The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-18

it has grown until it includes within it's
barbed wire fences nearly a million and
half acres of land Upon it's pastures
Craze &c., 900 head of cattle $4,000 head Of
sheep and nearly 5000 head of horses. 1t
requires over 1900 employees to care for
the various interests, and when the pro
posed cattle syndicate offered Mrs. King
S6.200.000 for Santa Gertrudes she laugh
ed at their valuation and refused to con-
slider the possibility of a sale.
The late Capt. King left his home In
Orange, n. j., some time befork the out
break of the Mexican war to seek his
fortune in the West. When that war be-
gan he served with the army in Texas
and Mexico, and at the conclusion Of his
service. remained in the Rio Grandes coun-
try. Matamoras and Brownsville, the
twin cities near the mouth of the great
river, saw their palmy days during the
Civil war. brownsville. on the American
side. and Matamoras, on the Mexican
side, served as the base of operations
for smugglers, blockade runners and
every type of adventurer. The naviga-
ton of the Rio Grande was a practical
accomplishment then, for the mouth
of the river, where it entered the Gulf
Of Mexico. had not then shoaled.
Selling his opportunity Richard King
bought a steamboat and amassed consid-
cradle money within very few years in
the profitable trade which was then car
ried on in that section. When commerce
finally drifted away from the river banks
Richard King, called captain by virtue of
his steamboat commission, turned his at
tention exclusively to the building up of
the ranch which he had started to the
north. Acre after acre was added to his
domain by purchase, conquest and
barter. Always adding and never re-
Hnquishing, it was not long until his
holding extended below the horizon as
viewed from his home establishment.
EARLY RANCRING DAYS.
Ranching in those days in southwest
Texas was not entirely a peaceful .pur-
suit. Encounters with the Indians, Mex-
cans or white outlaws frequently oc-
Cured There was Nc law n the land
except that made by the gun, and TO
be the employee Jof a cattleman implied
even more active and warlike service
than falls to the lot of a soldier in the
regular army.
IT. is rather difficult to sag just how
Capt. King secured title to all the land
now held by his widow. 1t was originally
owned by MeXicans. Some were bought
out; others abandoned their holdings, and
some borrowed money and forfeited the
lend given as security. The story goes
that CARA, the revolutionist, was at one
time land owner here, and that he mort
gagged his land to Capt. King to secure
money to carry on his war against Presi-
Gent Diaz His revolution failed his notes
came due, and Santa Gertrudes was the
bigger and richer thereby. These things
are but stories of the frontier days now,
however, and are immaterial
When Capt. King died the one idea
which had controlled his actions during
life was expressed IN his will and tesla.
ment, for he left the Santa Gertrudes
ranch to Mrs King, expressly providing
that IN no case was the property to be
divided among his children Mrs King
has cherished the intention Of her hus
band, has refused to cons der any PROPOSE
ton which involved parting with an acre
OF her domain. and has expressed her in
tention OF SO willing the property at her
death that 1T will remain intact for at
least two generations to come.
The ranch now covers large part of
NueceS, Cameron and Hidalgo counties
The main hacienda or ''home ranch" lies
in the extreme southwestern corner of
Nueces county, and is village in it
self The main residence is in the center
or cluster of smaller houses occupied
by employees. Around the village can still
be traced the outlines of the stockades
which We're so necessary in the earlier
days. On these stockades were mounted
brass cannonS at regular intervals.
About half a mile from the main ranch
house are the great stables. In q room
in one of the stables can still be found
the armored stage coach in which Capt
King made his periodical trips to Corpus
Christi for money and supplies The
sheet-iron covering of this coach is dent
ed from contact with many bullets. and
stains made by human blood can still be
traced. In the early seventies Capt King
was in the habit of making the drive
from Santa GertruGes to Corpus Christi
distance of forty miles, in single
night. With four strong horses hitched