The Washington herald., 1907-02-12
AT THE HOTELS.

Two years OF age. ne seems as GuU or
life and activity as most men in their
prime. Last year Mr.. Merchant. who is
one OF the most prosperous stockmen OF
the West. owning big ranches in Texas
and New Mexico. celebrated in a great
dinner. at which 800 guests were present,
the fiftieth anniversary Of his wedding
The remarkable feature Of the affair was
that both he and his good wife were
born IN the Lone Star State and a rigid
investigation by one Of the leading daily
newspapers showed that they were the
oldest married couple OF native origin
within the limits Of the state
There were very few white children
born in Texas before / came into the
world. in Nacogdoches County, in 1892,
said Mr.. Merchant TO a reporter OF The
Herald. Indeed, there were few white
adults there tn that early day, which was
before Texas had achieved its independ-
ence from Mexico. I grew up ia East
Texas and went into the Confederate
army. although my father. who had
fought under Cen Sam Houston. in the
war Of independence. like that grand
old hero, regarded secession as the height
Of folly
Il came out Of the war dead broke.
and the first money ! earned was IL
driving a herd Of cattle over the old
trail; and ! was the second white man
to put a bullock in the stock yards al
Abilene. Kans. After that / went West
and named the little station on the Texas
and Pacific built on my land. Abilene.
after the Kansas town.
we thought in that day that the west
EN- part OF Texas would never be ft for
anything except grazing cattle. 7 bought
1000 acres OF land near the town for 81
an acre, and little while ago sold To-
acres of it for $500. All that section is
now a productive agricultural country.
and is getting ahead Of the rest OF the
State IN the production Of cotton Land
values have increased enormously in those
counties, where but a few years ago the
prairies we're thick with cattle. II doesn't
pay TO raise steers on land that will
produce a bale II cotton 10 the acre, for
the bale Of cotton IS worth so. and IL
takes four years 20 grow steer that viii
bring only so. My friend Tom Wag-
goner- Of the Panhandle section. was re-
Gently offered S6,000,001 for his landed
property in Greer County and refused the
offer. lie has 601.0o0 acres. 1890 Of which
cattle
The Capital Syndicate Company. which
owned 100000 acres in the Panhandle il
selling on from its big tract Two years
ago stockman Of nay acquaintance pur-
chased 10000 acres from the company at
s. an acre. Within the last thirty days
he had an offer Of $50 an acre for the
entire body. but I think he viii hold IL
for still bigger advance"
Hon. Ben johnson, Of Bardst0wn. Ky.
who will be the successor of Representa-
tive David II. Smith. in the next Con
gress. is a guest Of the Riggs House AR
Johnson is banker and was collector
Of internal revenue under the Cleveland
regime. He is a man Of ability and eX-
perience in Statecraft. having been a
State senator and also speaker Of the
Kentucky legislature
Il do not claim any personal distinc-
tiOn.' said Mr.. Johnson, but am proud
OF the famous and historic old town from
which I hail. In years gone by IL bore
the title Of the Athens OF the West A
famous seat Of learning there was St
Joseph College and the equally celebrated
St. Nazareth Female College. under the
control Of the Sisters Of Nazareth. The
former had many students who afierwaTd
became noted men, among them the late
Senator Garland, Of Arkansas. II was in
Bardstown that Foster wrote Ny Old
Kentucky Home The greatest intelIects
that Kentucky produced also lived in
that little viIlage-JOhn Rowan, Ben
Hardin, Charles A. WickIife, and others
Of similar renown- Rowan and WickIiffe
We're United States Senators. the former
the close friend and contemporary Of
Henry Clay.
Now comes at this late day another
son OF Bardstown. Gov. BeCkham, who is
a grandson Of Wickiffe. and who viii
duplicate his grandsire's public service
by entering the United States Senate on
the expiration Of Senator McCreary's
present term"
What most Of the stockmen Of my
section desire is for the government 20
exercise supervision Of the Western graz
ing lands that belong to the public DO
MAN," said Mr.. z de Ricqies, general
manager of the American Live Stock and
Loan Company. OF Denver. at the VII
lard
"The policy Of leasing lands or Of
granting permits TO breeders, whereby
the government can get some TevenUs
from the ground is, in my opinion, emil
nently fair and just In the long run It
will be great deal better for everybody
than a continuation of the present open
range policy. The grass belongs to the
government, and Uncle Sam ought 20 de
rive some benefit from Il by a moderate
tax on those who use IT,"
The finance committee OF the Washing
ton Hotel Mems Association met at the
Arlington yesterday in regard to arrang-
ing for the May convention Of the Hotel
Mems Mutual Benefit Association. which
will bring at least 1000 visitors here
In the old days, when a bunch of
wealthy cattle and sheep men. such as
now temporarily inhabit Washington,
were gathered together there was sure
to be fun and frolic galore. and even
boisterous revelry that impaired Grim
son hue to all the surroundings Now
the New Willard is the rendezvous Of a
score of the wealthiest owners Of herds
and flocks In the Union. but there is no
racket and not a sign OF the red paint
that used to be IN evidence two decades
ago when the barons Of the pastoral
country We're wont TO assemble in Kansas
City. Denver, and Fort Worth.
The quiet little man who smoked
big cigar in the lobby Of the above-men-
toned hostelTie last evening, and who
looked like ne might be a clerk in a
store, was Sol Luna, who has S5,000 head
Of sheep on the plains Of New Mexico.
He Is type Of the modern stock raiser.
one who has discarded drink and gaming.
and hashy attire. and is as methodicaI
and conservative in his ways as the
president Of a bank.
Another fine example Of the up-to-date
cattle king is Col. James A. Lockhart, OF