Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1900-09-01
Campaign Hats at Lnvengoods.
ORIGIN OF ..mAvER1oK.
How the Term Began to He Applied 60
Unbranded Cattle.

George Maverick, prominent citi-
zen OF San Antonio and one of the
largest real estate owners in the state
Of Texas, has been visiting in this
city, says the FL Paso (Tex.) Times.
The gentleman is a son of the noted
Samuel Maverick, one of the old pio-
neers of western Texas. The latter
was shrewd and far-seeing business
man, and knew that the day would
come when Texas real estate would
be valuable, so he began TO buy up all
the land he could. This was in the
forties, and land throughout the west
ern counties then only commanded 81
a section. 1t is said that Mavericks
ambition was to be able TO travel from
San Antonio to FL -Paso and from FL
Paso to the mouth of the Rio Grande
on his own property; and at one time
it seemed as if his dream might posi-
bly, be realized, for he secured the
title to 100000 acres. Before his
death, however, some of this property
passed out of his hands, but he left
sufficient to make each of his children
a millionaire.
The Maverick estate now owns 5000
acres in FL Paso county and immense
tracts fur - south. 1t was several
years after !.e had acquired his other
possessions that Mr.. Maverick came to
FL Paso county and secured his prop
erty in this section. Some of this
property passed to his wife and she
Willed it to her grandchildren, and it
was as their representative that Mr..
George Maverick was here yesterday.
There is an interesting episode con-
nected with the elder Mavericks his
tory which made the name known
throughout the west. Everyone at all
acquainted with stock interest has
heard the name Maverick steers" as
popnlarly applied to all unbranded
animals. It is undoubtedly true that
many made their fortunes by this I'M
questionable method, and the term
Maverick is known from the At
1antic to the Pacific.
It has always been supposed that
Samuel Maverick made his money in
this manner, because this mode of ac-
quiring stock was named after him.
But this is an entirely wrong impress
sion and widely different from the
truth. The real facts of the case are
simply as follows:
Cnce upon a time Samuel Maverick
had a debt against a stockman which
he could not collect, so he accepted
400 cattle at So head in full for all
demands. He placed a trusted negro
in charge of the stock and paid no fur
ther attention to the herd. At the end
of four years he sold the original cat
tie at Sc a head, but did not take into
consideration the natural increase.
He had branded none of the calves,
and the consequence was that there
were on the range a large number of
unbranded cattle. When, therefore,
stockmen came across unbranded ami
mails they would say: THAT belongs
to Maverick" or that is Maverick
steer" and this is how the term Nav
erick originated and began to be ap-
piled to all unbranded stock. The
term took with the cowboys and
stockmen, and it was not long before
it was in universal use throughout the
American continent.
George Maverick, who has Just paid
visit to Fl Paso, has papers to sup
stantiate the above facts and which
entirely eXOnerate his father from any
suspicion of wrong doing.