Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-06-30
THE BIG RANCHES OF
WESTTEXASARE
NO MORE
.PE0PLING OF PANHANDLE
DRIVES OUT THE CATTLE
Many Colonization Enterprises
Now Under Way Where the
Steers Have Roamed at Will
for Half a Century,
CTexas stockman Journal.)

nation 10 see TINS. EdCn year lncN arc
passing and each succeeding twelve
months makes a quickening of theii
transition. The process has been go-
ing IN for the past five years now
but it has only been during the past
two or three years that the dismem-
berment of the big cow-ranches has
become distinctly noticeable to the
outside world. soon they will be the
pheasant memories" fit subjects f0I
the budding Imagination of the hope
full novelist.
The initiation Of the passing process
or an example of it at least could
probably be found in the dismembel-
ment-the cutting into small farms
of the 1T ranch southwest Of here,
and one of the largest Of Texas, as ii
were. This ranch, 5000, 600 acres OF
land in area, vas owned by Chicago
people. 1t almost covered northwest
Texas, stretching out over and well
down off the great plains. Ten years
ago it could probably have been pur-
chased for less han 81 an acre, if il
had been salable. Then the farmer
came. Farming began to rapidly take
the place of cattle raising and it be-
gan to dawn on the cOWman that his
rendezvous must be developed into a
farming country-that he must be
showed further west. The truth was
sad and painful, but persistent never
theless. With the farmer came a rise
in land values, Texas began to grow
uncomfortabIy large in amOut. The
farmer was still winning and an easy
victory is already in sight.
Some three years ago the Y
ranch that had held supremacy
among Texas ranches for many years
began ii be sliced. Level portions here
and there were surveyed off and sold
to anxious buyers at goodly prices.
The owners realized big money from
these sales. especially when it was re-
Elected hat the taxes had grown so
large that grazing land had come to
be poor property. For two years the
Chicaoans at the head of this ranch
grudgingly contented themselves with
"%siiClng' on a grand scale. Last win
ter, however, the enterprising OWner
sold out the last of their stock cattle.
surveyed the remainder of their big
tract in 100 acre tracts and placed the
whole of it upon the market. Almost
the whole of it has been sold. most Of
it at the fair price of $40 per acre.
Thousands Of busy farmers are now
filling the soil and converting the land
into a smiling garden. The steer has
gone westward to other ranches on
eastward to the slaughter houses.
With him goes the memory of the
Y r ranch.
The Matador ranch, almost as large
is another good example. II is made
up, however, Of three distinct tracts
or pasturesS The principal n lies
north and weat of Paducah. taking in
goOdly portions of COttle, Dickens,
Motley, King ana counties on the
west. This ranch in the counties
named has been fearfullY sliced. EV-
cry year the owners come over from
Scotland on a visit, only to return
with the conviction deeper seated that
their property is slipping from their
hands. Prosperous farms now dot
this tract OF land at frequent intervals.
Another Ranch Divided.
No better example of a quick meta
mUrphoSis from a ranch to a tract Of
quick farms could be found than in
the Moon" ranch, beginning n mile
east of here, covering the entire east
ern half Of the county, and extending
even into Ford county on the east.
owners of This big ranch held out
successfully for many years agains,
the encroachments of the hester, W
seeing many of their fellow cOWmen
go to the wall. But heir time came
at length. Last yea rthe whole OF
This ranch of several thousands Of
acres was placed on tn emarket at the
Wv AANt VI = hAA . NH 100 -
whether $50 acres-the
smallest tractor the entire anch
were taken. Buyers came in by the
dozens and at present some fifty
farms are in course Of cultivation
within sight of this town, where
twelve months & was only rohlnb
prairie on which brOWsed herds OF
one of the owners Of this
ranch has himself gone into the farm
ing business, erecting ten miles out
one of the most beautiful country res
licences of the country, surrounded by
a cultivated farm of several hundred
acres. The land is rapidly being sold,
and two years from now, if not
sooner. the famous "MOon" ranch viii
be a thing of the past.
Another proof of h passing OF
these features of the wild and
woolly" west is to be found in the OK
beginning some ten miles
northwest of Paducah n covering a
considerable area OF Cottle, Childress
and Hardeman counties. Twelve
miles from his town there has been
laid out on this ranch a townsite TO
he known as Dunlap named by the
way after a Dallas man who is part
owner o fthe ranch. This new town
the Paduch-Childress mai hack
line, has already been staked Off ana
the sale of lots is now going on
Farms dot the entire ranch and the
placing of the land on the market is
expected at any time.
Ranch Il Being ColOniled.
W. z. Richards. owner of the BID
ranch. touching this count yon the
southeast and covering "A goodly por-
ton of Foard county, is trying the
consolidation scheme. This means
Mr.. Richards o not intend to
sell his land for some time yet, but
he is 90 go out of the cattle rails
raising business. His plan is TO divide
his land into 100 acre tracts n rent
these to tenants who viii pay a part
pf their profits 10 him as the landlord
Last winter Mr.. Richards brought IN
several hundred enterprising German
and has established a German
rolonv on his ranch. He announces
his intention of pushir~ this scheme
and will mex winter extend it
stin further.
Burke Burnett of Fort Worth is one
,r the few coWmen who has thus tar
managed to keep his ranch intact Mf
owns the $3.50 ranch wing
i'm King. KnoN and Baylor
Ills HEADQUARTERS are located al Guth-
the county seat OF King county
v-bich village. 70 might be- said l-
owned almost 90 toto 10y him. ne
buos stone store does over nur-haii
mercantile business az iht t.NN'