The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-09-06
LARGEST PRIVATE ESTATE.
The Ming Ranch Now Containing
Over A Million Acres.

tract Of 10000 acres Santa Ger
trude Ranch, in southwest Texas,
already reputed to be the largest
estate in the world owned by a
private individual, was increased
to the immense proportions Of 900
square miles or I ,28o, 900 acres.
This single ranch is, therefore, al
most twice as large as the State of
Rhode Island and contains $4,000
more acres of land than does the
State of Delaware.
All this immense area, says
Harper's Weekly, is owned by
one elderly woman ofsimple tastes
and retiring habits who takes no
active part in the management and
does not even live upon the land
for the greater half of the year.
Her interest in the ranch is strong
est during Christmas week. when
with traditional Southern hospi-
tality she entertains half hun.
dred guests in the great manor
house.
However impressive the Stats
tics Of Santa Gertrudes may be on
paper, The visible reality is not at
all imposing. On a slight swell of
ground, by no means high enough
to be digniied by the name hill,
stand the ranch house, a neat
white building large enough to
serve the purpose of a good sized
hotel, with detached dining room
and kitchen and abundant veran-
das, after the southern style.
To the rear is a grass bordered
reservoir fed by an artesian well,
and untidy barn and coral, black
smith shop and some shade trees.
At the right is the ranch commits
sary, whence are drawn all the
neccssaries of life and as much of
its luXuries as the scantv Mexican
population of the ranch ever know.
Beyond the commissary lies
hamlet of neat brick cottages
which house the Mexicans en-
played at headquarters
From the upper windows of the
ranch house one may look out in
one direction over an expansc of
level prairie fringed with mesquite,
until the hay rim of the horizon
shuts out the view; and that is alb
solutely all. However thoroughly
convinced one may be of the ex-
istence of those ZOO square miles,
or of the so, 900 head Of cattle and
600 head OF horses and 1900
goats that Craze thereon, as a
spectacle the largest private
estate in the world Is a distinct
failure.
1t does not take many men to
run big ranch. The total popu-
lation of Santa Gertrude, white and
Mexicsn, men, women and child
ren, is 500. If the ranch was as
densely populated as Rhode Island
it would have 8I4, 900 inhabitants
Even the 800 are scattered 50 that
very few of them are ever seen to.
gether.
The ranch is divided into 70
pastures. On each or the largest
and on groups of two or three of
the smaller pastures a family lives.
a small pasture, in this instance
is under stood to mean 5000 acres
or so.
In the horse departments fore
man and forty men have charge of
a herd of 600 Percheron and thor
oughbred brood mares, but as the
breeding farm occupies 600 acres
there is no crowding
There are never any murders or
sluggings, nor even a strike to add
the zest'of excitement TO the life Of
the ranch. All the employees
here, as elsewhere in southwest
Texas, are MeXicans, who are act
ual!y content to be faithful, indns-
trious, honest trustworthy ser
wants as long as thew are decently
treated.
AT a salary Of $40 a month and
rent and provisions they render
faithful and cheerfully within g Sc
vice under ali circumstances and