74 THE BEEF BONANZA. 



on hand at one time 1,900,000 young cattle, 950,000 

 cows, and 950,000 beeves. These cattle were scattered 

 along the Nueces, Guadalupe, San Antonio, Colorado, 

 Leon, Brazos, Trinity, Sabine, and Red Rivers. 

 Colonel Richard King, on the Santa Catrutos River, 

 was one of the largest owners. His ranch, known as 

 the Santa Catrutos ranch, contained nineteen Spanish 

 leagues of land, or about 84,132 acres. The Santa 

 Catrutos River and its tributaries water this immense 

 ranch, and on it were grazing 65,000 head of cattle, 

 10,000 horses, 7000 sheep, and 8000 goats. 1000 

 saddle-horses and 300 Mexicans were kept constantly 

 employed in herding, sorting, and driving the stock. 

 The number of calves branded annually on this ranch 

 were 12,000 head, and the number of beeves sold about 

 10,000. Near Golaid, on the San Antonio River, is 

 located Mr. O'Connor's ranch. Some years ago he 

 had 40,000 head of cattle, and branded annually 11,700 

 calves. The sales of beeves amounted to from $75,000 

 to $80,000 per year. Mr. O'Connor commenced cattle- 

 raising with 1500 head, for which he paid $8000, in 

 1852. Mr. Kennedy's ranch on the Rio Grande and 

 Nueces contained 142,840 acres. A fertile little penin- 

 sula jutted into the Gulf, and was surrounded on three 

 sides by water. The other side was closed with plank, 

 the whole line of fence being 30 miles long. Every 

 three miles there was a little ranch by the fence, and 

 a house for the Mexican herders. On the ranch there 

 were 30,000 head of cattle, besides an 'immense number 

 of other stock. There were many other large ranches 

 on the Rio Grande, Nueces, Guadalupe, San Antonio, 



