FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
421 
are under the control of comparatively few men, who are called 
cattle kings, in contrast to those operators who are known in 
New York as railroad kings. A writer in the Pittsburgh 
Commercial says there are four million cattle in Texas, one 
million of which are beeves ready for market. It must be 
borne in mind, however, that these animals have to be fed 
for some little time before their flesh is considered fit for 
eastern consumption. The plains over which the Texas 
cattle roam contain one hundred and fifty million acres. 
The following are a few of the ranchmen, with their respect- 
ive herds : — Richard King has a farm ou the Sante Cantrutos 
River, of 84,132 acres, on which he keeps 63,000 cattle, 
20,000 horses, 7000 sheep, and 8800 goats, and employs 300 
Mexicans to attend them. He sells 10,000 beeves annually. 
A Mr. OConnor owns a large pasture field on San Antonio 
River, where he grazes 40,000 head of cattle, and sells 73,000 
dols. worth each year. He commenced the business in 1832 
with 1500 head, and his present enormons herds are the re- 
sult of natural increase. Another man named Robideaux, 
has a ranch of 142,840 acres near the mouth of the Rio 
Grande. It is surrounded on three sides by water, and to 
enclose the third required the building of 31 miles of plank 
fence. He has 30,000 head of cattle, besides an immense 
amount of other stock* John Hitson, whose farm lies on 
the Brazos River, has 50,000 cattle, and drives to market a 
squad of 10,000 or so annually. Ten years ago he had a 
beautiful little blue clay farm in Tennessee, which he sold to 
get money enough to take him to Texas. He is now 40 
years old, and besides his Brazos property, own a stock farm 
nearly as extensive on the South Platte, in Nebraska. During 
the month of October, last year, it is stated that it took 1 1 1 
cars per day to transport Texas cattle from Abilene, Kansas, 
and that a single bank in Kansas City handled, during the 
season, over 3,000,000 dols. cattle money . — The Farmer. 
Purchasing Sheep for Exportation to France. — 
The serious losses of cattle which are taking place in France, 
from the spread of the cattle plague, has led to the purchase of 
a considerable number of store sheep in the south-eastern 
counties for exportation to that country. Cattle dealers from 
France have visited most of the markets in Kent, and become 
keen competitors for stock of this kind. About the middle 
of May, the state of the food supply in Paris rendered it 
necessary for arrangements to be made between the Thiers 
government and the Commune for 6000 bullocks and 10,000 
sheep to enter the city, for the supply of the hospitals, 
Bureaux des Bienfaisaiices , and women and children. 
xliv. 30 
