The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-10-20
UP RASORs
VAST TRACTS IN koUTHwRsz
GIVEN Up TO FARMING.
eAtelefnen Have No Further uSe Tor
the Land and Are Selling II
to Homssteaders at Low
Prices.

Conditions In the great ranch country
Of the southwest were never In better
shape for the homeseeker and investor,
says s. A. Hughes, general immigration
agent of the Frisco system, who. says
st. Louis report, has Just returned from
an extensive trip through Texas The
cattle ranches are being generally cut
up and sold out in small tracts 10 farm
ers from the east and the north.
One railroad system has been carry
lng about $500 homeseekers into the
cheap land districts along It's line each
month FOR the last two years. and the
othtr southwestern roads have been do
Ing nearly as large business. Con-
seu0eAtly u is safe to say that oklaho-
ma, Texas. Indian territory and Arkan-
SAT have increased at the rate OF TO-
600 settlers a month. The invasion Of
the ranch lands has come from Iowa
Wisconsin. Ohio, Nebraska Illinois. In
diana and Kentucky.
In recent years the cAtllemeh have
been feeding their cattle In pens and
fattening them on crops grown by farm
ers. Hence 1t is no longer necessary
TO devote the grass products of 20 acres
OF land to fatteninR one steer. Cattle
men have no further use for the land,
and are selling Il at prices OF from three
TO fifteen dollars an acre
The northern and eastern farmers
who haW. hnuukt tkEa raurh land ana
begun TO cultivate the soil have all made
money. One man near Corpus Christi
bought tract OF ranch land at s15 an
sere and put II out IN Bermuda onions.
Two years later he sold Sii 600 worth OF
onions from rs acres
In Greer county. Oklahoma, land sold
at five dollars an acre two years ago.
but prices have jumped TO SIS and s25
an acre. Farmers are raising bale Of
cotton or 35 bushels OF wheat TO the
acre in that region. One Of the richest
parts Of Oklahoma. inst now being made
central point for homeseekers, is
Woods county. in the Eagle Chief val
ley Only a few years ago this val
ley was vast cattle range but II IL
now a thickly settled and prosperous
farm community
In western Kansas a few years AGO
there we're only grasshoppers. sod
houses and waving fields OF buffalo
grass Most Of these huts were deserted
To-day prosperous farmers live IN mod
ern homes In this same country They
raise bumper wheat crops and the cat
lie country has been turned into farms.
One Of the finest sections In the whole
ranch land district OF the southwest lies
along the coast of southern Texas
Here few years ago millions Of acres
las IN single racts and hundreds ~
thousands Of Texas steers roamed ~
large feeding ON the luxur.ant grasses
But the attention Of the northern farm
er has been called "a the coast toan-
try of Texas as = fruit and vegetable
growing country and 10 the wonderful
opportunities 10 growing rice Land
suitable FOR rice culture IN the ~ Cam
po district has jumped from five 70 fifty
dollars an acre IN three years
Up To six years AGO The culture of riue
was Comparatively unknown In Texn
There IL = rice area At the present time
Of 8 600 600 acres tributary tothe BrazDs
Colorado. Trinity and Rio Grande riv-
ers Il Is estimated that about 500 Z
600 acres OF these lands has been pur~
chased In FIVE wears hy rice farmers
and Investors
4 new stretch of ranch land uOv be-
ing opened to The public lies along the
81 Louis. Brownsville & Mexico road
This soil Is especially adapted TO truck
farming This is known as the
''Brownsvllle district and the country
IL watsrsd BY artesian wells On the
famous Santa Gertrudas ranch eompFit-
Ing 100 900 acres. there are about 70
srteslAn welis This property belongs
to Mrs. Ring. who has consented 10 have
II sold out in small tracts.
Ranches In the central part Of Texas
ow NED by czttlemen Wishing 10 retirs
from the cattle trail. are beiug sold.
Millions Of acres lylng In a single ranch
have been common in Texas during the
past. but Il Il predicted BY Mr. Hughes
that within Eve or six years there will
be no large ranches IN any part Of the
southwest. while the population u
sparssiy settled districts will increase
rapidly and the value OF property vii
also advance enormously
Useful Invention.