Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1913-06-01
NEsTOR LOOKED UPON AS I'M
TRUDER IN EARLY DAYS OF
WEST TEXAS.
.DOUBT|NG WERE CONVINCED
Third In Series Of Panhandle Fair
Articles Traces Stages OF
Agricultural Devel-
0pmcnt.
a. \. Stinnette)


In the first stages there were stub
born uncompromisinS opposition to
the farmer on the part Of the ear
lier ranch settlers. and the ranch
man was not actuated wholly in tnis
opposition by selfish motives. as
many OF them were conscientious In
believing and saying that the pres
ence of the "nestor" (as the farm
e. was called only meant the loss
OF so much grass. and that the farm
ers constituted a distributing ele-
element that should be resisted and
kept out OF the country.
These experiences later on were
repeated in the upper plains country,
but. after all, the entire west should
feel intensely grateful to the cow
men. who 80 effectively blazed the
way for the settlements that fololow-
ed. and which are yet to come.
recall. and will herein briefly re-
fer to the experience In Wichita
county OF MIR. w. T. Wagner. who
had many thousands OF acres social
ed grazing lands" In Wichita and
Wilbarger counties. Mr.. Wagner
was much opposed to the presence OF
the farmer, on the grounds before
stated. but the tide OF farmer tmmi-
grafton could not longer be resisted,
and following the demonstration
made In agriculture, Mr.. Wagner dc
cided to become some farmer himself
and he started In by breaking out
about one thousand acres, and gar
hered his first crop OF about 10000
bushels OF wheat. which remem-
ber brought him around SIS cents per
bnshel. rrr-
He broadsnad the sxpssisusat 80
ADDED two or thret 4 >uesad more
sez 20 cnltivaticrA. ~ not 1ohe
after he harvested aksinucn ~ "a, ,ccc
bushels OF wheat a season. and viii
the coming OF cotton he planted a
large acreage of this staple crop,
and then erected cotton gins and ell
evators. with the result that he had
one among the largest and best equi-
ped farms In the State OF Texas. and
this period OF conversion and trans
ltion In the case of Mr.. Wagner all
took place within the short space OF
several years only.
When Mr.. Wagner saw and be-
came convinced OF the great agricul-
tural possibilities he did not wait for
land values to rise TO the highest
level, but commenced buying every
acre he could while II was cheap. and
IN very short period he was able
to realize several times the original
cost on many. many thousands of ac-
ies, and after all the much despised
nestor In the early stages OF the
game, proved TO be the direct cause
OF enormous fortunes to many OF the
pioneer anchmen who had the wag-
oner foresight, not only TO acquire
land In large tracts. but to join the
ranks OF the farmer In making agri-
cultural Developments on an enorm-
Gus scale, Just as we are aow seeing
done To some extent and should be-
fore long see done on a prodigious
scale In all the upper Panhandle and
plains countries.
] viii take up this particular fea-
ture OF the discussion a little furth-
.er along and treat II with distinct re-
ference to the upper Panhandle situ-
alton
OF course could mention the
names OF many others, ~ Il were
necessary. and II space would only
permit, but would feel Il remiss
not TO mention the name Of Cant. 4.
H. Burnett. whose experience was
very similar to that OF air. WAGNER.
whose tracts OF land adjoined at
many points Capt. Burnett became
converted about the same time. and
not only developed a large farming
Interest hut inaugurated a new era
Tor that section In the breeding of
thoroughbred horses and the hish-
est types OF blooded cattle, and even
today the name of the Burnett cat.
tie and horses is synonymous with
the best produced In the United
states. can further add that Csp;.
Burnett has been awarded highest
premiums at Horse Fairs and Fat
stock shows at various places over
the country, and notably at CHICAGO
against competition OF Illinois. Mis-
souri, and others of the older states
standing at the head of the list.
Lands having risen suddenly but
permanently to a much hisher level
IN Wichita, wilbarger and Others OF
the lower counties, many of the
tirst settlers therein took advantage
iCOntiHuQ1 nv, pava o..