The Iola register., 1901-04-26
PAPERo OF ALLEN COUNTY
A Big Oklahoma Ranch

In response to a request from. the
REGISTER Lutte p. Stover kindly do
mated the following impressions of one
of the biggest ranches in the country.
The 101 Live Stock Company of Bliss
Oklahoma Territory is one of the
Oldest companies of that kind in Okla
homa Territory. They owe their exis-
tance to the fact that the owners have
the good sense to accommodate their
plans to the changing conditions of
the country.
In the old days of the cattle men
they contracted large ranches on the
Cherokee Strip. Forseeing the open
ing of that country they had large
portion of the Ponca Reservation and
conducted straight cattle business,
but the man with the plow was often
there and instead of frightening him
they greeted him and said "We are
farmers ourselves" =" They encouraged
the Indians to take allotments and
then leased them for farming purposes.
1t is farming on wholesale scale.
Twelve thousand acres are in cultiva
ton, eight thousand acres being in
wheat, and the balance in corn and
oats. 1t requires large force of men
to handle such place and in the har
vest season they hire all comers' turn
ing away none, the force at sch
time numbering from four to five hun
dred men. These men are distributed
over the ranch in numerous camps
where they are close to their particu-
lar work. From three to five thousand
cattle are kept on the ranch. The pas
lures comprize thirty five thousand
acres of the Ponca and Otor reserva-
tion and person can drive for dis
tance of twenty two miles north and
south without leaving the ranch. The
wheat is of several varieties maturing
at different times so as to allow about
six weeks to harvest it. Twenty two
binders are employed. The binders
commence cutting at once on entering
the field and cut their way home at
night. Five minutes of lost time
would mean many lost dollars. Two
experts ride alongthe line of machines
and remedy any fault in one without
stopping the others. When the
last of the wheat is being cut the first
cutting is being thrashed and as soon
as the shocks are off the ground the
pillow starts SO that by the time the last
2t The ground is being drilled the
iirstIis green. The wheat Is pastured
all winter and serves as pasture for
the three thousand winter cattle. The
corn is planted with check rowers and
listers. One field of five hundred
acres last year made a yield of
seventy bushels to the acre.
The managers of the company are
alive and up-to-date. All the latest
machinery is given a trial and if
satisfactory is used All seeds are
carefully selected and experimental
with, small fields of fifty to hundred
acres being given them the first year.
Last fall the company sold. three thous-
aud bushels of seed wheat and this
spring over a thousand bushels of
seed corn. This.gives an idea of the
quality of the crops raised.
The ownership and management of
the farm is entirely in one family con-
sisting of @. w. Miller and his three
sons Joe, Jack and Ginger The
general manager, Joe, is a power
among the Indians and the success of
the enterprise is due largely to his
ability to handle the Indians from
whom they lease Though farming is
the main business they sublet large
tracts of grazing land to Texas firms.
The remnant of the old time "cow saw
age" is very much in evidence Every
fall they load up carload of wild
steers and bucking ponies take an In
dian brass band from the Chiwico
school aud a carload of Indians
and COW. boys and head for some cat
tleman's celebration to play little
after the years hard work, The prizes
they bring back from these prove
that though they may now be farm ers
they can still rope and ride.