Arizona republican., 1899-12-03
THE SUNFLOWER RANCH
How J. M. Ward Was Suffocated by
 Prosperity.

The old case of Ward vs Hardenburg
 ct al was ended in district court vester-
 day by judgment of S17,173.5O for the defendant. This is one of the kind of
 law suits which do not occur every day and the plaintiff is not left in a proper frame for the full enjoyment of the carnival season. He, no doubt,
 feels that he is victim of prosperity.
 or the growth of the cattle business in
 Arizona. He has been in the cattle | business for many years and it cur
 lously turns out that it would have been better for him if the disastrous
 state of the business five years ago had continued to the present moment.
 Previous to 1889 the plaintiff, J. M.
 Ward, was the owner of the Sun
 flower cattle ranch. That year he sold it to David Hardenburg and M. H. Sherman, who formed the Hardenburg-
 sherman Cattle company. The pur- chase price of the ranch was S35, ,OOO and the defendants gave the plaintiff two notes of SIP. 800 each. In 1894 the plain tiff was insisting on the payment Of these notes. General Sherman, who had grown weary of the cattle business, as everybody else was who was engaged in it at that time, said he would not sink any more money in it, but pro posed to MT. Ward to take the ranch and cattle back and cancel the notes. Ward did not want the ranch, but pro- posed to accept S20,000 in payment of the notes. General Sherman was not tempted by the offer and Ward took possession of the ranch. In the mean time Hardenburg had sold 115 head of the cattle. Ward wanted pay for these cattle and application was made to Sherman, who persisted in declining to invest any more money in the cat tie business and took no further in- terest in the matter, but busied himself in street railway and water works projects little dreaming that in spite of himself he was going to thrive as cattleman notwithstanding he was disclaiming ownership in even single head of stock.
 At length Ward brought suit for S15, 1000, never imagining what a petard he was preparing for himself. If Gen. eral Sherman could have had his way MT. Ward would not have been able to touch the bomb off, and so would not have blown himself up. The general kept out of the way of service until he was at last caught in Arizona. The case was tried a few days ago. The evidence was voluminous and threw a gre . deal of light on the prosperity in which the cattle business has been inn mersed for the last four or five years, or ever since MT. Ward took the Sun flower ranch back under protest. Judge Street yesterday rendered his finding or facts in which it was shown that Ward has received from the ranch little more than s70,000. It was also shown that the Sherman -Hardeaburg notes amounted with interest 10 l1t- tie less than s53,O00. It appeared also that MT. Wards position on the ranch, for the notes had not been cancelled, was that of mortgagee in possession, or trustee and that deducting the amount of his notes from the receipts of the property in trust he owned the defendants S17,173.50. Judgment was ordered against him for that amount and he was further ordered to turn the ranch and cattle business back to them. If the cattle business had been any better than it has been he would have fared still worse.
 He will, no doubt. look around for | some relief from the stroke of pros ! perity which has overtaken him. He may present a claim against General Sherman and Hardenburg for his et- ficient management of their ranch, for which they had never paid, and which five years ago all the parties consld- | cred an improbable burden.
 A couple of weeks ago while Ward thought he was the owner of the Sun flower ranch he was offered $40,G00 for it. He refused to sell, holding it at $50, 900.