The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-09
From the Kansas City Star.

CieJ
 "HE richest Indian in the world and
 one of the richest landowners in
 Texas coming from the recently developed Rio Grande valley, is in Kan sas City today. He is Lon Hill of Har- lingen, Tex, a. town of 25O0 inhabitants, 9 miles from Brownsville He called this morning on J. z. Miller Jr., vice presi- dent of the Commerce Trust company. MT. Miller was in his fathers store at Belton, Tex. away back there in the pioneer days when the cowboys drove the herds that way to the pastures of Indian territory. They became friends then.
 Lon Hill in the last two months sold 9O,00O acres in the Rio Grande valley that is estimated in value at $4,OO0,00O.
 It may appear a strange thing to say about an Indian, but it is true neverthe- less, that he blazed the trail for civiliza- ton and development through the Rio Grande valley that was infested with cat tie thieves, bandits and Mexican desper- adoes. MT. Hill refuses to talk about those early days and it is left to his friends and admirers to recite the story of the deeds that made for him a repu- tation as a fighter. Mir. Hill still has many enemies and he never is without two six shooters strapped to this belt. His long black hair falls to his shoul- ders and his rugged features make him a picturesque character
 Now, don't talk to me about those fighting days" he said this morning. T guess I've had about as much trouble and fighting as any man. but I don't want to talk about that. would rather talk about the development of the Rio Grande countryside corn, the cotton, the alfalfa, the milet and the onions. If am going to say anything about myself I am going to say that every time in my life moved into country and paid a dollar an acre for it that same land went up to $50 an acre before I left there. Once that bunch of thieves and Mexican was run out of that country it blossomed quickly. You can't find a better government or a better com- munity of law abiding citizens anywhere than we have now and that is enough to say about it.''
 Some of Mir. Hills friends recite some of the tales about him when Hill q grad uate of the Texas university, gave up a law practice of s3O,0oO year to go into the Rio Grande valley to rid it of out laws and establish a mammoth fortune for himself.
 He once purchased 45o0 acres at s1 an +l, t1,a m he purchased it complained to her hus- band the price was too cheap.
 q could afford to give it to him. the seller said. "Once Lon Hill gets into this country the thieves will leave our cattle alone"
 One of the leaders of a gang of cattle thieves sent word to Hill that he would kill him and braid his long, black hair for bridle reins. They met by chance on the road one day One man rode away. It was Lon Hill. Then the des- perados wife, herself horsewoman and A deadly shot, took lip the feud. She could ride at breakneck speed on horse back and empty two revolvers full of hullets into the bark of a sapling. They never met, however.
 Hills friend asked him what he would do if he were attacked and had to fight a woman.
 T would prove the gallantry of a gem tleman," he said. T would extend to her the courtesy of the first shot"
 The Rio Grande valley is developing rapidly now and only few of the thieves and desperadoes exist in the outlying dis
 
 the man who led posses and made war on them, however.
 The other day at his home an enemy fired on him from a house as he was passing in a motor car. The bullet splln- tered the steering wheel in the hands os chauffeur. Hill reached into the leather pockets of the car and drew a rifle and a l revolver. He emptied them into the side of the house as the chauffeur turned the