756 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



tract was ultimately assigned to a syndicate consist- 

 ing of U. S. Senator C. B. Farwell, John V. Farwell, 

 the well known wholesale dry goods man of Chicago, 

 Col. Abner Taylor, who at one time represented in 

 Congress the first district of Chicago, and Col. A. C. 

 Babcock of Canton, 111., all now deceased. 



Description of the Property. Generally speaking 

 this tract of land is a level plain or plateau varying 

 from 2,300 to 4,700 feet in altitude covered by a lux- 

 uriant growth of buffalo, . mesquite, grama, blue- 

 stem, bunch, sage and other grasses. The soil va- 

 ries from chocolate loam to red sandy loam, with 

 subsoil of practically the same character under 

 which lies a stratum of clay. The Canadian Eiver 

 traverses the tract in an easterly direction through 

 Oldham county and tributary to it the land is rolling 

 or gently undulating. There were a few springs on 

 this tract of land and these and the waters of the 

 Canadian were all that the buffalo and wild animals 

 of the early days could depend upon. Many lake 

 basins are to be found on the plains which contain 

 water for some time after heavy rainfalls. These 

 were entirely inadequate to supply water for the 

 large herds that were put on this tract by the Cap- 

 itol Syndicate, and it became necessary to bore 

 wells, erect windmills over them and provide drink- 

 ing troughs and reservoirs. The syndicate bored 

 about 300 such wells which varied in depth from 10 

 to 400 feet and averaged about 125 feet. Dams were 

 thrown across ravines or draws to conserve the 

 rainfall. The watering facilities were developed in 



