San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-23
ANCIENT DREAM.
MADE TRUE BY !.
STURDY TEXAN !.
Su .essful Ranch Owner
s>--es Way for Southwest
Texas to Prosper.

The story of Capote Ranch Is an
old one.
Basking in the warm sun % miles
above Gonzales, the 1700-acre tract,
more than one-half of which Is un-
der cultivation, is constant challenge
to adjoining owners.
While the intense heat occasioned
by the current years drouth has
withered the grains and parched the
fields for miles in every direction, Ca
potc ranch, with its irrigation facili.
ties, is yielding large quantities of
corn and other food-stuff:.
Also, the greater portion of cotton
coming from Guadalupe county this
season will be picked from the green
fields Of Capote.
Returning to the story, old negro
slaves used TO tell Of silver mine
on the side Of the tall, bald peak
Of Capote, and OF the remains of an
old adobe compound where early Span
ish settlers kept their Indian labor
ers.
RECORDS TELL OF MINE.
Records at Coahuila, Mexico, also
tell of the mine located near the sweet
spring OF the same name along the
road between San Antonio and Con-
Eales.
The Coahuila government and Texas
in 1882 granted the land in this sec
ton to Jose de Ia Baume.
1t is doubted IL the Spaniard ever
settled on the land. He died in San
Antonio at the age of 103.
Fourteen years later, Michael Frs
\ kline coming IN from Virginia, pur-
CHASED the interests Of one Of the four
heiXrs to the original grant.
HSe settled on the 300 acres included
in th9 purchase, with his family and
negro slaves.
Rec, ognizing the value of the land
which, was thickly wooded with giant
waluTts, pecans and cotton-woods, he
bought out the three remaining owners
of the invaluable tract.
Gold was discovered in California
soon after Erskine became the enyied
.possessor. BE was caught up in the
wave Of excitement and carried to-
wards the setting sun.
At his death. the ranch was pur-
chased by Ellison and Dewes.
FINANCED BY EASTERNERS.
Later the Southern Pacific began
to build westward from Houston
across the barren plains Of the Lone
Star state. The idea of establishing
a ranch where pure bred stock and d.
yersified crops could be raised gained
the favor OF eastern financiers who
we're attracted by the possibilities of
this section of the state.
Thomas Wentworth Pierce, George
F. Stone and Daniel Tyler then pur-
chased Capote ranch and placed il
under the control Of Colonel Alex
Moore, retired United States army Of
ficer.
Colonel Moore brought many new
ideas of building and farming from
the East. The perplexed pioneers
scratched their heads with some I'M
certainty.
Mr.. Moore brought in thoroughbred
stock, installed saw mill, a pump
ing plant to irrigate the land and
cleared scores of acres, sending the
lumber to eastern factories.
NOT A SUCCESS.
Mr.. Moore's ideas were not prac-
teal in the main, however.
Negro laborers rcbelled at his strict,
almost military. discipline that he
strove to impose upon them.
The venture wasn't financial sue
cess. The owners divided their hold.
ings, each selling portion of his one
third share.
Fritz Matthies, Hanovorian refu-
gee, comes into the story next.
Incurring the enmity of the Prus-
sian rulers, he fled to Texas with his
wife and baby son. He bought the Gen.
trail portion Of the original grant, con-
tanning the ranch house, springs, site
of the old pumping plant and the ma
jor portion of the rich valley.
Fred. Fritz Matthies' son, with his
wife, four sons and two daughters now
operate the farm.
WELL IRRIGATED.
Water TO irrigate 200 acres comes
from the Guadalupe river. A pump,
with 2200-gallon per minute cGpac-
ity is used.
Mr.. Matthies plans to erect an i'm.
mense earthern reservoir and impound
the water flowing from Capote
springs.
The reservoir will contain water to
supply 800 acres in normal years.
Yielding surprisingly large quanti-
ties Of grains and cotton TO the acre
and boosting the finest Hereford cattle
and Shropshire sheep, the dream of
the former owners has come true.
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