The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1909-10-30
Cattle King
At 80
HENRY MILLER HAS MADE
$50, 900, 600 WITH A STRING
OF RANCHES.
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ny FRENCH srROrHER.


Ask any rancher on the Pacific
Coast II he knows who Henry Miller
is. He will tell you that Mr.. Miller
is the cattle king, and that he owns
more land than any rancher in the
West.
How much?"
Millions of acres"
Most of this land Is used as cattle
and sheep ranges, but about 30 per
cent. OF 1t is cuItivated-to grain or
hay or something else that will fat
ten livestock. Cattle raising Is Mr..
Miller's business; no has never in
vested nor speculated in stocks, nor
yielded TO the almost universal West
ern fever for mining. nor engaged
in any mercantile business, except to
run a few country stores near HIS
ranches for the convenience OF his
men. Some OF his lands are in the
richest part of tho already developed
oil folds OF Coalings, Cal, but he
refuses to spend a cent to dig wells
for OIL
Maybe 1t Is there" he says; but
r know the cattle business, and
shall stick to it, He has made 500.
100000 in Il, so perhaps he Is right.
Mr.. Miller's success in cattle rails.
Ing is his own secret. He buys cat.
tie and sheep and hogs, lean or fat,
runs them on his own ranges, ship
ping them from ranch TO ranch to
utilize all the grass and stubble, puts
his own grain into them, and when
they go to market they always make
a profit. He buys in tremendous guam
titles He once ordered his head sheep
foreman to buy all the sheep for sale
in Nevada at any reasonable price.
The foreman bought all but fifteen
thousand head, held at IS apiece,
which he thought too high. He re-
ported to Mr.. Miller in Southern
California. Without a pause Mr..
Miller said: Take the next train
to Nevada and buy them"
That was a $4,000 purchase.
He does not bargain. He will look
at a herd Of cattle or a likely band
a lump sum for tho lot without furth-
er examination, even IL there are
thousands OF head And he will not
alter the offer. The seller can take
his check or let Mr.. Miller go.
His ranches are models Of neatness
and order and thrifty management.
Every one Of them is better managed
than the neighboring ranches. Every
one OF them is under Mr. Miller's
direct personal supervision constant
ly. For forty years he has been
travelling from ranch to ranch In.
speeding his property, directing the
planting OF crops and the movements
OF his herds, buying and selling. He
travels by train where he can, but
usually he drives fast team, travel
ling fifty or sixty miles day He
is eighty-three years old, and he still
follows this custom. In April he was
seen at one OF his ranches, hun
dred miles from his home, in an
open buggy In a driving rain, direct
ing the spring ploughlng OF great
field.
He never rests-he hardly sleeps
OF late years. Somebody asked him
recently why he did not hire man.
ager to superIntend his estate and
stop his rush OF work.
Whom could hire?" was the suf-
Iicient answer.
On a visit TO one ranch he noticed
q hen with a fine brood of chicks.
He called a companions attention TO
hem, and was as pleased with them
IS II they were golden eggs. A
month later he visited the ranch
again. He asked the stableman what
had become OF the chicks.
Rats ate EN-" was the response,
nQafa ata iauf Rata ah9 Rata.