The Lamar register., 1903-05-20
STOCkMAk WAS LOST WHERE
LAMAR NOW STANDS.
Oscar Adams Tells Of His Experience
With Herd Of Cattle In WiIds
Twenty Years Ago-Cround
Now Worth S76 an Acre

"a trip across Southeastern Colo,
RADIO and many parts Of the Pan
handle these days makes the old
time COW puncher sick at heart" "
This remark was volunteered by Os-
car Adams Of the S. A. Purinton P
bar outfit near Ssnderson, Tex, who
brought up consignment of NUT
tons for his firm. After the stock
was sold Adams lighted South
western stogie, settled down into a
comfortable office chair and grew
reminiscent.
"Tilnes arn't like they were," said
he sway back in the early eighties
the cowboy was somebody, he was
everything, in fact. Now we are
glad to connect with a sheep and
cattle ranch. It isn't much to the
oldtimer's relish to strike out on
sheep deal, but then it is about the
only thing in sight now. I passed
through the Arkansas valley the
other day and saw nothing but
succession of farms around Lamar,
Rocky Ford, Las Animas and those
towns and they told me land there is
worth more per acre than We used to
secure whole sections for. Well do
I remember Lamar before anyone
ever dreamed of making town
there.
SIT was in the summer of 1888. I
was then with the Cross 7 outfit Of
Frank Collision (he's now running
ranch near Amarillo, I believe). We
landed in Colorado with drove of
$500 cattle that were started by
trail from Brownwood, Tex, on the
first Of May. That was common
occurrence in those dsys-a five to
six hundred mile trail during the
summer. Now Southern cowboy
thinks he is doing great things when
he drives couple hundred head or
so of steers hundred miles to
railroad station. Then we never
handled less than a couple Of thous
and cattle at one clip and sometimes
trailed as many as 1000 in a bunch.
We crossed the Arkansas river on
the 7th day of August and then our
troubles began. To date the trip
had been favorable and we had lost
only 10 head by the time We struck
the river. As soon as we got north
of the stream, however, bad weather
came on. 1t rained and misted for
five days and as luck would have 1t
the cattle got away one bad night.
The boys scattered to round them
up. I took with me doc Morgan,
an old timber, but Doc was not fa
miliar with the lay of the country
and we were were soon lost. Not
star or sign of the sun did we see
for those i've blessed days and as
the horses soon gave out there was
nothing for us to do but wander over
the country hoping to strike some Of
the outfit. Doc and soon parted
company and on the fifth day the
sun came out. I then struck for the
spot where I thought the camp was
last located and while tramping
a long was hailed by the boss and ono
of the boys who had set out to find
us. Well, I had had nothing to eat
since the first day we were lost and
was rayenously hungry. The rest
of the fellows put me on systemat-
ic diet, however, and I suffered no i'll
effects from the experience The
next day they found Morgan in what
was known as the Bar SIS pasture
He was nearly starved and vowed
that no one could prevent him from
eating Just what he wanted. The
man stuffed food for two solid hours
and then went to sleep. He was
sick afterward and all that winter
was compelled to remain under
physician's care in Denver. 1t was
long time before his stomach got
just right again.
"Following our trail was Ike
Pryor's outfit Ike's Kansas Cityan
now and heard the chilly, damp
weather played the mischief with
his herd. Before we got our stock
.quartered we lost about 100 head,
Just from the wetness. I doubt if
there has been worse August in the
valley since then. Right where La
mar is today, as near as I can re