The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-05-25
CHAPTER II

They spent that first summer In
tents, while Kershaw and his men
felled trees, peeled the bark from the
logs and dragged them out into the
sunshine to season. They dug a WELL
got out fence posts. and enclosed horse
pasture with a stake-and-rider fence !;
and when the logs had been seasoned
by late fall, they built a spacious and
comfortable log house with a wide
veranda around it
The following spring Kershaw
brought in fifteen thousand head of
cattle. They were scrubs-oId Span.
ish-CalifOrnia stock; but they were
the only cattle he could buy and. since
his feed cost him nothing. he was con-
tent with them and the profit he knew
he would make after growing them
out. Deer, e., and antelope were
plentiful, so he never slaughtered q
steer for meat He prospered.
For the succeeding eight years he was
not disturbed. A few nesters came into
the valley and set up small herds, but
there was plenty of grass for every
body. After 1862, when the homestead
law was enacted by congress. men
began to come in and file on home
steads. Robin Kershaw and his wife
Immediately filed homestead grazing
claims on the two sections Immediately
surrounding their ranch Headquarters !:
thus, to a considerable extent, avail.
ing themselves of the first riparian
rights on Eden Valley creek.
With the proclamation of the war
between the states fully half the set
tiers in Eden Valley volunteered for
service in both armies. One of the
first recruits TO the Union army from
California was Robin Kershaw, de-
spite the fact that he was now the
father of six children.
He returned with permanent limp
in his left leg and the title of major, to
find that his business had prOspered.
With the farms of the Middle West de-
nuded of their cattle to a large extent
by the war. beef prices were up. so
Kershaw sold every head of stock he
possessed and shipped them to Chicago
and Kansas City via the newly built
Central Pacific railroad Then, with
his checkbOOk. he commenced the
elimination of his neighbors In Eden
Valley.
BY 1870 he owned In fee fifty thou
sand acres of Eden Valley-and then
Joel Hensley. late of the Confederate
army came. Hensley had some cap
ital and he, too, yearned for Eden
Valley. he outbid Robin Kershaw
for the lower half of the valley. and
Kershaw let him have it, for, after all,
Eden Valley was large enough for two
and Kershaw knew he had the cream
of it.
Almost before he realized 1t was i'm
pending he had a bitter quarrel with
Joel Hensley. Like Kershaw. Hensley
was Texan-a fierce, belligerent man
of the breed that was responsible for
the most heroic and dramatic epitaph
In history:
1.-The Thermoplyae Had its Messen-
ger of Defeat-The Alamo
Had None!"
Kershaw had fenced off his portion
OF the valley, and in common justice,
he asked Joel Hensley to pay for half
this fencing. Hensley. glancing sar.
dOnically over the fence at the luxuri-
ant meadows of his neighbor, access to
which this fence denied his cattle, re-
piled coldly that he couldn't spare the
money Thereupon Kershaw patiently
Informed him that he would loan him
the money, with cattle as security.
Hensley replied that he preferred not
TO be in debt.
well, | see you intend to be un.
neighbOrly," Kershaw answered, $50
well not argue the matter further.
However, there is another matter that
must be adjusted, whether you have
the money or not. am turning loose
on the summer range this year FIVE
hundred pure-bred beef-type bulls
Your herd bulls are scrubs, and your
cattle and mine roam the public do
main together. Hence, you are bound
to reap an equal benefit with me from
the use of my expensive pure bred
sires. That wouldn't be fair"
Cant help that" Hensley retorted
81 have no money to buy pure-bred
range bulls and compete with you"
"I'll loan you the money. Hensley.
and il will be money well invested.
And you will not be doing your neigh.
Dor a gross Injustice"
Greed and envy incite men to
strange decisions Joel Hensley re-
torted. You're too patronizing."
Very we'll" And Robin Kershaw
rode away.
In May the Hensley and Kershaw