Evening star., 1901-08-10

ism in its way. but all the employees are
looked after. furnished with food, lodgings.
schooling, religious instruction. ana; IN
fact, everything except their actual Cloth
ing. Everything done at Santa Gertruoes
is done by the order of Mrs. King, ana
everything on the ranch, from the baroso
wire fence on the outside boundaries TO
the time of her hundreds of employees, be-
longs absolutely to her. 1t Is not harSh
rule, however; quite the contrary. for while
every man, woman and child must do what
Is asked of them, the disposition of the
owner is benevolent and kindly. Except In
extreme cases. the law of the common
wealth seldom penetrates within this
ranch. Civil disputes are settled and mis-
demeanors punished without reference to
the courts as constituted by the state.
subirrigated Soil.
This southwest Texas country is COM
paratively unknown to the rest Of the
United States, but it possesses certain Pc
culiarities which will in time make 1t one
of the best known regions A large part
of the area Of the King ranch is apparent
ly sand, and on portions of this property
rain does not fall for many months or
even years at a stretch. Notwithstanding
this fact the vegetation is most luxurious.
The country is dotted here and there with
beautiful clumps Of timber called mots,
and much of the surface of the ground is
matted with luxuriant grass. The secret
of this remarkable growth under such con-
QltlOnS OF drr1ulty Is FOUND In the 1aCt tnat
the land is what is called subirrigated;
that is to say, but a few feet below the
surface lies sheet Of fresh water into
which the roots Of trees and vines find
ready access.
In travelling across the vast stetches Of
range water is obtained for man and
horse by digging a shallow hole in the
sand and a permanent well can be made
In many Places by simply sinking bar
rel to its full length in the ground. There
is land of this description outside of the
King ranch. Upon this land the truck
farmers have created wonderful gardens
and vineyards. Vegetables grow here in
the winter months only. Grapes ripen six
weeks earlier than grapes ripen in Cali
forn1a. Melons can be sent from southern
Texas to the northern market during mid
winter, and 1t has long been predicted that
when transportation facilities were inn
proved and the great land holdings of this
region broken up that the whole United
States would find in the country about
corpus Christi its base of supplies for
many things now. only grown in hot houses
II they are to be marketed in the north
out of season.
If 10000 Owners Had 1t.
With all the wealth that is represented
by the King ranch it is but trihe to
that which would be created should this
ranch be divided up among 10000 owners,
all eager to take advantage Of the possi-
bilities Of soil and climate to build homes
for themselves and families and to other
wise organize after the fashion of a thick
ly settled community Of prosperous people.
1t is these large land holdings, made pos
sible by the Indifference of the state Of
Texas to her future welfare which have
held back the development of this south
western Texas country. AS in California,
the state is suffering from the big ranches
owned by men who look upon their land
as fitted only for the grazing of cattle
and not as suitable for the homes of the
people: Naturally the entire force of the
klng interests, which are all powerful in
state as well as local affairs, are against
the invasion of their territory by railroads.
farmers or any other forces of disintegrat-
ing character. 1t may take a generation
or two to bring about a subdivision of this
great property, but the time will come
when diverse interests Of heirs will defeat
the purpose of the founder of Santa Ger
trudes and with the breaking up of the
pr1nc1pality which he welded together will
come larger cities, more railroads and
other deep water harbor on the Texas
coast, in short, all of those things which
go to make populous and prosperous com
munities. The army Of home-seekers ia
ever on the move and ever concentrating
It's forces against those who would mo.
nopollze the earth. j. D. WHELPLEY