272 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



the agent $0.50. My son, Perry B. Roberts, (Cor- 

 nell '87) was made manager of this plantation 

 which was to be a cattle ranch. He at once con- 

 structed a large pool and afterwards nine or 

 ten more by excavating earth-dams in the low 

 draws, so that the ranch could never run short of 

 water. This afforded a supply for the livestock in 

 several places so that they did not suffer from 

 thirst because of the long distance to water. 



The attempt to make a good well near the build- 

 ings was unsuccessful because of the fine clay soil ; 

 so a large underground cistern was built which re- 

 ceived rain water from the eaves of the buildings 

 at the beginning of winter and which was sealed up 

 before the warm weather came on in the spring. 

 With this precaution the water remained cool and 

 sweet all summer. 



A simple house, a large barn, a small horse 

 barn, two cabins and later, a silo, were built. The 

 ranch was fenced into four fields of unequal size 

 with a three barbed-wire fence of which the oak 

 posts were made eight feet long so that when one 

 end rotted off the staples could be cut and the posts 

 turned end for end. The farm was supplied with 

 brood-mares, for workstock largely, and with a 

 herd of from one to two hundred cattle, bought 



