Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-12-21

turn to Abilene at once and sell 1t
for what paid for It, II possible,
but by all means to get rid Of II.
They we're willing to go in with me,
to the extent of a small investment
on my cattle scheme.
II returned to Abilene and sold
the west half Of my townsite for
1926 an acre. Twenty-Five years
ago that same land sold for $500 an
acre.
ut Occurs TO Me You're Crazy"
II went to st. Louis and laid my
plan. before the president Of the Kan
sas Pacific Railway. He heard me
through, and then he pronounced
the scheme the widest, most chin
erical dream he had ever heard Of.
The idea that you can drive
Texas cattle up to our road is too
ridiculous even to consider, he said
to me. / then went and saw the
head of the Missouri Pacific. He
was quietly smoking cigar, and
when | stated my plan he said:
1t occurs to me that you have
MT any cattle to ship, and never did
have, and / cir have no evidence
that you ever will have any, and ]
think you are talking about rates
of freight for speculative purposes,
therefore, you get out Of this office,
and let me not be troubled with you
again.
IT returned to the president of
the Kansas Pacific, while he stated
that he never expected car of cat
tie to go over his road in Kansas, he
made a contract agreeing to give
me one-eighth Of the freight on all
cattle shipments originating at Abb
lene. I returned to Abilene and built
a hotel, the Drovers Cottage, which
cost $4,000 and long stood. ] built
a stock yards to accommodate three
thousand cattle, and l sent a sur
veyor down to lay out the trail. That
trail led down to the Indian Territory
and crossed It.. 1t crossed the Red
River at Red River City and went
eight hundred miles to
Corpus Christi, on the Gulf Of Mex
leo. / sent men down into Texas
to advertise the trail and Abilene as
a shipping point. They laughed at
men, but / got a herd or two to
venture over the trail, and the first
year, 1867, we brought thirty-five
thousand head of Texas cattle over
that trail and shipped ten thousand
cars of cattle out of Abilene.
Eat the end Of the second year Il
had 10000 coming to me from
the Kansas Pacific railway as my
share of the freight, and I went to
st. Louis to collect 1t, but they flatN
refused to pay me dollar. They
told me that when they contractedI
TO pay me one-eighth Of the freight
they did not foresee the possibilities
If the business, and 1t was mistake
10 make such a contract. sued
hem, and in two years got my money,
tut In the meantime there had been
legislation against the
Texas cattle, and In the end | reaped
What the pioneer always reaps, fin
lncial failure. The men who came
lfter me reaped the profits.
while / was in the cattle business
n Abilene l brought my elder broth
II out and in Kansas City took
lin out to where the Kansas City /
took yards are now and l showed
i'm that strip Of ground, which we
ould have bought for song, and
rged him to buy 1t and put stock J
ards there. foresaw then the
uture of Kanses City as a cattle
market. He was good brother and
e turned to me and said kindly;
Joe, II you don't quit talking
p this cattle business out here peo-
lie will think you are crazy, they
re saying that about you now. +
here will never be any osttle bust
ess here
His Marshal Had Killed As Men.
while | was mayor of Abilene /
ppointed Wild Bill Hickok mar
bal Of the town. He had killed j
,rty-three men up to that time. But
g had never committed a murder. !
e had killed each one of the forty
Tree in the line of duty. Talk
bout a rule of iron, we had 1t in I
bilene. We had to rule thst way. j
here was no footing with courts of
W. When we decided that such a
ing was to be done we did Il. Wild
III cleaned up the town and kept
clean, but he had to kill a few A