The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-03-16
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Portland, Ore, March TO-
This is the story Of how VIM.
Hanley, the Oregon cattle king,
who has bottled up a fertile en-
pire, interested the political, fl
nancial and social powers of a
great state. 1t tells how he en-
trenched himself SO strongly that
the gap between his cow-punch-
ing days and his present station,
forms one of the most remarkable
of all tales of western adventure.
Let a coterie of bankers, law
yers and capitalists put their
brains and their pockets together
to play for big stakes with their
chief opponents, poor settlers.
Let the stakes be hundreds of
thousands of acres of fertile land.
Let the rules Of the game be
so broad as to be practically no
rules at all.
Then you are watching a game
that offers but one logical out
come-defeat for the poor man.
It was just this sort Of a game
that made "Bill" Hanley, cow
puncher, Mr., william Hanley, mil
liOnaire cattle king.
In yesterdays article we told
how, after the death of Pete
French, the up" and 100" ranch
es, the holdings of the French
Glenn Co., in Harvey Valley,
came under the charge of Hanley.
Hanley needed funds to enlarge
his holdings. Everything was
ready for the game In which
bankers, lawyers and capitalists
shold put their heads and their
pocket books together. So Han
ey got busy. The game was on.
Up in Portland was G. e. s.
Wood and County Judge Webster.
3oth of them had known Hanley
n the latter's early days. Wood
vas attorney for VIM. Laid, the
biggest financier in Oregon, for
he Portland gas monopoly, and
or other agencies that had money
md wanted land.
To Portland HES Hanley. He|
ices his old friend Wood and the
after brings Henry Ladd Corbett
IN the scene. Corbett being a.
member of a pioneer family that,
with the Ladds, had made mil
lions in Oregon.
Hanley Interested orbett, Wood
H AMI ley interested Corbett,
Wood and Webster so that the
'P" and 100" ranches became
The property of the quartet. Just
their interests and their respec-
tive portions of the property is
not known. So many incorpora-
ton were formed with SO many
varying stockholders that the re-
cords are a puzzle.
But this is sure: Jan. Z, 1905.
the French-Glenn Livestock Co.,
which owned the 'P" and 100"
was transferred to Henry
Ladd Corbett for $40. So vague
was the description of these vast
holdings that the owners could not
bound their domain. It is to be
noted, however, that Keg and
Mud springs we're included. These
springs were the source of the
thief water supply of the district.
rhe control of these springs
made 1t difficult for the rancher
% winter his stock or for the
armer to gain a water hole.
Corporations flourished in Har-
ley county about that time. The
oregon Occidental Cattle Co., or-I
,anized to secure land in the Har-I
ley district, was transferred to theI
Vim. Hanley Land Co. The officers
we're given as VIM. Hanley, presi-
lent; H. l.. Corbett, secretary;
Iskine Wood, witness. There was
he Harvey Valley Development
To-. with H. l.. Corbett at its head
md a company of the same name
hat was the forerunner of them
Ill, established In 1901 with Han
ey as president and Webster as
Incorporation. There was the VIM.
Land Co. and the Silvies
irrigation Co., of the 1907 vim
age, with Wood, Hanley, Corbett
md Webster all interested.
On top of all these incorpora-
ions Is a list of transfers of the
'arious properties from one COM
pany to another. Investigations