The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1903-01-09
BEWEYS GREAT OAK RANCH.
Largest Cattle Venture in the His
tory Of Western Kansas.
Vast Acreage Bought Up in RaWiins and
Cheyenne Counties, and Now the
Company Is Getting a Foot
held in sherman County.


held in sherman County.
WI. RatcIif. OF Atwood, and Chaun-
cey Dewey, Of Pentheka, on the Oak
ranch. we're in GoOdland this week in
the interests OF the Dewey Cattle CON-
pany. Through tax deed title and by
direct purchase the company has &C
quired a good many quarter sections of
land in this county. The north part Of
It is particularly inviting to them and
their visit to Goodland was for the puF-
pose Of pushing the plan. They now
own considerable land in townships six
and seven in range thirty nine, along the
Beaver. This region will in all probsb-
ility be incorporated into the west end
ranch. For the improvements to the
north, material will be freighted from
GOodland. Already three carloads of
barbed wire have been shipped in on
the Rock Island for the Dewey company.
The Dewey Cattle company, of which
a. B. Dewey, Of Chicago, is the principal
figure, have e ranch in western Kansas
Of stupendous dimentions. For several
years the company has been acquiring
land until its holdings in extent are IN
precedented in the history of this Sec
ton Of country.
Their principal ranch is in Rawlins
county, with its center Of operations at
Pentheka, on the Beaver creek. This
ranch is thirteen miles square. Nearly
al Of the land within its borders has
been bought up. Here and there is
quarter the owner-perhaPs a non
resident-has refused to sell, but he is
so uncomfortably hsmmed in that sooner
or later he will willingly let go.
In Cheyenne county pretty much ali
the land south of the Burlington rail
road and as far west as Bird City forms
the largest block, called the "West End"
ranch. The Little Beaver creek trav-
erses this tract These two ranches are
about seven miles apart. but il is the
intention Of the company to buy up the
intervening strip, so that the consolida-
ton will give them a continuous range
for twenty or twenty-five miles. The
Gerhard place, IN the south edge of
Cheyenne county, is the headquarters Of
the West End ranch.
The Dewey possessions take in three
country pOstofhces, Beaverton and Pen
theka, in Rawhns county, and Grace in
Cheyenne county, with the company's
man in each case as postmaster.
Pentheks, on the Oak ranch-nomi-
nally the name given to all of their
grazing territOry-is where Chauncey
Dewey, a son of the cattle baron, has his
headquarters.
While ". J. Ratcliff, a real estate man
of Atwood, has the general oversight and
management Of the Dewey interests,
Chauncey occupies himself with the i'm
mediate control Of the ranch and cattle.
A number of Misunderstanding, bunk
houses, barns and cattle sheds-have
been erected there, where are employed
and kept about one hundred men.
At the present time 5000 head of
cattle are grazed on their ranch land,
which is not enclosed but has miles of
''dr1ft'' fence to keep the cattle within
certain limits. Included in the herd is
about 1000 western COWS, $50 high grade
bulls and a fine herd OF Hereford COWS,
the offspring Of which are being care
fully graded.
Telephone communication has been
established from Atwood to Pentheka
and Beaverton, and the line Will soon be
extended to the West End ranch in
Cheyenne county. Ultimately GOOdland
wiz be connected with this on the north.
For almost a year q long distance line
has been in operation from Atwood TO
Colby, and it is understood that were it
not for q short stretch by telegraph, the
Oak ranch could get through telephone
connection to the Dewey ranch, near
Manhattan, Kan.
So, not very far ahead IN time, Good
land people viii be able to get long dis
lance phone connection with points con-
siderably to the east.
The Dewey cattle venture in north
vest Kansas has for its end a most
stupendOus scheme, and whether so
seemingly unwieldly and expensive an
enterprise can be made to succeed re-
mains to be seen.