CATTLE-RAISING IN COLORADO. 199 



arranged with the other owners of this ranch to turn 

 the whole business over to the company on a low cash 

 basis, placing cattle and land at the lowest possible 

 figure, and the owners taking large interests in the new 

 company. 



"I have also entered into a contract with Colonel 

 William Craig for the purchase of his extensive ranch, 

 adjoining ours on the east, on the Huerfano and Cucharas 

 Rivers, extending along both sides of these rivers for 

 a distance of about seventeen miles. The title to this 

 ranch is also secured by United States patent. The 

 two ranches together comprise about 80,000 acres, se- 

 cured by patent and platted. They embrace a river 

 frontage of twenty-eight miles, and control a grazing 

 range of nearly 500,000 acres, well known as one of 

 the best grass districts of Colorado. Four thousand 

 acres are bottom-lands under cultivation, and irrigated 

 by ten miles of ditch. More than $150,000 worth 

 of improvements have been put upon these ranches. 

 Colonel George W. Schofield, major Tenth Cavalry 

 U.S.A., formerly owner of our ranch, says, 'I have 

 spent the last ten years in Colorado, Wyoming, New 

 Mexico, Indian, Territory, Texas, and other parts of 

 the West, and I have never seen a more favorable loca- 

 tion for stock-raising. It is the best cattle range I 

 know of in all the West, and for that reason I located it.' 



" It is estimated that the range will graze over 20,000 

 head of cattle permanently, and I propose to gradually 

 increase the number to its full capacity. The capital 

 stock of the company will be divided into 5000 shares 

 of $100 each, and used as follows : For land with im- 



