his parentage was humble, young King
had a much higher conception of life. His
days were spent in hard toll ON the farm,
and when he went home from his work
the hut was in darkness on account Of the
inability of his people to buy oil. The Lad
did not allow this to deter him from his
studies, but every evening he would lay
fiat upon the floor before the broad fire
place, and by the Pickering freight he
learned TO read and write
When he reached manhood he found that
the war had devastated his state and there
was no outlook for him He endured this
for several years, but finally decided to
come to Florida He and young friend, by
dint of great effort secured a small stock
of goods probably worth $500, and came
to Tampa, but upon arriving here they
discovered that they could do nothing in
the face of the competition they must
meet They accordingly packed up and
went down to Fort Ogden, about 100 miles
south of here. Diseouragement followed
them and Kings associate, becoming
weary of the struggle, sold King his in
tereSt for a horse and q small piece of
land in Georgia. He then started on horse
back for his old home, but upon reaching
mitted suicide.
Mr.. King continued the small business as
best he could. his stock diminished to
three sacks of corn, and the weavils got
into this, necessitating his spreading the
grain out in the sun in order to run off
the pests. BY the grace of Cod he says.
he was able to live until the Cuban war of
'6S, which lasted ten years, opened up the
cattle market about 1872. The people of his
community heard that some Spanish buy
ers We're coming to Punta Rassa and they
prevailed upon Mr.. King to drive down a
herd of cattle and sell them. He drove
them over the Caloosahatchee and sold
them at Punta Rassa for about $50 per
head, not delivering them, however, until
he had the Spanish gold in hand.
He returned to his people with more
money than they had ever seen before.
and Kings stock went up like a pennant
on Flagstaff. He was allowed 81 per head
commission, and was quickly given a much
larger herd to sell. He DISPOSED of cattle
on this basis with such success that he
soon began to branch out. buying and sell
ing for himself. His business Increased
at such a pace that he was compelled to
charter the steamer Valley City in order
to I'LL HIS contracts In one month he
cleared 5000 out of the charter of this
steamer alone. and all the while he was
making phenomenal profits out of his deals
In live stock. These flush times continued
for quite a period. enabling many to make
considerable money, but none more than
Judge King
Since those days his stock of cattle has
constantly increased, and his ranges have
been proportionately extended. until now
he is known as the foremost cattle king"
in the state, and he is estimated to have
10000 head. Last spring he branded 1000
calves, which, in ordinary times, would
represent an annual income of about S45,-
COO. but now. owing TO the resumption OF
the Cuban cattle trade, is equivalent 10
100000.
For years past Judge King has practi-
cally supplied the Key West trade with