White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-08-03
GREAT ROUNDUP ON
HISTORIC KING RANCH
$4,000 Steers and 500 Cow.
boys Take Part.


two or three weeks the great King
ranch of 100000 acres has been the
scene Of one of the greatest cattle
round-ups that has taken place in Tex
as fol- many years. 1t consisted of
cutting out of the vast herds more
than $4,000 head of two and three
year-old steers and driving them to
the railroad loading pens for shipment
to pastures in Oklahoma. There they
will be fattened, and later in the sea.
son they will be sent to the St. Louis
market.
The shipping of these cattle from
stations on the railroad which borders
the King ranch for more than sixty
miles will require nearly two weeks
of constant loading. The cattle will
fill 400 stockcars, and the shipments
are moving by solid trainloads.
But for the fact that practically all
of the cattle upon the great ranch
which belongs to the estate of the late
Mrs. Henrietta NJ. King are now of
blooded stock and are comparatively
tame, the roundup operations would
equal in interest those of the old
ranch days in this section. The cattle
were scattered over vast area of the
ranch. More than 500 cowboys were
employed In rounding them up. Then
came the work of cutting out the two
and three-year-olds. Day after day
the expert cowboys, most of whom are
Mexicans, rode through the masses Of
believing animals and dexterously
singled out those that were intended
for shipment. These were concen-
trated and finally brought together in
one great believing herd.
Not Like Old Days.
In the old days there would have
been much more excitement and pos
sibly some casualties in the roundup
of the wild longhorns with which the
ranch was stocked. In the far reaches
Of the domain were still to be found q
few of these relics. Two old-time long
horns were gathered In the roundup
of one Of the more Isolated parts of
the ranch few days ago. They were
cut out and placed in corral, where
they will be held pending shipment to
zoo or museum.
Many spectators sat upon the fences
Of the loading pens and watched the
milling cattle as they were driven into
the loading chutes. Among these
idlers were number of veterans of
the range. Some of these men had
lived in this part of south Texas since
the early ranching days when Capt.
Richard King, who purchased the land
was a veritable feudal lord, not only
Of his own domain but of practically
all that territory lying between Cor
pus Christi and the Rio Grande. He
and Mrs. King were the first white
settlers of the lower Gulf coast coun.
try. They went though long period
Of hardships during which they were
forced to make constant fight against
poverty and marauding bands of In
dams and outlaws.
The present ranch home is magnifi-
cent in size and appointments. 1t was
SlCSlSu at u SOSI VI PlOO3OOOs IL Soli-
tains many guest rooms and there is
seldom time when most Of them are
not occupied.
The old King ranch house was
burned more than fifteen years ago,
and with it Texas lost landmark
known from one end of the country
to the other. Built like fort, with
cannons protecting the approach, 1t
represented period In Texas history
that has passed but still is remem
bered by many now living.
1t was in the sos when Captain
King built the fortress, which stood
for many years defying Indians and
cattle thieves and bands of Mexican
outlaws. 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 cannons
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 des.
peradoes.
Once Steamboat Captain.
King was steamboat captain be.
fore he came to Texas. For years he
commanded q boat on the Mississippi
river, and just before he acquired the
nucleus of his famous ranch he was
running his own boat on the Rio
Grande. AT old Fort Brown Captain
King met Henriette Chamberlain. the
daughter of Presbyterian minister
who was chaplain of the fort. Captain
King and the chaplain's daughter were
married and went to make their home
in the wilderness in 1852. He had
bought large tract of grazing land
from the state at $ cents an acre.
He stocked 1t with cattle from the
surrounding ranches 1t was not diff
cult to stock a ranch in those days,
for cattle were so cheap that they
were killed as regular business for
their hides and tallow.
Such were the events OF the early
DAYS in Texas, when the King rancl,
was established. In spite of the un.
settled condition of the times. how
ever, or perhaps because of chem.
Captain King slowly began to add to
his ranch.
All of the land was stocked with
Texas longhorn cattle There was no
thoroughbred STOCK In the whole
ranching country. Captain King died
in 1885, At that time lie was the
largest cattle owner in Texas.
After the death of Captain King,