Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-07-08

before him with interest. lie had been
making careful inspection Of all the
properties that had fallen to his care.
This had necessitated a good deal OF
travelling. He had begun in Colorado
and worked eastward, going slowly, and
getting the best advice obtainable as to
the value of his principals holdings.
Much of their property was practically
worthless. Title had been gained under
foreclosure to vast areas which had no
value. A waterworks plant stood in the
prairie where there had once been a
Kansas town. The place was depopu-
lated and the smokestack stood as mon
ument to blighted hopes. Ranch houses
were inhabited by squatters, who had not
been on his books at all, and who PAID
no tribute to Boston. He was viewed
with suspicion by these tenants, and on
inquiry at the county seats, he found
that they were lawless men, and that 1t
would be better for nim to let them alone.
1t was patent that they would not pay
rent, and to eject them merely In the
maintenance of a principle involved USE
less expense and violence.
This certainly beats them all, Sax
ton muttered aloud.
He had reached in his itinerary what
his papers called the Poindexter proper
ty. He had found that the place was
famous throughout this part of the coun-
try for the idiosynchasies of its some
time owners, three young men who had
come out Of the East to show how the
cattle business should be managed. They
had secured an immense acreage and
built a stone ranch house whose curious
architecture impaired to the Platte VAL
ley a touch of medievalsm that was lit
tie appreciated by the neighboring cattle
men. One of the owners, Phlladelphlan
named Poindexter, who had weakness
for architecture contributed the build
ings and his two associates bought the
cattle. There were one thousand acres
of rolling pasture here, much of it lying
along the river, and a practical man
could hardly have failed to succeed; but
theft. disease in the herd and inexperience
in buying and selling, had wrought the
ranchmens destruction. Before their
money was exhausted Poindexter and his
associates lived in considerable state, and
entertained lue lIlcItlS WIZ NaIie " sSC
them according to the best usages Of
Eastern country life within, and their
own mild approximation of Western life
without. Tom PoindeXters preceptor in
architecture an elderly gentleman with
a sense of humor, had found a pleasure
which he hardly dared to express in the
medieval tone of the house and buildings.
There's a remnant of the Pondexter
herd out there somewhere" Wheaton had
said to Sexton. THE fellow Snyder, that
| put in as a caretaker, ought to have
gathered up the loose cattle by this time
that's what | told him to do when l put
him there
Saxton turned and looked out over the
rolling plain. A few rods away lay the
river, and where it curved nearest the
house stood group of cottonwoods, like
sentinels drawn together for colloquy.
Scattered here and there over the plain
were struggling herds.
There was much in the place to appeal
to Saxton's quiet humor. The house
was two stories high and there was
great hall. with an immense fireplace at
one end. The sleeping rooms opened on
gallery above the hall. An effort had
been made to give the house the appear
ance of Western wildness by introducing
a great abundance of skins of wild beasts
"a highly dishonest bit Of decorating
for they had been bought in Chicago.
Under one wing of the stairway, which
divided to left and right at the center OF
the hall, was the dining room under the
other was the ranch office.
'"Those fellows thought good deal OF
their stomachs," said Snyder as Saxton
opened and shut the empty drawers of
the sideboard.
Il suppose our mortgage covers the
sunset. too" Saxton said. Nearly every
portable thing of value had been removed
and evidently in haste; but the heavy
oak chairs and the table remained. Sny
der did his own modest cooking in the
kitchen. which was in great disorder
The floor of the Office was Uttered with
scraps of paper. 'ihe original tenants
had evidently made quick settlements OF
their business affairs before leaving Spy-
der did his own modest cooking in the
on the long bench that was built into one
side of the room, and battered valise
otherwise marked it as his lodging place
Saxton viewed the room with disgust; it
was more like a kennel than a bedroom
my ranching wasn't so bad after ALL
he muttered "If you have a pony we'V
take a ride around the fences
ITO be continued)