102 THE ALABAMA OPPORTUNITY. 



of the University of Minnesota to assume charge of his father's 

 Alabama venture and is enthusiastic for its success. 



THE RANCH OWNER. 



The owner of this important enterprise and the pioneer of 

 the cattle business on such a scale in Alabama has had a most in- 

 teresting career. He is a member of a prominent West Ala- 

 bama family and has a large company ^f relatives in the va- 

 rious towns of the Black Belt. He left Greensboro thirty-five 

 years ago on horseback and rode to St. Paul, Minn. The ride 

 was taken at that time principally for his health. He later drift- 

 ed to the Southwest and became a Texas ranger, having in 

 charge at one time a company of those famous keepers of the 

 peace. 



He went into the cattle business on the Texas plains and 

 succeeded from the first. A few years later he went to Wyo- 

 ming and was one of the first if not the very first, large cattle 

 raisers of that State. For many years he had a great ranch in 

 Montana. At one time he had under lease 800,000 acres of 

 grazing land with cattle to the number of 80,000. For several 

 years he leased the entire reservation of the Crow Indians from 

 the Government and had 1,200 head of horses under saddle. 



On his ranch the battle of the Little Big Horn was fovight 

 and Custer and his command was massacred to h. man. Some 

 of the scenes of Owen Wister's fascinating story of Western 

 life are said to have been laid upon the Murphy ranch. 



THE HALE COUNTY RANCH. 



Some three years ago Mr. Murphy visited his relatives in his 

 boyhood home at Greensboro. He fond the home life of the old 

 Southern town most attractive. He had then retired from an 

 active connection with the cattle business, although he owned 

 and still owns a ranch in Montana, which had been satisfactorily 

 leased. His family were living in Minnesota, where they have 

 a fine summer home. The Greensboro visit resulted in the 

 removal of Mr. Murphy from Minnesota to Hale county, where 

 the family makes its home in the fine old Walton place in 

 Greensboro. It resulted, too, in the establishment of the first 

 big cattle ranch in Alabama, for there is no other in the State 



