THE RED ROBE OF COURAGE 755 



and size. The Herefords are generally preferred 

 throughout the range country on account of their 

 good constitutions, grazing qualities, prepotency and 

 masculinity. The cows are good nurses, rear their 

 calves as well or better than any other breed, and 

 while doing so keep in better condition. Graziers 

 and feeders have a preference for the steer from a 

 Shorthorn cow, by a Hereford bull, and the nearer 

 to a perfect 'white face' the better they like him." 



The Capitol Syndicate XIT Ranch. This great 

 ranch was situated in the northwest corner of the 

 Panhandle of Texas, lying in the counties of Dai- 

 lam, Hartley, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Palmer, Castro, 

 Bailey, Lamb, Hockley and Cochran, and consisted 

 of 3,000,000 acres. The state of Texas retained all 

 of the land lying within its boundaries when it was 

 admitted into the Union. To provide an adequate 

 capitol building at Austin the legislature passed an 

 act in 1879 appropriating 3,000,000 acres of land for 

 disposition in that connection, the same to be se- 

 lected from the unappropriated state lands by a 

 commissioner appointed to locate none but agricul- 

 tural or grazing lands. There were at that time 

 5,000,000 acres from which to make the selection. 

 This was made in 1879 and 1880 and the land was 

 surveyed into leagues, a league comprising 4,428 

 acres. These 3,000,000 acres lay in a tract averag- 

 ing about 25 miles wide east and west by about 200 

 miles north and south, the west border being the line 

 between Texas and New Mexico. The property was 

 offered to a responsible party who would enter into 

 a contract to erect a state capitol according to plans 

 and specifications furnished by the state. This con- 



