The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-02-22
UNCLE HUFF" WRIGHT.

rank NnckrellS \ tuWIhllNt ht Nhk"k'N
In the livesto,k business at Sedalla,
Mo In the Guymon Herald last week,
X, Is. (Dick) Quinn, who Is said to
have gone to "Nu Mans Land when
the Black Mesa was about the size OF
walnut, wrote this intimate and In
teresting sketch Of the old pioneer
''ln 1866 he was married to Mary A.
Maize. In 1872 Uncle Huff and Mrs,
Wright drove overland 70 Bent county,
Colorado. near Las Anmas, and In
1915 changed locations, moving to the
Panhandle of Texas establishing a
temporary ranch ON Bughce or Home
Ranch creek, and later located per
mnnently on MoIrrs creek Uncle
lluff's recollection were that at the
time Of moving To- the Panhandle there
was no other ranch between Ft Bas-
com. New MeXiro and Springer's
ranch In the Indian Territory, and he
WAS certain that the nearest railroad
point VAS Dodge city, Kansas, 200
miles distant llr WIS Joined 'by his
brother VI b. Wright on the Moore's
creek ranch In i~Ii
Asa Powers now uf llHnSford
countE and Ar Poke went down into
that locality witt cattle In 1877 and
were followed hy Bates and Beale,
who established the TX ranch, and by
Hank Crrswel with the Bar { brand.
In 1897 or 1884 lncle Huff sold his
ranch on MOpre's creek nnd bought an
interest in ranch with Tom Bugbee
near Dodge city Kansas The great
blizzard Of the winter ot 1885 and
1856 put many ruuuhmen Of the south
west out Of business. and Uncle Huff
was one of the sufferers losing over
100 head Of cattle and 100 head NJ
horses I'm less than lorty.cight hours.
"The following sprlng Uncle Huff
drove the remnant " his cattle to
Unnsford county Texas, and sold them
10 Harry McGee In IA year or more
after returning to Texas he surveyed
and plated the town of llnnsford,
while other men and acQunintnnccs
from Dodge located the old town Of
Hardcsty, near thr mouth uf Cold
water, town that went glimmcring
In 1891, but Hun~ford is stll on the
map II county seal and thriving in
hand village, A rival town, Farwell,
vus started In lluusfurd county hut
when Hansford won the county seat
iHrwell faded and the wind shaken
houses there Were eventually moved
out and used as barns, etc, on sur
roundings ranches
'ln 1894 Uncle Huff was placed In
charge of the COraitis ranch In Old
Mexico. This company owned 5000
cattle and $500 to 1000 horses. These
cattle were tralled 100 miles I'm old
Mexico. crossing The Rio Grandc at TT
Hancock. entraincd at that point and
shipped to Colorado city, where they
we're unlOaded and again tralled 100
miles 10 the Two Ruckle pasture
where they were held for q while and
then driven north to the Panhandle
/ Oklahoma and Kansas aud sold In
| this manner 25,OOO T. 10000 cattle
were handled by Uncle Huff In 1894
/ to 1897, Inclusive
after reslgning that position Uncle
/ huff devoted his time and talents TO
his interests In IlHnsford county and
Ito bis interests IN Guymon since the
establishment Of this town There
was only one child horn to Uncle Huff
aud Mrs Wright ldrus-who lived Ia
be about nine years old She was bit
ten by skunk on March 10, 1870 and
died the following May about the
10Th. from the effects Of the bite, AT
old IT. Elliott The death of this
child was the great sorrow I'm Uncle
Iluff's life nnring the progress Of the
Interview Uncle Huff said:
"DiCk don't forget to mention
when you write this up, that my wife
has been with me during all of my
trials, sharing the hardships, and has
been loyal aud good under all cOndi
tiOns aud that side 10y side we hav,
given lives Of service I'm the develop
ment Of Il country that was practical
| ly n wilderness when We located her,
many years ago
He added also that Mel, MI
brother, had shared the ups an,
downs with him since the spring q
1877. About year ago Uncle Huf
gave me the above brief history Of hi
life. Prior tu that time | had aSke,
him to tell me his lifcs story, and
have stated II briefly as told Ia mg
omltting purpuscly a multitude of III
cidents concerning Unclr Huff AM
, his associates In the pioneer days o
the great southwest, trusting that ol
some future day, along with other
| may be able IN assemble n story o
! the plains ns cleaned from men VIII
came into this country as adyanc
guards NJ civilization.
MANY men look upon the death o
man like Uncle Huff merely as m
passing " splendid citizen, but II
more than that lie was one NJ the fe,
remaining living links connecting tn
country In It's most primitive form an
present day civilization one Of IN
men who could tell the story from pei
sOnal experience, for he lived IN
part aud gave invaluable personal SCI
vice In Its development. This day an
time people would shudder at III
thought Of living over 200 miles froI
a railroad and half that far almos
from the nearest nelghbOr, but Uncl
, Huff and his good wife lived unde
, such conditions aud soon like the 80
, diers of the civll war, both ~ IN
north aud Of the south, these old tin
ers and pioneers will pass from n
scene Of action Then let us remembe
them IN reverence, keeping In min
the fact that the present clvilizatio
In the great southwest Is monumel
to their endeayor; that such men d
, Uncle Huff gave many years of lnya
uahle service to bring II about. Go
' bless his memory"