The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-11-05
OLDEN DAYS
IN PANHANDLE
OTOVsT's Telegram Talks Of
Plains Men on Business In
Kansas City

]. II. Gator OF Zulu, Texas, freight
err. buffalo hunter and ranchman,
came in yesterday with shipment
OF cattle Mr.. Gator has quite an ex-
tenslve acquaintance among the old
or class of cowmen who were active
back In the seventies AT the time
] went 80 the Panhandle country"
said Mr.. Gator, "th0re were no set
Tiers anywhere. II was almost TWEEN
~ miles TO the nearest railroad, and
buffalo were very plentiful. In the
fall OF the year and through the
winter followed buffalo hunting a
good deal. killed then Just for
their hides, leaving the carcases on
the plains for the wolves. Then /
followed freighting from Dodge City,
kan, down through what was then
called No Mans Land. which Is now
Oklahoma. TO Fort supply, Texas.
The country was wild and woolly.
and never expected TO live long
enough TO see It much else. Now
when | ride up through that same
country on a fine passenger train
and look at the old places where we
killed buffalo, and where we rounded
up our freight teams and slept on the
open plains at night, | find farm
houses and green wheat fields, hogs
and cattle and many other signs of
civilization. And we find towns and
villagesc growing up all over the
country, 1t sometimes seems moro
like a dream than a reality. Land
that could not have been given away
at the time we were freightlng
through the country, is now selling
lat $40 an acre In many places"
4 4 4
J. w. Jones OF Hansford, Texas,
who marketed four carloads OF COWS
yesterday, was land poor few years
ago. but he could now sell ont his
land possessions for $4,000 without
any trouble at all. This great
nmount of wealth was made through
the settlement OF the country. He
invested in school lands when ne
went there. The best OF II was not
worth more than 81 an acre, and
some less than that. at the time Mr..
Jones located in the country. Then,
like others. after he got the land he
found that il was really Of no valpe
for a long time, as there was no
demand for IL. He kept on handling
cattle. A few years ago when set
Hers commenced to so into Hans
ford county land owners suddenly
found themselves wealthy. So far
Mr.. Jones has disposed OF none OF
BIS, cheap land. lie has interests In
tuytnan. Okla. where he owns a
residence, and where he goes 10
pend the winters for the benefit OF
y children, who attend school there.
g&ilny ranch" said Mr.. Jones, 81
r's-ssl59 acres in alfalfa. Although
aast season was rather dry. I
Tour crops from that land, and
ei, up over 500 tons OF fine hay.
Tlgtt amount OF alfalfa win take care
n large number OF cattle on the
range through the winter. No mat
ter what happens. can carry them
along on that kind OF feed. and have
them looking well In the spring. All
we need now is q railroad, and that
Is being surveyed, and will no doubt
be built before long. We anticipate
great Improvements in the next few
years, as well AZ big advances on
land values."
X 4 A
Green wheat fields are almost as
common on the plains OF West Tex
as as up here in this country" said
ia. P, Oliver OF Bovina. Texas. "That
country has been put in such shape
BY settlement and development that
It looks coed all the time now. And.
for that matter. Texas mover was in
such . tlourishing condition as now.
J have spent thirty-thrce years in the
risfs. living . good while q the East