XIII. THE CENTENNIAL YEAR

by Andy Adams

　　THE CENTENNIAL YEARI returned to Texas early in January. Quite a change had come overthe situation since my leaving home the spring before. Except on thefrontier, business was booming in the new towns, while a regularrevolution had taken place within the past month in land values. Thecheapness of wild lands had attracted outside capital, resulting ina syndicate being formed by Northern capitalists to buy up theoutstanding issue of land scrip. The movement had been handledcautiously, and had possibly been in active operation for a year ormore, as its methods were conducted with the utmost secrecy. Optionshad been taken on all scrip voted to corporations in the State andstill in their possession, agents of the syndicate were stationed atall centres where any amount was afloat, and on a given day throughoutthe State every certificate on the market was purchased. The nextmorning land scrip was worth fifty dollars a section, and on my returnone hundred dollars a certificate was being freely bid, while everysurveyor in the State was working night and day locating lands forindividual holders of scrip.This condition of affairs was largely augmented by a boom in sheep.San Antonio was the leading wool market in the State, many clipshaving sold as high as forty cents a pound for several years past onthe streets of that city. Free range and the high price of wool wasinviting every man and his cousin to come to Texas and make hisfortune. Money was feverish for investment in sheep, flock-masterswere buying land on which to run their bands, and a sheepman was anenvied personage. Up to this time there had been little or no occasionto own the land on which the immense flocks grazed the year round, yetunder existing cheap prices of land nearly all the watercourses in theimmediate country had been taken up. Personally I was dumfounded atthe sudden and unexpected change of affairs, and what nettled me mostwas that all the land adjoining my ranch had been filed on within thepast month. The Clear Fork valley all the way up to Fort Griffin hadbeen located, while every vacant acre on the mother Brazos, as farnorth as Belknap, was surveyed and recorded. I was mortified to thinkthat I had been asleep, but then the change had come like a thiefin the night. My wife's trunk was half full of scrip, I had had asurveyor on the ground only a year before, and now the opportunity hadpassed.But my disappointment was my wife's delight, as there was no longerany necessity for keeping secret our holdings in land scrip. Thelittle tin trunk held a snug fortune, and next to the babies, mywife took great pride in showing visitors the beautiful lithographedcertificates. My ambition was land and cattle, but now that the scriphad a cash value, my wife took as much pride in those vouchers as ifthe land had been surveyed, recorded, and covered with our own herds.I had met so many reverses that I was grateful for any smile offortune, and bore my disappointment with becoming grace. My ranchhad branded over eight thousand calves that fall, and as long as itremained an open range I had room for my holdings of cattle. There wasno question but that the public domain was bountiful, and if it werenecessary I could go farther west and locate a new ranch. But itsecretly grieved me to realize that what I had so fondly hoped for hadcome without warning and found me unprepared. I might as well haveheld title to half a million acres of the Clear Fork Valley as apaltry hundred and fifty sections.Little time was given me to lament over spilt milk. On the return frommy first trip to the Clear Fork, reports from the War and Interiordepartments were awaiting me. Two contracts to the army and four toIndian agencies had been awarded us, all of which could be filled withthrough cattle. The military allotments would require six thousandheavy beeves for delivery on the upper Missouri River in Dakota,while the nation's wards would require thirteen thousand cows at fourdifferent agencies in the Indian Territory. My active partner was duein Fort Worth within a week, while bonds for the faithful fulfillmentof our contracts would be executed by our silent partner atWashington, D.C. These awards meant an active year to our firm, andbesides there was our established trade around The Grove, which we hadno intention of abandoning. The government was a sure market, and aslong as a healthy demand continued in Kansas for young cattle, thefirm of Hunter, Anthony & Co. would be found actively engaged insupplying the same.Major Hunter arrived under a high pressure of enthusiasm. Byappointment we met in Fort Worth, and after carefully reviewing thesituation we took train and continued on south to San Antonio. I hadseen a herd of beeves, a few years before, from the upper NuecesRiver, and remembered them as good heavy cattle. There were twodollars a head difference, even in ages among younger stock, betweenthe lower and upper counties in the State, and as it was poundsquantity that we wanted for the army, it was our intention to lookover the cattle along the Nueces River before buying our supply ofbeeves. We met a number of acquaintances in San Antonio, all of whomrecommended us to go west if in search of heavy cattle, and a few dayslater we reached Uvalde County. This was the section from which thebeeves had come that impressed me so favorably; I even rememberedthe ranch brands, and without any difficulty we located the owners,finding them anxious to meet buyers for their mature surplus cattle.We spent a week along the Frio, Leona, and Nueces rivers, and closedcontracts on sixty-one hundred five to seven year old beeves. Thecattle were not as good a quality as prairie-raised north Texas stock,but the pounds avoirdupois were there, the defects being in theirmongrel colors, length of legs, and breadth of horns, heritages fromthe original Spanish stock. Otherwise they were tall as a horse,clean-limbed as a deer, and active on their feet, and they looked likefine walkers. I estimated that two bits a head would drive them toRed River, and as we bought them at three dollars a head less thanprevailing prices for the same-aged beeves north of or parallel toFort Worth, we were well repaid for our time and trouble.We returned to San Antonio and opened a bank account. The 15th ofMarch was agreed on to receive. Two remudas of horses would have tobe secured, wagons fitted up, and outfits engaged. Heretofore I hadfurnished all horses for trail work, but now, with our enlargingbusiness, it would be necessary to buy others, which would be done atthe expense of the firm. George Edwards was accordingly sent for, andmet us at Waco. He was furnished a letter of credit on our San Antoniobank, and authorized to buy and equip two complete outfits for theUvalde beeves. Edwards was a good judge of horses, there was anabundance of saddle stock in the country, and he was instructed to buynot less than one hundred and twenty-five head for each remuda, tooutfit his wagons with four-mule teams, and announce us as willing toengage fourteen men to the herd. Once these details were arranged for,Major Hunter and myself bought two good horses and struck west forCoryell County, where we had put up two herds the spring before. Ourreturn met with a flood of offerings, prices of the previous yearstill prevailed, and we let contracts for sixty-five hundredthree-year-old steers and an equal number of dry and barren cows. Wepaid seven dollars a head for the latter, and in order to avoid anydispute at the final tender it was stipulated that the offeringsmust be in good flesh, not under five nor over eight years old, fullaverage in weight, and showing no evidence of pregnancy. Under localcustoms, "a cow was a cow," and we had to be specific.We did our banking at Waco for the Coryell herds. Hastening north, ournext halt was in Hood County, where we bought thirty-three hundredtwo-year-old steers and three thousand and odd cows. This completedeight herds secured--three of young steers for the agriculturalregions, and five intended for government delivery. We still lackedone for the Indian Bureau, and as I offered to make it up from myholdings, and on a credit, my active partner consented. I was puttingin every dollar at my command, my partners were borrowing freely athome, and we were pulling together like a six-mule team to makea success of the coming summer's work. It was now the middle ofFebruary, and my active partner went to Fort Worth, where I did mybanking, to complete his financial arrangements, while I returned tothe ranch to organize the forces for the coming campaign. All thelatter were intrusted to me, and while I had my old foremen at my beckand call, it was necessary to employ five or six new ones. With ourdeliveries scattered from the Indian Territory to the upper MissouriRiver, as well as our established trade at The Grove, two of us couldnot cover the field, and George Edwards had been decided on as thethird and trusted man. In a practical way he was a better cowman thanI was, and with my active Yankee partner for a running mate they madea team that would take care of themselves in any cow country.A good foreman is a very important man in trail work. The drover orfirm may or may not be practical cowmen, but the executive in thefield must be the master of any possible situation that may arise,combining the qualities of generalship with the caution of anexplorer. He must be a hail-fellow among his men, for he must commandby deserving obedience; he must know the inmost thoughts of his herd,noting every sign of alarm or distress, and willingly sacrifice anypersonal comfort in the interest of his cattle or outfit. I had a fewsuch men, boys who had grown up in my employ, several of whom I wouldrather trust in a dangerous situation with a herd than take activecharge myself. No concern was given for their morals, but they mustbe capable, trustworthy, and honest, as they frequently handled largesums of money. All my old foremen swore by me, not one of them wouldaccept a similar situation elsewhere, and in selecting the extra trailbosses their opinion was valued and given due consideration.Not having driven anything from my ranch the year before, a fine herdof twos, threes, and four-year-old steers could easily be made up. Itwas possible that a tenth and individual herd might be sent up thecountry, but no movement to that effect was decided on, and my regularranch hands had orders only to throw in on the home range and gatheroutside steer cattle and dry cows. I had wintered all my saddle horseson the Clear Fork, and once the foremen were decided on, they repairedto the ranch and began outfitting for the start. The Coryell herdswere to be received one week later than the beef cattle, and theoutfits would necessarily have to start in ample time to meet uson our return from the upper Nueces River country. The two foremenallotted to Hood County would start a week later still, so that wewould really move north with the advance of the season in receivingthe cattle under contract. Only a few days were required in securingthe necessary foremen, a remuda was apportioned to each, and creditfor the commissary supplies arranged for, the employment of the menbeing left entirely to the trail bosses. Taking two of my olderforemen with me, I started for Fort Worth, where an agreeable surpriseawaited me. We had been underbidden at the War Department on both ourproposals for northern wintered beeves. The fortunate bidder on onecontract was refused the award,--for some duplicity in a formertransaction, I learned later,--and the Secretary of War had approachedour silent partner to fill the deficiency. Six weeks had elapsed,there was no obligation outstanding, and rather than advertise andrelet the contract, the head of the War Department had concluded toallot the deficiency by private award. Major Hunter had been burningthe wires between Fort Worth and Washington, in order to hold thematter open until I came in for a consultation. The department hadoffered half a cent a pound over and above our previous bid, and webribed an operator to reopen his office that night and send a messageof acceptance. We had ten thousand cattle wintering on the MedicineRiver, and it would just trim them up nicely to pick out all theheavy, rough beeves for filling an army contract.When we had got a confirmation of our message, we proceeded on south,accompanied by the two foremen, and reached Uvalde County within aweek of the time set for receiving. Edwards had two good remudas inpastures, wagons and teams secured, and cooks and wranglers on hand,and it only remained to pick the men to complete the outfits. Withthree old trail foremen on the alert for good hands while thegathering and receiving was going on, the help would be ready inample time to receive the herds. Gathering the beeves was in activeoperation on our arrival, a branding chute had been built tofacilitate the work, and all five of us took to the saddle inassisting ranchmen in holding under herd, as we permitted nothing tobe corralled night or day. The first herd was completed on the 14th,and the second a day later, both moving out without an hour's delay,the only instructions being to touch at Great Bend, Kansas, for finalorders. The cattle more than came up to expectations, three fourths ofthem being six and seven years old, and as heavy as oxen. There wassomething about the days of the open range that left its impression onanimals, as these two herds were as uniform in build as deer, and Iquestion if the same country to-day has as heavy beeves.Three days were lost in reaching Coryell County, where our outfitswere in waiting and twenty others were at work gathering cattle. Theherds were made up and started without a hitch, and we passed on toHood County, meeting every date promptly and again finding the trailoutfits awaiting us. Leaving my active partner and George Edwards toreceive the two herds, I rode through to the Clear Fork in a singleday. A double outfit had been at work for the past two weeks gatheringoutside cattle and had over a thousand under herd on my arrival.Everything had worked out so nicely in receiving the purchased herdsthat I finally concluded to send out my steers, and we began gatheringon the home range. By making small round-ups, we disturbed the youngcalves as little as possible. I took charge of the extra outfit and myranch foreman of his own, one beginning on the west end of my range,the other going north and coming down the Brazos. At the end of a weekthe two crews came together with nearly eight thousand cattle underherd. The next day we cut out thirty-five hundred cows and startedthem on the trail, turning free the remnant of she stuff, and beganshaping up the steers, using only the oldest in making up thirty-twohundred head. There were fully two thousand threes, the remainderbeing nearly equally divided between twos and fours. No road brandingwas necessary; the only delay in moving out was in provisioning awagon and securing a foreman. Failing in two or three quarters, Iat last decided on a young fellow on my ranch, and he was placed incharge of the last herd. Great Bend was his destination, I instructedhim where to turn off the Chisholm trail,--north of the Salt Fork inthe Cherokee Outlet,--and he started like an army with banners.I rejoined my active partner at Fort Worth. The Hood County cattle hadstarted a week before, so taking George Edwards with us, we took trainfor Kansas. Major Hunter returned to his home, while Edwards and Ilost no time in reaching the Medicine River. A fortnight was spent inriding our northern range, when we took horses and struck out for PondCreek in the Outlet. The lead herds were due at this point early inMay, and on our arrival a number had already passed. A road house andstage stand had previously been established, the proprietor of whichkept a register of passing herds for the convenience of owners. Noneof ours were due, yet we looked over the "arrivals" with interest, andcontinued on down the trail to Red Fork. The latter was a branch ofthe Arkansas River, and at low water was inclined to be brackish,and hence was sometimes called the Salt Fork, with nothing todifferentiate it from one of the same name sixty miles farther north.There was an old Indian trading post at Red Fork, and I lay over therewhile Edwards went on south to meet the cows. His work for the summerwas to oversee the deliveries at the Indian agencies, Major Hunterwas to look after the market at The Bend, and I was to attend to thecontracts at army posts on the upper Missouri. Our first steer herd toarrive was from Hood County, and after seeing them safely on the GreatBend trail at Pond Creek, I waited for the other steer cattle fromCoryell to arrive. Both herds came in within a day of each other,and I loitered along with them, finally overtaking the lead one whenwithin fifty miles of The Bend. In fair weather it was a delightfulexistence to loaf along with the cattle; but once all three herdsreached their destination, two outfits held them, and I took the HoodCounty lads and dropped back on the Medicine. Our ranch hands hadeverything shaped up nicely, and by working a double outfit and makinground-ups at noon, when the cattle were on water, we quietly cutout three thousand head of our biggest beeves without materiallydisturbing our holdings on that range. These northern wintered cattlewere intended for delivery at Fort Abraham Lincoln on the MissouriRiver in what is now North Dakota. The through heavy beeves fromUvalde County were intended for Fort Randall and intermediate posts,some of them for reissue to various Indian agencies. The reservationsof half a dozen tribes were tributary to the forts along the upperMissouri, and the government was very liberal in supplying its wardswith fresh beef.The Medicine River beeves were to be grazed up the country to FortLincoln. We passed old Fort Larned within a week, and I left theoutfit there and returned to The Bend. The outfit in charge of thewintered cattle had orders to touch at and cross the Missouri River atFort Randall, where I would meet them again near the middle of July.The market had fairly opened at Great Bend, and I was kept busyassisting Major Hunter until the arrival of the Uvalde beef herds.Both came through in splendid condition, were admired by every buyerin the market, and passed on north under orders to graze ten miles aday until reaching their destination. By this time the whereabouts ofall the Indian herds were known, yet not a word had reached me fromthe foreman of my individual cattle after crossing into the Nations.It was now the middle of June, and there were several points enroute from which he might have mailed a letter, as did all the otherforemen. Herds, which crossed at Red River Station a week after mysteers, came into The Bend and reported having spoken no "44" cattleen route. I became uneasy and sent a courier as far south as the stateline, who returned with a comfortless message. Finally a foreman inthe employ of Jess Evens came to me and reported having taken dinnerwith a "44" outfit on the South Canadian; that the herd swam the riverthat afternoon, after which he never hailed them again. They were myown dear cattle, and I was worrying; I was overdue at Fort Randall,and in duty bound to look after the interests of the firm. MajorHunter came to the rescue, in his usual calm manner, and expressed hisconfidence that all would come out right in the end; that when themystery was unraveled the foreman would be found blameless.I took a night train for the north, connected with a boat on theMissouri River, and by finally taking stage reached Fort Randall. Themental worry of those four days would age an ordinary man, but on myarrival at the post a message from my active partner informed me thatmy cattle had reached Dodge City two weeks before my leaving. Then thescales fell from my eyes, as I could understand that when inquirieswere made for the Salt Fork, some wayfarer had given that name tothe Red Fork; and the new Dodge trail turned to the left, from theChisholm, at Little Turkey, the first creek crossed after leaving theriver. The message was supplemented a few days later by a letter,stating that Dodge City would possibly be a better market than theBend, and that my interests would be looked after as well as if I werepresent. A load was lifted from my shoulders, and when the winteredcattle passed Randall, the whole post turned out to see the beef herdon its way up to Lincoln. The government line of forts along theMissouri River had the whitest lot of officers that it was ever mygood fortune to meet. I was from Texas, my tongue and colloquialismsof speech proclaimed me Southern-born, and when I admitted havingserved in the Confederate army, interest and attention was onlyheightened, while every possible kindness was simply showered on me.The first delivery occurred at Fort Lincoln. It was a very simpleaffair. We cut out half a dozen average beeves, killed, dressed, andweighed them, and an honest average on the herd was thus secured. Thecontract called for one and a half million pounds on foot; our tenderoverran twelve per cent; but this surplus was accepted and paid for.The second delivery was at Fort Pierre and the last at Randall, bothof which passed pleasantly, the many acquaintances among army men thatsummer being one of my happiest memories. Leaving Randall, we put into the nearest railroad point returning, where thirty men were senthome, after which we swept down the country and arrived at Great Bendduring the last week in September. My active partner had handledhis assignment of the summer's work in a masterly manner, havingwholesaled my herd at Dodge City at as good figures as our othercattle brought in retail quantities at The Bend. The former point hadreceived three hundred and fifty thousand Texas cattle that summer,while every one conceded that Great Bend's business as a trailterminal would close with that season. The latter had handled nearly aquarter-million cattle that year, but like Abilene, Wichita, and othertrail towns in eastern Kansas, it was doomed to succumb to the advanceguard of pioneer settlers.The best sale of the year fell to my active partner. Before theshipping season opened, he sold, range count, our holdings on theMedicine River, including saddle stock, improvements, and good will.The cattle might possibly have netted us more by marketing them, butit was only a question of time until the flow of immigration woulddemand our range, and Major Hunter had sold our squatter's rightswhile they had a value. A new foreman had been installed on our givingup possession, and our old one had been skirmishing the surroundingcountry the past month for a new range, making a favorable report onthe Eagle Chief in the Outlet. By paying a trifling rental to theCherokee Nation, permission could be secured to hold cattle on theselands, set aside as a hunting ground. George Edwards had been rottingall summer in issuing cows at Indian agencies, but on the first ofOctober the residue of his herds would be put in pastures or turnedfree for the winter. Major Hunter had wound up his affairs at TheBend, and nothing remained but a general settlement of the summer'swork. This took place at Council Grove, our silent partner and Edwardsboth being present. The profits of the year staggered us all. I wasanxious to go home, the different outfits having all gone by rail oroverland with the remudas, with the exception of the two from Uvalde,which were property of the firm. I had bought three hundred extrahorses at The Bend, sending them home with the others, and now nothingremained but to stock the new range in the Cherokee Outlet. Edwardsand my active partner volunteered for this work, it being understoodthat the Uvalde remudas would be retained for ranch use, and thatnot over ten thousand cattle were to be put on the new range for thewinter. Our silent partner was rapidly awakening to the importance ofhis usefulness in securing future contracts with the War and Indiandepartments, and vaguely outlining the future, we separated to threepoints of the compass.