The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-16
BIG KIT RANCE SOLD.
a Tract as Large as Connecticut in
Northwestern Texas.

kansas City starr
Chicagq.-The Capitol company, or
the Y 1 J ranch, of which the Farwells
Of Chicago are the principal owners.
has sold 10 the Reynolds Land a Cattle
company $4,000 acres; TO l.. T., Clark,
$4,000 acres: to William J. Tod, $4,000
acres; 10 the MatadOr Land K Cattle
company. 100000 acres. to f. ID.
Wright 10000 acres. and about 10000
acres in smaller tracts to various pUr-
chaseTs. Other sales are pending.
The Y / z ranch was the largest
ranch in the United States. 1t was 50
extensive that some states could not
have contained il. Connecticut, for eX-
ample, could not hold it by several
hundred acres The two states of
Rhole Island and Delaware combined
could not contain this great rancn,
which consists Of more than 100000
acres, or almost 5000 square miles.
About twelve years ago when Texas
needed new state capitol, the legis-
lature adopted a novel plan TO get it.
A promise was held forth that a vast
tract of unappropriated land would be
given in exchange for a suitable gran
lite building at Austin. Among those
tempted by this offer were ex-senator
Charles B. Farwell and his brother
John, who ultimately formed d syndi-
cate in Chicago and took upon them
selves the responsibility of erecting the
proposed capitol. In due time they
came into the possession of this do
main known as the y 1 T ranch.
The ranch is situated in the extreme
northwest corner of the Panhandle of
Texas, and covers or touches nine diff
feTent counties. Its northern boun-
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
to WesD il averages about twenty-five
miles In length it is about 200 miles.
The soil is mostly of black or choeo-
late color and covered with a thick
coat of buffalo or mesquite, grama
and other grasses, which cure on the
ground and furnish winter as well as
summer pasture for stock of all kinds.
At the southern end of the tract the
altitude is about 900 feet, and at the
northern end about 4 200 feet The eli
mate is pronounced to be delightful.
the air being braCing though dry.
When the FaTwells obtained the land
( they incl0sed it with a substantial
tarbed wire fence There are many
cross fences upon il. separating the
territory into from twenty to thirty
large divisions. besides many small
ones. To make these fences il required
1-500 miles of barbed wire The syndi-
1 cate also built ranch houses, bored and
/ dug wells. of which there are now
about $50. averaging 40 feet in depth.
and having eaTthen or wooden reser-
4 voirs and drinking attachments. erect
/ ed wind mills over the wells built
dams across arroyos to conserve the
/ rainfall and in various other ways
made the place suitable for a success
I ful ranch on q large scale. They placed
/ cattle upon it as fast as it could b.
put in safe condition TO receive them
/ and have since continued to edd to the
/ herd from time to time by purchase
/ and breeding until they have at pres
/ ent about 125.0O0 cattle. besides 500
/ horses. The calves branded in 1899 ex-
/ ceeded $4,000 head. The whole proper
/ ty is valued at $40, 100000.
O . .
one of the surprising things in con-
nection with this huge enterprise is
the fact that all the duties are per
formed by a force of about rs men