The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-02

Il
shouldered and decp-chessed. With hi
mechanical skill he wns Invaluable in
country where artis8ns were scarce IA
/ was always ready and willing to work. II
was always provident. Others might b
careless and slip-shod. but he always til,
MIC best Owing to his great strergtl
ne could do more work than two ordinar,
men. Soon It got to be 4 recognized fac
| that II Jonathan "ierce 1.-THE Jonathan wa
| contracted to simply John) did a thing
was all right, and there would be no ques
ton about the Workmanship. While
jack Of all trsdes and master OF many n
was always trying to learn somethin,
more and always strove to widen hi
sphere of usefulness.
Ordinary cowboy life wee too narrow
Tor man OF his hardness and soon he
branched out in various ways. He took
contracts to do work and when IL was
pointed out to him that be could make
more money IL he used lighter material
and did not carry out all the details 81
thoroughly. he said there was only one
way to do thing and that was to do n
right. On that rock he built his reputa.
ton. $3.50
With a fund Of good, hard common sense
with indomitable determination, love az
work and plenty Of ambition, young Pierce
wac not slow to make headway. The
money he earned he pu. into cattle and
land. He always had an abiding faith
In the value of land. In partnership with
his brother, A. H. (ShanghaD Pierce. he
Kept steadily adding to his worldly store.
- rot t@enty,sx years the brothers were
In partnership. During that time Shanghai
ava the outside or travelling work and
Jonathan looked after the ranch interests
shanghai became known from one end Of
.hc United states to the other. but JON
atnan was seldom heard OF except among
me cattlemen of South Texas. In these
'.wenty-six years the wealth OF the Pierre.
brothers grew enormously. Shanghai
PINNED his faith to cattle; Jonathan pinned
nis to cattle and land. About the first
iot OF land that Jonathan purchased was
the strip on tho Tres Palacios that he had
staked out some years before. In the
twenty six years the brothers were together
they never 1uarrsled When they dis
solved they had vast domain to divide. I
asked Jonathan Pierce how much he is
worth how many acres OF land he has and
now many bead of cattle he owns. He
laughed. but wouldn't answer. Then /
asked MIN about his ranches. IL have
this one. which call FL Rancho Grande."
said he. and the one you've seen 4aow.
winch is The Pilkington Slough ranch. and
south Of that is the Oyster Lake ranch.
At Tulsa, In the Creek Nation, Indian Ter
ritory. l have another"
! remarked that FL Rancho Grande was
named. II think it is Mt,
fierce replied. Il confess I am proud of
II. have lived to see the ambitions OF
my youth realized. For thirty seven years
have lived out in this country, and have
given my best energies to making a home,
! reputation and fortune / hate to
cave things as l found them and l am
constantly trying to improve. Idleness
L
ny men are happy because l treat them |
veil. pay them well and keep them busy. |
me OF my men has been with me seventeen |
ears. Others have been here eight, ten or |
We've years. Aunt Eliza. the colored |
Woman you saw. was slave owned by |
I'D man Grimes when | was a cowboS
working for $50 month for him.
| asked Mr.. Pierce how 1T came about
hat he had the rose hedge
That hedge he said, will prove a
iessing to the cattlemen of Texas.
iantet it to keep out horssthieves and
aner depredators. The thief who will
ehetrate a rose bush hedge is hardly fit
or business after the trip. II was solely
$ defensive measure against thieves
nat ] planted the bushes, but soon
ou cum, mat they were of much greater
UNITY. The soil in this part of Texa.
very ricn and the bushes grow as you
ave seen them. The hedge not only forms
pretty barrier to mark the outlines of
he various pastures, but it serves as a
ina break, and when the northers blow
ns cattle seek the shelter the hedge affords
nd are protected. 1t ia the cold sharp
ina more than anything else that kills
attic, and with these wind breaks the
ISIS is minimized. have thirty seven ,
iies OF this hedge and will have twenty
: twenty-five miles additional in a wear
!, two. If you want to see the hedge In
u It's glory come here in the spring or
INNER The whole thirty-seve miles OF ,
saPe is then one great blaze of rose bios |
ms ana the perfume of the air here
'outs is so sweet that those who visit ms ,
" they are In paradise. Other stockme, ,
re now putting In this rose bush hedge =
~ soon, l expect most of the rich mas. !
res VIII be protected and adorned In !
"hen remarked to Mr. Pierce that his :
'me was remarkably comfortable and b
Ell puiit one, and that he seemed to be n
lie OF the few men who had realized all s
MS early hopes. he smiled and said. q
WY You haven't seen half OF what v
NAYS mere. am, to be sure, proud of
us nome, l think l know the carpenter "
lsiness and ! superintendent the building :, y
this house. l believe it is the best buiIt =
Yelling in all Texas You could roll il h
er and over and not break off enough h
200 to make toothpick. Every bit Of
mber In this house is as god as lumber y,
n be. why. there are 1900 pounds of a.
lvanized maids in it. too. The walls NJ
,uld stand a seige." n
MT. Fierce was righs when he said | had
I seen half OF what he has at FL Rancho Of
ande had seen church steepie off G;
the north. but didn't know until later II
at the church was part of El Rancho CT
ande. Neither did know that the build II
: nearby was FL Rancho Grande's Ma B
mic temple. When took list of the VI
her buildings that go to make up this oil
ent establishment ! had to write down I ps
office, two carriage houses one barn. a cl
iale house. crib, a hide house. |, store &C
use, a gear house. u smoke house, a white of
ms house, a negro mems h1mse, ear cf
inter- shop. blacksmith shop. u hide CO
ess. a hay house, potato house. cotton sc
ID feed hc;ise. hog house. a goat shed. tn
hen house, tool house. which they call
, Department OF State" and cotton !
], which Is said to be the finest in the | Ilf