XII. CLEAR FORK AND SHENANDOAH

by Andy Adams

　　CLEAR FORK AND SHENANDOAHI arrived home in good time for the fall work. The first outfitrelieved at Wichita had instructions to begin, immediately on reachingthe ranch, a general cow-hunt for outside brands. It was possible thata few head might have escaped from the Clear Fork range and returnedto their old haunts, but these would bear a tally-mark distinguishingthem from any not gathered at the spring delivery. My regular ranchhands looked after the three purchased brands adjoining our homerange, but an independent outfit had been working the past four monthsgathering strays and remnants in localities where I had previouslybought brands. They went as far south as Comanche County and pickedup nearly one hundred "Lazy L's," scoured the country where I hadpurchased the two brands in the spring of 1872, and afterward confinedthemselves to ranges from which the outside cattle were received thatspring. They had made one delivery on the Clear Fork of seven hundredhead before my return, and were then away on a second cow-hunt.On my reaching the ranch the first contingent of gathered cattle wereunder herd. They were a rag-tag lot, many of them big steers, whilemuch of the younger stuff was clear of earmark or brand until aftertheir arrival at the home corrals. The ranch help herded them by dayand penned them at night, but on the arrival of the independent outfitwith another contingent of fifteen hundred the first were freed andthe second put under herd. Counting both bunches, the strays numberednearly a thousand head, and cattle bearing no tally-mark fully asmany more, while the remainder were mavericks and would have paid theexpenses of the outfit for the past four months. I now had over thirtythousand cattle on the Clear Fork, holding them in eleven brands, butdecided thereafter to run all the increase in the original "44." Thisrule had gone into effect the fall previous, and I now proposed to runit on all calves branded. Never before had I felt the necessity ofincreasing my holdings in land, but with the number of cattle on handit behooved me to possess a larger acreage of the Clear Fork valley.A surveyor was accordingly sent for, and while the double outfit wasbranding the home calf crop, I located on the west end of my range astrip of land ten miles long by five wide. At the east end of my ranchanother tract was located, five by ten miles, running north and takingin all that country around the junction of the Clear Fork with themother Brazos. This gave me one hundred and fifty sections of land,lying in the form of an immense Lazy L, and I felt that the expensewas justified in securing an ample range for my stock cattle.My calf crop that fall ran a few over seven thousand head. They weregood northern Texas calves, and it would cost but a trifle to run themuntil they were two-year-olds; and if demand continued in the uppercountry, some day a trail herd of steers could easily be made up fromtheir numbers. I was beginning to feel rather proud of my land andcattle; the former had cost me but a small outlay, while the latterwere clear velvet, as I had sold thirty-five hundred from theirincrease during the past two years. Once the surveying and brandingwas over, I returned to the Edwards ranch for the winter. The generaloutlook in Texas was for the better; quite a mileage of railroadhad been built within the State during the past year, and new andprosperous towns had sprung up along their lines. The politicalsituation had quieted down, and it was generally admitted that aReconstruction government could never again rear its head on Texassoil. The result was that confidence was slowly being restored amongthe local people, and the press of the State was making a fight forrecognition, all of which augured for a brighter future. Living on thefrontier and absent the greater portion of the time, I took littleinterest in local politics, yet could not help but feel that therestoration of self-government to the best elements of our peoplewould in time reflect on the welfare of the State. Since my advent inTexas I had been witness to the growth of Fort Worth from a stragglingvillage in the spring of 1866 to quite a pretentious town in the fallof 1874.Ever since the partnership was formed I had been aware of and hadfostered the political ambitions of the firm's silent member. He hadbeen prominently identified with the State of Kansas since it was aterritory, had held positions of trust, and had been a representativein Congress, and all three of us secretly hoped to see him advanced tothe United States Senate. We had fully discussed the matter on variousoccasions, and as the fall elections had gone favorably, the presentwas considered the opportune time to strike. The firm mutuallyagreed to stand the expense of the canvass, which was estimated on areasonable basis, and the campaign opened with a blare of trumpets.Assuming the rôle of a silent partner, I had reports furnished meregularly, and it soon developed that our estimate on the probableexpense was too low. We had boldly entered the canvass, our man wasworthy, and I wrote back instructing my partners to spare no expensein winning the fight. There were a number of candidates in the raceand the legislature was in session, when an urgent letter reached me,urging my presence at the capital of Kansas. The race was narrowing toa close, a personal consultation was urged, and I hastened north asfast as a relay of horses and railroad trains could carry me. On myarrival at Topeka the fight had almost narrowed to a financial one,and we questioned if the game were worth the candle. Yet we werealready involved in a considerable outlay, and the consultationresulted in our determination to win, which we did, but at an expenseof a little over four times the original estimate, which, however,afterward proved a splendid investment.I now had hopes that we might enlarge our operations in handlinggovernment contracts. Major Hunter saw possibilities along the sameline, and our silent partner was awakened to the importance ofmaintaining friendly relations with the Interior and War departments,gathering all the details in contracting beef with the government forits Indian agencies and army posts in the West. Up to date this hadbeen a lucrative field which only a few Texas drovers had venturedinto, most of the contractors being Northern and Eastern men, andusually buying the cattle with which to fill the contracts near thepoint of delivery. I was impatient to get into this trade, as theIndian deliveries generally took cows, and the army heavy beef, twogrades of cattle that at present our firm had no certain demand for.Also the market was gradually moving west from Wichita, and it wasonly a question of a few years until the settlements of eastern Kansaswould cut us off from our established trade around The Grove. Ihad seen Abilene pass away as a market, Wichita was doomed by theencroachments of agriculture, and it behooved us to be alert for a newoutlet.I made up my mind to buy more land scrip. Not that there had beenany perceptible improvement in wild lands, but the general outlookjustified its purchase. My agent at Austin reported scrip to be hadin ordinary quantities at former prices, and suggested that I supplymyself fully, as the new administration was an economical one, andonce the great flood of certificates issued by the last Reconstructionrégime were absorbed, an advance in land scrip was anticipated. Iaccordingly bought three hundred sections more, hardly knowing whatto do with it, yet I knew there was an empire of fine grazing countrybetween my present home and the Pecos River. If ever the Comancheswere brought under subjection there would be ranches and room for all;and our babies were principally boys.Major Hunter came down earlier than usual. He reported a clear, coldwinter on the Medicine and no serious drift of cattle, and expressedthe belief that we would come through with a loss not exceeding oneper cent. This was encouraging, as it meant fat cattle next fall, fitfor any market in the country. It was yet too early to make any movetowards putting up herds for the trail, and we took train and wentdown the country as far as Austin. There was always a difference incattle prices, running from one to two dollars a head, between thenorthern and southern parts of the State. Both of us were anxiousto acquaint ourselves with the different grades, and made stops inseveral intervening counties, looking at cattle on the range andpricing them. We spent a week at the capital city and met all thetrail drovers living there, many of whom expected to put up herds forthat year southeast on the Colorado River. "Shanghai" Pierce hadfor some time been a prominent figure in the markets of Abilene andWichita, driving herds of his own from the extreme coast country. Butour market required a better quality than coasters and Mexican cattle,and we turned back up the country. Before leaving the capital, MajorHunter and I had a long talk with my merchant friend over the landscrip market, and the latter urged its purchase at once, if wanted, asthe issue afloat was being gradually absorbed. Already there had beena noticeable advance in the price, and my partner gave me nopeace until I bought, at eighteen dollars a section, two hundredcertificates more. Its purchase was making an inroad on my workingcapital, but the major frowned on my every protest, and I yielded outof deference to his superior judgment.Returning, we stopped in Bell County, where we contracted for fifteenthousand two and three year old steers. They were good prairie-raisedcattle, and we secured them at a dollar a head less than the pricesprevailing in the first few counties south of Red River. Major Hunterremained behind, arranging his banking facilities, and I returned homeafter my outfits. Before leaving Bell County, I left word that wecould use fifty good men for the trail, but they would have to comerecommended by the ranchmen with whom we were dealing. We expected tomake up five herds, and the cattle were to be ready for delivery tous between the 15th and 30th of March. I hastened home and out to theranch, gathered our saddle stock, outfitted wagons, and engaged allmy old foremen and twenty trusty men, and we started with a remudaof five hundred horses to begin the operations of the coming summer.Receiving cattle with me was an old story by this time, and frequentlymatters came to a standstill between the sellers and ourselves. Wepaid no attention to former customs of the country; all cattle hadto come up full-aged or go into the younger class, while inferior orknotty stags were turned back as not wanted. Scarcely a day passed butthere was more or less dispute; but we proposed paying for them, andinsisted that all cattle tendered must come up to the specificationsof the contract. We stood firm, and after the first two herds werereceived, all trouble on that score passed, and in making up the lastthree herds there was actually a surplus of cattle tendered. We used aroad brand that year on all steers purchased, and the herds moved outfrom two to three days apart, the last two being made up in Coryell,the adjoining county north.George Edwards had charge of the rear herd. There were fourteen daysbetween the first and the last starts, a fortnight of hard work, andwe frequently received from ten to thirty miles distant from thebranding pens. I rode almost night and day, and Edwards likewise,while Major Hunter kept all the accounts and settled with the sellers.As fast as one herd was ready, it moved out under a foreman andfourteen men, one hundred saddle horses, and a well-stockedcommissary. We did our banking at Belton, the county seat, and afterthe last herd started we returned to town and received quite anovation from the business men of the village. We had invested alittle over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cattle in thatcommunity, and a banquet was even suggested in our honor by some ofthe leading citizens. Most of the contracts were made with merchants,many of whom did not own a hoof of cattle, but depended on theircustomers to deliver the steers. The business interests of the townwere anxious to have us return next year. We declined the proposeddinner, as neither Major Hunter nor myself would have made apresentable guest. A month or more had passed since I had left theranch on the Clear Fork, the only clothes I had were on my back, andthey were torn in a dozen places from running cattle in the brush. Mypartner had been living in cow-camps for the past three weeks, andpreferred to be excused from receiving any social attentions. So wethanked our friends and started for the railroad.Major Hunter went through to The Grove, while I stopped at Fort Worth.A buckboard from home was awaiting me, and the next morning I was atthe Edwards ranch. A relay team was harnessed in, and after countingthe babies I started for the Clear Fork. By early evening I was inconsultation with my ranch foreman, as it was my intention to drive anindividual herd if everything justified the venture. I never saw therange on the Clear Fork look better, and the books showed that wecould easily gather two thousand twos and threes, while the balance ofthe herd could be made up of dry and barren cows. All we lacked wasabout thirty horses, and my ranch hands were anxious to go up thetrail; but after riding the range one day I decided that it would bea pity to disturb the pastoral serenity of the valley. It was fairlydotted with my own cattle; month-old calves were playing in groups,while my horse frequently shied at new-born ones, lying like fawnsin the tall grass. A round-up at that time meant the separation ofmothers from their offspring and injury to cows approaching maternity,and I decided that no commercial necessity demanded the sacrifice.Then again it seemed a short-sighted policy to send half-maturedsteers to market, when no man could bring the same animals to a fulldevelopment as cheaply as I could. Barring contagious diseases, cattleare the healthiest creatures that walk the earth, and even on an openrange seldom if ever does one voluntarily forsake its birthplace.I spent two weeks on the ranch and could have stayed the summerthrough, for I love cattle. Our lead herd was due on the Kansas stateline early in May, so remaining at the Edwards ranch until the lastpossible hour, I took train and reached Wichita, where my activepartner was awaiting me. He had just returned from the Medicine River,and reported everything serene. He had made arrangements to have themen attend all the country round-ups within one hundred miles of ourrange. Several herds had already reached Wichita, and the next day Istarted south on horseback to meet our cattle at Caldwell on the line,or at Pond Creek in the Cherokee Outlet. It was going to be difficultto secure range for herds within fifteen miles of Wichita, and theopinion seemed general that this would be the last year that towncould hope to hold any portion of the Texas cattle trade. On arrivingat Pond Creek I found that fully half the herds were turning up thatstream, heading for Great Bend, Ellsworth, Ellis, and Nickerson, allmarkets within the State of Kansas. The year before nearly one thirdthe drive had gone to the two first-named points, and now other townswere offering inducements and bidding for a share of the presentcattle exodus.Our lead herd arrived without an incident en route. The second onecame in promptly, both passing on and picking their way through theborder settlements to Wichita. I waited until the third one put in anappearance, leaving orders for it and the two rear ones to camp onsome convenient creek in the Outlet near Caldwell. Arrangements weremade with Captain Stone for supplying the outfits, and I hurried onto overtake the lead herds, then nearing Wichita. An ample range wasfound but twenty miles up the Arkansas River, and the third day allthe Bell County men in the two outfits were sent home by train.The market was much the same as the year before: one herd of threethousand two-year-olds was our largest individual sale. Early inAugust the last herd was brought from the state line and the throughhelp reduced to two outfits, one holding cattle at Wichita and theother bringing in shipments of beeves from the Medicine River range.The latter were splendid cattle, fatted to a finish for grass animals,and brought top prices in the different markets to which they wereconsigned. Omitting details, I will say it was an active year, as webought and sold fully as many more as our drive amounted to, while Iadded to my stock of saddle horses an even three hundred head.An amusing incident occurred with one of my men while holding cattlethat fall at Wichita. The boys were in and out of town frequently,and one of them returned to camp one evening and informed me that hewanted to quit work, as he intended to return to Wichita and kill aman. He was a good hand and I tried to persuade him out of the idea,but he insisted that it was absolutely necessary to preserve hishonor. I threatened to refuse him a horse, but seeing that menace andpersuasion were useless, I ordered him to pick my holdings of saddlestock, gave him his wages due, and told him to be sure and shootfirst. He bade us all good-by, and a chum of his went with him. Aboutan hour before daybreak they returned and awoke me, when the aggrievedboy said: "Mr. Anthony, I didn't kill him. No, I didn't kill him. He'sa good man. You bet he's a game one. Oh, he's a good man all right."That morning when I awoke both lads were out on herd, and I had anearly appointment to meet parties in town. Major Hunter gave me thestory immediately on my arrival. The boys had located the offender ina store, and he anticipated the fact that they were on his trail. Asour men entered the place, the enemy stepped from behind a pile ofclothing with two six-shooters leveled in their faces, and ordered aclerk to relieve the pair of their pistols, which was promptly done.Once the particulars were known at camp, it was looked upon as a goodjoke on the lad, and whenever he was asked what he thought of Mr.Blank, his reply invariably was, "He's a good man."The drive that year to the different markets in Kansas amounted toabout five hundred thousand cattle. One half this number were handledat Wichita, the surrounding country absorbing them to such an extentthat when it came time to restock our Medicine River range I wascompelled to go to Great Bend to secure the needed cattle. All saddlehorses, both purchased and my own remudas, with wagons, were sent toour winter camps by the shipping crew, so that the final start forTexas would be made from the Medicine River. It was the last ofOctober that the last six trains of beeves were brought in to therailroad for shipment, the season's work drawing to an end. MeanwhileI had closed contracts on ten thousand three-year-old steers at"The Bend," so as fast as the three outfits were relieved of theirconsignment of beeves they pulled out up the Arkansas River to receivethe last cattle of the year. It was nearly one hundred miles fromWichita, and on the arrival of the shipping crews the herds werereceived and started south for their winter range. Major Hunter andI accompanied the herds to the Medicine, and within a week afterreaching the range the two through outfits started home with fivewagons and eight hundred saddle horses.It was the latter part of November when we left our winter camps andreturned to The Grove for the annual settlement. Our silent partnerwas present, and we broke the necks of a number of champagne bottlesin properly celebrating the success of the year's work. The winteredcattle had cleared the Dutchman's one per cent, while every hoof inthe through and purchased herds was a fine source of profit. Congresswould convene within a week, and our silent partner suggested that allthree of us go down to Washington and attend the opening exercises. Hehad already looked into the contracting of beef to the government, andwas particularly anxious to have my opinion on a number of contractsto be let the coming winter. It had been ten years since I left my oldhome in the Shenandoah Valley, my parents were still living, and allI asked was time enough to write a letter to my wife, and buy somedecent clothing. The trio started in good time for the opening ofCongress, but once we sighted the Potomac River the old home hungercame on me and I left the train at Harper's Ferry. My mother knew andgreeted me just as if I had left home that morning on an errand, andhad now returned. My father was breaking with years, yet had amental alertness that was remarkable and a commercial instinct thatunderstood the value of a Texas cow or a section of land scrip. Theyounger members of the family gathered from their homes to meet"Texas" Anthony, and for ten continuous days I did nothing but answerquestions, running from the color of the baby's eyes to why we did notdrive the fifteen thousand cattle in one herd, or how big a section ofcountry would one thousand certificates of land scrip cover. My visitwas broken by the necessity of conferring with my partners, so,promising to spend Christmas with my mother, I was excused until thatdate.At the War and Interior departments I made many friends. I understoodcattle so thoroughly that there was no feature of a delivery to thegovernment that embarrassed me in the least. A list of contracts to belet from each department was courteously furnished us, but not wishingto scatter our business too wide, we submitted bids for six Indiancontracts and four for delivery to army posts on the upper MissouriRiver. Two of the latter were to be northern wintered cattle, and wehad them on the Medicine River; but we also had a sure market on them,and it was a matter of indifference whether we secured them or not.The Indian contracts called for cows, and I was anxious to secure asmany as possible, as it meant a market for the aging she stuff onmy ranch. Heretofore this class had fulfilled their mission inperpetuating their kind, had lived their day, and the weeds grewrankly where their remains enriched the soil. The bids would not beopened until the middle of January, and we should have notice at onceif fortunate in securing any of the awards. The holiday season wasapproaching, Major Hunter was expected at home, and the firm separatedfor the time being.