Our banking points were
limited to Fort Worth and San Antonio, so agreeing to meet at the
latter point on the 1st of February for a general consultation, we
separated with a view to feeling the home market. Our man Edwards
dropped out in the central part of the State, my active partner wished
to look into the situation on the lower Nueces River, and I returned
to the headwaters of that stream. During the past two summers we had
driven five herds of heavy beeves from Uvalde and adjoining counties,
and while we liked the cattle of that section, it was considered
advisable to look elsewhere for our beef supply. Within a week I
let contracts for five herds of two and three year old steers, then
dropped back to the Colorado River and bought ten thousand more in
San Saba and McCulloch counties. This completed the purchases in
my department, and I hastened back to San Antonio for the expected
consultation. Neither my active partner nor my trusted man had
arrived, nor was there a line to indicate where they were or when they
might be expected, though Major Hunter had called at our hotel a few
days previously for his mail. The designated day was waning, and I was
worried by the non-appearance of either, when I received a wire from
Austin, saying they had just sublet the Indian contracts.
The next morning my active partner and Edwards arrived. The latter had
met some parties at the capital who were anxious to fill our Indian
deliveries, and had wired us in the firm's name, and Major Hunter had
taken the first train for Austin.
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