Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-04
MRS. LEAFS BIG RANCH
Has Been Carrying Burden
for Thirty Years.
HER WAY CLEAR NOW
BREAKING UP HER LARGE HOLD
INGS INTO FARMS.
Trouble With the Cattlemen Who
Wanted to Craze Their Herds
on the Ranges.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
---- TALPA, Texas. June 25, 1905.
About forty years ago William H. Day,
pioneer from Tennessee purchased from the
state of Texas $1,000 acres of land in Cole
man county, at so cents an acre. He ex-
hausted all his capital in making the first
payment, putting up his ranch headquar-
ters and fencing his land, and when he died
in 1881 he left his widow and daughter a
legacy of debts and complications which
have caused them almost insurmountable
embarrassments and years of distress. But
Mrs. Lea, with extraordinary courage, de-
termination and business ability, has been
able to protect their interests. and on the
LIST of July next will be able and ready to
unload the burden she has been carrying
and breathe freely for the first time in thir-
ty years. In 1880 she married Joseph C.
Lea, a Colorado ranchman. He lived but
two years and was of very little assistance
in the management of her business affairs.
She has conducted them all herself, with
the assistance of her daughter. Mrs Padg-
lit, recently married and now living In Dali
las, who inherits her mothers courage and
business capacity. Mrs. Padgitt was edu-
Gated at Chicago University. Both she and
her mother are well known in Texas. Not
withstanding her private cares and per-
sonal anxieties Mrs. Lea has found time to
do a great deal of public service in chart
ties and other movements with which Wo-
men are interested. She was a member of
the board of lady managers at the Column
bian exposition at Chicago in 1893 and at
the Louisiana purchase exposition at st.
Louis in 1904, and has been member and
official of several state organizations. She
is a native of Chillicothe Mo.
A Famous Rendezvous.
The Lea ranch. as it is known, is situated
about eighteen miles from Talpa station. on
the Santa Fe railroad, and about thirty
miles southwest of Coleman, the county
seat of the county of the same name 1t is
on the old Chisholm TRAIL which was fol-
lowed by the cattlemen of southern and
western Texas for many years in driving
their herds to Dodge City, on the Santa Fe.
and Abilene, on the Kansas Pacific, where
the cattle were loaded on cars and shipped
to market.
On beautiful spot near the ranch, beside
great springs of water, is a wideSpreading
elm tree which throws its shade over
large area. 1t is historic tree. This was
the most popular camping ground on the
great drive between the Rio Grande and
the Arkansas rivers, and the tree was the
meridian by which distances were meas
ured. When a cowman wanted to describe
a certain location he would say that 1t was
two days ride six days ride, as the case
might be, from the great elm on Grape
creek There was always good grass on the
ranges around that elm. and that made
plenty of water in Grape creek and in the
pools near IT, and the best camping ground
on the trail. Hence the elm was rendez-
yous where the cattle buyers used to meet
the cowmen and do their trading. There
drovers from different parts of the state
would form combinations, unite their herds
and organize for the rest of the drive The
cattle buyers made their bargains there
he 6rOvprG
at Austin, which was the financial center
of the southwest in those days. Having
purchased the herds and paid for them, the
SPECTATORS would hurry on to Kansas City
and Chicago and sell the cattle at an ad-
vantage, so as to meet their drafts.
Trouble With the Cattlemen.
Mrs. Lea had great deal of trouble with
the drovers in early days, because she
fenced in the drive; and her struggles with
the wire cutters lasted for several years.
All this territory used to be free grass"
Anybody could feed his herd upon the
ranges without asking permission. But
when the lands were sold the buyers nat
urally wanted the grass for their own cat
tie, and fenced their pastures in. The
stockmen who had no ranges OF their own
cut down the fences and what was known
as the war with the wire cutters occurred
AS you drive around Mrs. Lea's ranch to-
day you can sec where her wires were cut
and mended.
At one time she had as many as 10000
cattle on the ranch. but two years ago she
came to the conclusion that it was more
profitable to break 1t up as they say, into
farms. She was convinced that the land
was too valuable for pastures. She could
not lease il for more than thirty cents an
acre to cattlemen, but could get $40 and
S12 an acre out of the same land If rented
on shares for agricultural purposes. She
was a pioneer in this movement in this sec
ton of the country, which brought down
upon her the wrath of the cattlemep
throughout all western Texas. Some of
them were guilty of contemplate conduct.
The neighbors tell stories of her treatment
that make the nearer indignant, but she
has won out all right, and now some of the
men who have prosecuted her are eager to
make friends and declare that she Is the
best business manager in western Texas.
Crowding Back the Cattlemen.
Hers is not unique case, however.
There has been a desperate struggle be-
tween the old way and the new for the last
ten years. The free rangers fought hard
for free grass" and when the land was
sold-not only here, but everywhere In
Texas-made a desperate struggle for what
they considered their rights as American
freemen. But they had to go; they were
pushed farther and farther back toward the
mountains and the border, until there Is
now very little free grass remaining any
where for anybody. Then the cowboy ran
up against the barbed wire fence, and he.
too, was forced to retire discounted Final
ly the farmer came in and began to plow
the ground and the land speculator, who
laid out town sites and sold lots to set
tiers, until now wheat and corn. and even
watermelons and canteloupes are growing
on the slopes where the cattle fed a few
years ago; the breeding ranches have given
place to diaries and poultry farms, and the
long horned. famous Texas steer has van
ished into oblivion. His place Is filed by
high-bred Herefords.
Breaking Up the Ranch.
AS have already told you. Mrs. Lea was
a pioneer in introducing agriculture into
this part of Texas. She began to break up
her ranch about two years ago. Other own
ers of large tracts are now following her