The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-10-17
CATTLE KING OF,
/. THE West DEAD
Henry Miller, Owner OF Estate
Greater Than Belgium, Once
Butcher Boy
tAluOeia,ed Pros. BY Federal wlrol,,.. ,

tABSociated Press by Federal wirolsSsp
SAN FRANCISCO, October l5-Hen.
ry Miller, who came to America as n
pennilcss immigrant and who became
one Of the great land owners and cat
tic men of the continent, died at his
home here last night.
Henry Miller, once poor butcher
boy of San Francisco, owned at the
time of his death an empire in the
West described as "twice the size of
Belgium" and because of his vast hold
ings Of sheep and cattle, he WAS known
along the Pacific slope Gs "The Cattle
King"
He never knew himself exactly how
much land he held. Several years ago
xperts estimated anrrovimatelv 22.717
square miles or 1889 200 acres were
under his control, mostly in California
Nevada and Oregon. Miller. il has
been said, could drive herd Of cattle
rom Arizona to Oregon, through the
'!rcat Central California Valley and
,aeh night camp on his own land. Az
10 stage Of his trip would he be out
It sight of one of his own ranches.
Treatest Land Owner
More land WIS held on the PaciR,
'oEst nv Miller than nv any other in
ividual. At times l5O, 900 cattle and
10000 sheep grazing on Western pas
urcs horn the I'M" brand. The firm
# Miller and Lux, in which MFllcF wa,
Ieavily interested, was In fhe 0Iattl'
business and operated chain OF
laughter houses, hanks, stores and no
tells. in addition to the ranches and
ranges. Tho managers and clerks were
numbered by hundreds and vaquerroi
were paid in scores. Traction engines
we're bought by the dozen and bart
wire fencing and seed by the carload
They reckoned in miles, not acres.
Friends said Henry Miller's policy
was, always TO buy and never to sell
As q boy no had visions of wealth, h'
bought land when the Spanish ant
| American governments sold IT cheap
boarded his property and lived hi
| dream.
Came Penniless Boy
Miller was born in Brackc aheim
Wurttcmberg, July n, 1927. WheI
wenty years old he emigrlted - Am
erica, perniless, and worked rs butck
err boy in the Washington market il
New York City. In lS49 gold VA
discovered in California and Miller fol
lowed the hordes of gold seekers to til,
Pat ilc. In 1850 he was still a butch
"r boy in San Francisco.
In 1851 he launched into bushes
for himself. We met Charles Lux anC
six years later the two fOrmed tn
partnership thatL latqX helped pah'
history on Western ranges. Their mos
active days were when the grea
sweeps OF the California valley,
stretched fcnceless from the Sierra
Nevada foothills to the Coast RANG
Mountains, and when the vast lanC
gr' ntS wrr" deN oted mainly to cattl'
raising. Gradually they watched th,
sct'lcrs come, saw their ranches mark
ID off bv hnrh wire and orchards grow
up where cattle bad formerly roamed
Miller mrrricd in 1860 to Miss Saral
Wilmarth sheldon. In 1887 Lux dieC
and the business was Incorporated
Miller retaining large interests. In hi
later years Miller remained in the Sc
cluson Of his San Francisco home Will
his daughter, seldom visiting his many
ranches. He was the last of the great
california land barons, Tismembear
ment Of his domains probably viii
rome soon for conservation policies
high land taxes and elamOring settler
make the cattle empires of old impos
siblc.