The Washington herald., 1913-08-17
WEALTHY WOMAN
LIVES ON RANCH
Mr.. H. N. King Has Prairie
Palace with Al Modern
lmprovenent. = Texas.
OLD FRONTIER FORT
Farm # Over On, Million Acre. Was
Noted Mexican Batfls
Ground.
DID FRONTIER FORT


Corpus Christi, Tex, .Aus The set.
ting Of European castle In the center
lof q big Texas ranch IL .. feat now being
accomplished near here. Texas richest
woman is building the finest ranch house
/ In the world. -,
Mrs. Henrietta N, King. pioneer ranch
wife and the owner of. what u probably
the most famous ranch in the United
States. after many years Of rhardships.
danger, and. In recent years, only COM
parative comfort OF ranch life,; II build
ing a veritable palace on her ranch three
miles from Kingsville. on the site Of the
old ranch house. which burned more
than q year ago.
| styles Are zCombaneA.
styles Of architecture are combined In
the new ranch home. From q distance
the building appears TO be one Of the
Old World castles transplanted to the
prairies of Texas.
One OF the Spanish characteristics 10
the patio In the center. The house IL
built around the little courtyard, which
! Is paved with concrete. except for the
flower beds, and bordering which are
shady colonnades built after the fashion
OF the cloisters in the old missions where
the priests stroIled in the fresh air and
yet remained within the building. All
modern conveniences are being installed.
The total cost will approximate $4,000.
The old King ranch house was burned
more than q year ago and with 1t Texas
lost a landmark known from one end of
the country to the other. Built. as 1t was.
like a fort. with its cannons protecting
the approach. 1t represented an age in
Texas history that has passed but that
is not SO far in the past as to be for
gotten.
King Built Fortress.
Richard King built the fortress. which
stood for years defying Indians and
cattle thieves and bands Of Mexican out
laws alike Because life was so uncer-
tain in those times he mounted two
cannons in front Of the house. more for
the moral effect than for use. Yet there
came times when the cannon were the
only representatives of law and order
left in the country to help the captain
and his wife maintain their home against
organized bands Of desperadoes.
Capt King was an old steamboat man
from the then Western rivers of the
United States before he came to Texas.
For some years he commanded a boat
on the Mississippi River. Immediately
before he acquired the nucleus OF his
famous ranch, however. he was running
his own boat on the Rio Grande. 1t
was at this period that he met Mr..
King.
Met Miss Chamberlain.
It was In old Fort Brown that Capt.
King met Henrietta Chamberlain. the
daughter of Presbyterian minister, who
was chaplain Of the fort The minister
had come from some point in the middle
West. but his daughter could not remem-
Der having lived anywhere except In the
neighborhood of the fort.
Capt King and the chapiain's daughter
were married. They went to make their
home in the wilderness. That was in
1852. Capt King had bought large tract
stocked 1t with cattle from the surround
ing ranches 1t was not dificult to stock
a ranch in those days, for cattle were so
cheap that they were killed as q regular
business for their hides and tallow.
In 1852 the fort-ranch house was built
1t was built like fortress on account of
the number Of Mexican outlaws in the
country. Time and again during the first
years on the ranch and during the civil
war Capt. King and his young wife had
cause to be thankful that their home was
a fortress and that two cannon guarded |
the door.
Trouble with Outlaws.
Frequently there was trouble with the |
outlaws. One band in particular seemed |
to have determined that the new ranchers |
were in the way and that their property |
was too valuable to leave In their posses |
sion. This band was headed by a noted |
chief called Cortinas. Several times Cor |
tinas proclaimed that he intended to over |
come the owner Of the King ranch. Sew |
eral times he made the attempt. But !
each time the courage of the inhabitants |
or the presence Of the dreaded cannon |
caused his band to with iraw in disorder.
The power and influence Of 0brtinas
and the fear in which the people held
him were shown on one occasion after
a repulse from the King ranch fortress.
Cortinas was,t angered at the repulse
and determinedsto capture Corpus Christi
itself, a small town them s6me nifty miles
from the scene of his defeat. Proud
Of his reputation as he was, Cortinas
sent notice that he intended to take the
town.
The citizens Of Corpus Christi were
There was not = thought
Of defence in the minds of the majority
of the inhabitants. When the time came
for the raid practically the whole Of the
homes and were waiting on board the
'teame- Mary for the bandits to loot
heir homes Of whatever they could carry
away on their horses |,
Homes Left In Terror. |,
While most Of the citizens had left
heir homes In terror at the mention of
he name Of Cortinas. there were a few /,
esolute men Of who determined to check
he advance the oufIawa The bo nd v., !
ed by several members Of the Dunn ,
amIiy, an old ranching family Of the j.
'oast country In Texas. The citizens met !,
he handifs af a nlace q allod ..4hz AGexx.n