The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-07-07

before him with interest. He had been
making a careful inspection Of all the
properties that had fallen to his care.
This had necessitated 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
Kansas town. The place was depopu-
lated and the smokestack stood as a 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 uim to let them alone.
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 stone ranch house whose curious
architecture impaired to the Platte Val
ley a touch Of medievalism that was lit
tie appreciated by the neighboring cattle
men. One Of the owners, a Philadelphia
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 1t lying
along the river, and practical man
could hardly have failed to succeed; but
theft, disease in the herd and inexperience
in buying and selling, had wrought the
ranchmen's destruction. Before theiI
money was exhausted, Poindexter and his
associates lived in considerable state, and
entertained the friends who came to see
them according to the best usages oi
Eastern country life within, and theii
own mild approximation Of Western life
without Tom Poindexter's preceptor In
architecture, an elderly gentleman with
a sense Of humor, had found pleasure
which he hardly dared to express in the
medieval tone of the house and buildings
There's a remnant Of the Poindextel
herd out there somewhere" Wheaton hat
said to Sexton. ''The fellow Snyder, tina
| put in as caretaker, ought to hav,
gathered up the loose cattle by this time
that's what told him to do when l pu
him there"
Saxton turned and looked out over th
rolling plain. A few rods away lay tn
river, and where 1t curved nearest tn
house stood group of cottonwoods, lik
sentinels drawn together for colloquy
Scattered here and there over the plail
were struggling herds.
There was much in the place to appea
to Saxton's quiet humor. The hous
was two stories high and there was
great hall, with an immense fireplace a
one end. The sleeping rooms opened on
gallery above the hall. An effort ha
been made to give the house the appear
ance of Western wildness by introducin
a great abundance of skins Of wild beast
"a highly dishonest bit Of decoratin,
for they had been bought in Chicago
Under one wing Of the stairway, whic
divided to left and right at the center G
the hall, was the dining room; under tn
other was the ranch Office.
"Those fellows thought a good deal {
their stomachs," said Snyder, as Saxto
opened and shut the empty drawers {
the sideboard.
II suppose our mortgage covers tf
sunset, too" Saxton said. Nearly ever
portable thing of value had been removed
and evidently in haste; but the heav
oak chairs and the table remained. Sn,
der did his own modest cooking In til
kitchen, which was in great disorde
The floor of the Office was Uttered wit
scraps of paper. ihe original tenant
had evidently made a quick settlement
their business affairs before leaving. Sn!
der did his own modest cooking In ii
on the long bench that was built into or
side of the room, and a battered wallis
otherwise marked 1t as his lodging plac
Saxton viewed the room with disgust;
was more like kennel than a bedroom
my ranching wasn't so bad after all
hs muttered. III you have a pony we
take a ride around the fences"
Ito be continued.)
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