The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-26
WORLDS BIGGEST RANCH
Texas Contains One Bigger Than the
State of Connecticut.
Chicago Record.

The largest ranch in the world fs FL.
pc found IN Texas. This immense d.
main IS known as the Y / ~ -
and is owned by Chicago capitaIist.'
This ranch is so extensive thar san
states could not contain it. Connecri.,,.
for example, could not hold it biz gay-
eral thousand acres. The two states NJ
Rhode Island and Delaware c0mbira5
could not contain this great ranch
which consists Of over 3.000. 600 acres or
almost 5000 square miles
About twelve years ago. when Tavse
needed a new state capitol the Iegisla-
ture adopted d novel plan to get II. A
promise was held forth that d vast
tract of unapprOpriated land wouTd h.
given in exchange for d suitable gran
lite building at Austin. Among those
tempted by this offer were eX-Senafgr
Charles b. FarWeU and his brother
John, who ultimately formed a svudi-
cate in Chicago and took upon them
selves the responsibility of erecting tEa
proposed capitol. In due time they came
into the possession of this domain
known as the y. I. T. ranch
The ranch is situated in the extreme
northwest corner of the Panhandle of
Texas and covers or touches nine DIFF
ferent counties. It's northern b0u-
dairy is No Mans Land. now a part of
the territory of Oklahoma. and its
western limit is the line between Texas
and New Mexico. In width from east
10 WesD 1t averages about twenty-five
miles. In length it is about 200 miles
The land lies in what is known as the
Staked Plains, a high plateau. The
soil is mostly of d black OF chocolate
cOlOr-Very fertile-and covered with
thick coat of buffalo, mesquite grama
and other grasses, which cure 0a the
ground and furnish winter as well as
summer pasture for stock of al kinds
At the southern end of the tract the
altitude is about 1890 feet. and al the
northern end about 400. The climate
is pronounced to be very delightful the
air being braciug. though dry.
When the FaTweils obtained the land
they inclOsed it with d substantial
baTbed wire fence. There are many
crOss-fences upon it, separating the
territory into from twenty rU thirty
large divisions, besides many small
ones. To make these fences it required
/ 800 miles Of barbed wire. The syn
dictate also built ranch houses. bored
and dug wells. of which there are now
about $50, averaging 120 feet i'm depth
and having eaTthen or wooden reSer-
voiTS and drinking attachments. erect
ed W1ndmlllS over the wells. built dams
across arrOyOS to conserve the rainfall
and in various other ways made the
6
on a large scale They placed cattle
upon it as fast as il could be- put -1
condition to receive them. and ha-
since continued to add to the
/ herd from time to time by purchas
and breeding until they have al pres
ent about 125.000 cattle. besides 1850
J horses. The calf drop branded IN l>e
exceeded 30, coo head. The whole prop
erty is valued at $40 900 691.
One of the surprising things I'D con-
| neCtiOn with this huge enterprise IS The
I fact that all the duties are pertormsI
by q force of bout 20 men. or Oh c.
/ average. only one man for every -4'.
acres. There are houses. barns e..
at the seven divisions. rs wei. rs H..
camps, where there are small buildings
/ The men assigned 10 the camps I-la.
/ the fences. oil the hundreds o- N--.
| mills. and busy themselves I'D 'lA-
work of this sort. Some Of the SQUAD.
[ have no house in which 20 stay oA
are provided with d .'ChUcE wagon .
/ carry their food and beds as they mo.
/ from place to place. All are lea y.
/ the company. each division Nd t''-
I freight wagons to haul SupHaes --'-
+ points on the railroad where t1ay oil.
/ bought. .--
/ one might naturally imagine ma. .-
/ yearly loss of cattle would Dr. emu
nous on such a ranch. As g. may
/ of fact. it is not. being claimed DE- III.
/ instance only from to per cent ---
/ loss is chiefly due, not 20 disease POI.
| to the occasional severe weather '
/ winter