The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-09
KANSAS NEWS.
Charles NJ. Harger Writes OF
the Noted Dewey Ranch.
Piece Of Territory 90 Miles
Long and from 8 to IA Wide.
is IN FOUR COUNTIES.
NearestNeIghbor 5 MilesAway-
The Garden LIS IL Miles.
In Sod Houses Are Found the
Bath and Phone.

Abilene Kan, Aug. &C. NJ. Harger
IN the Reflector says:
An Abilene man is manager of the
biggest ranch in Kansas and one OF the
largest in the United States. Frank l..
Ball is at the head of a piece of terri
tory So miles long and from 3 to IA
miles wide. This is the famous Dewey
ranch. Its proper name is Oak Ranch,
being named from small ranch that
was at first used as headquarters for
the whole establishment. 1t lies along
Beaver creek in Rawlins county, but
reaches over into Sherman. Thomas and
Cheyenne. Its western side is within
II miles of the Colorado line. c. p.
Dewey, recently deceased, many years
ago was a large investor in Kansas
farm mortgages, operating IN northwest
Kansas. The collapse of the boom and
of the land values made him the pos
SCISSOR through foreclosure of scores OF
quarter sections. He formed them into
a rancn. buying some other land, leas-
ing some and using government land
where it could be done This stretcn
of prairie comprises the ranch. The
Dewey Land & Cattle company, under
which name it is now managed, does
not own all the land but it controls
most of the 100000 acres Inside the
ranch are dozen or more settlers who
have taken claims and in a modest
way improved the farms. They have
some cattle and. like the country news
paper. are there to stay Considera bic
trouble has resulted in the past from
the clash of interests.
But Frank Ball has no trouble with
the settlers. He meets them fairly and
If they want to pasture hundred head
of cattle on the ranch he tells them to
go ahead. If the cattle get in the set
tiers corn. he pays the bill There is
good feeling now and the ranch is being
run with the skill of a man who I'M
derstands how to handle it There are
on the ranch $50 head of cows, prac-
tically all of them beautiful Herefords
that would make a winning picture in
any cattle snow: 700 or 500 calves, and
325 horses. This, of course, is nowhere
the ranch's capacity. A thousand head
of cattle were shipped to market a few
weeks ago and restocking Will be
made when fall comes. The losses dur
ing the past winter were practically
nothing, owing to the foresight and
good management of the superintend-
ent. Mr.. Ball, who spent many a day
in the billiards. that sweep the plains, |
caring for the stock in his charge
Oak Ranch is 81 miles-good long
miles-from Colby, the business point |
for that section Mr.. and Mrs. Bali
met US at the station with a four-mule |
team hitched to a heavy double seated I
spring wagon with top. Candor COM
pels the statement that Frank is far
better at some things than ne is at
driving four mules. On a straight road
he does pretty we'll but he has a hard
didn't track and the efforts to reach
the leaders with 16-foot whip were !
only occasionally successful. After we
had worked our way so far from town |
that not the slightest bit of smoke |
could be seen the driver pointed to a
windmill alongside barley field far in
the north distance. See that mill?''
was asked. well that is twelve miles
only IS miles beyond that" But it all
took less than four hours. and sudden
ly. as the team trotted eagerly over d
slope, we came to long decline that
wound down a canon and in the valley
beside the creek was headquarters.
People in western Kansas think nothing
of a 30-mile drive. The nearest neigh
Dor to the ranch is five miles away;
the garden is II miles from the house;
the cattle are eating Sc miles westward.
Distances are not only magnificent, but
they are very real on a hot day.
The picture of red and white build
tngs is very pretty as it shows against
the background of buffalo grass that
reaches away to the far horizon. High
est of all is the managers residence |
four-roOmed. with wide porch and fac
ing a slope where grows dozens of elrns. |
Two windmills water the yard and sup
ply the buildings. A handsome bath
room with porcelain fixtures and hot
and cold water bring luxury to the
ranch's life Electric bells are literally
provided Mr. Ball pushes a button
and wakes the men in the bunk
house." another and orders dinner at
the cook house. All portions of the
ranch are reached by phone A lake of
a dozen acres. formed by damming the
creek. makes a fine swimming pool
three miles west of the headquarters
Ice house. refrigerator, store rooms, etc.
make the convenienceS all that one
could wish The garden" an irrigated
tract of ten acres. is superintendent by
B. F. Hetherington who used to live
on North Seventh street in Abilene
NOT all the settlers are so fortunate
thousands of poor fellows have tried
and failed The reminders of their
struggle are scattered over the hills
ana through the canons. High on a !
divide where it would seem that no
child could expect crops to grow are
great squares of Russian thistles show
ing where some one once broke the sod |
In the shelter of hill are the crur- |
bling walls of a sod house, telling of n
struggle for a home. Some times the
form of the dwelling remains: oftener
nothing but heap of earth. One wear
or two or three the settler waited and
hoped. then one day when the corn
was shriveled and the little garden
wasted by the fierce south wind he
loaded his few belongings into a prairie
schooner and set out for Gods coun-
try 1t was utterly wasted effort
that those early settlers gave to the
West-woIse than wasted for they
spoiled good prairie in the doing of If
The recompense came to others in these
latter years, when the new generation