I showed him the sights around Dodge and we became quite friendly,
but I was unable to sell him his requirements unless I could show the
stock. It was easily to be seen that he was not a range cattleman, and
I humored him until he took my address, saying that if he were unable
to fill his wants in other Western markets he would write me later.
The acquaintance resulted in several letters passing between us that
autumn, and finally an appointment was made to meet in Kansas City and
go down to Texas together. I had written home to have the buckboard
meet us at Fort Worth on October 1, and a few days later we were
riding the range on the Brazos and Clear Fork. In the past there never
had been any market for this class of drones, old age and death being
the only relief, and from the great number of brands that I had
purchased during my ranching and trail operations, my range was simply
cluttered with these old cumberers. Their hides would not have paid
freighting and transportation to a market, and they had become an
actual drawback to a ranch, when the opportunity occurred and I sold
twelve hundred head to the Illinois distillery. The buyer informed
me that they fattened well; that there was a special demand for this
quality in the export trade of dressed beef, and that owing to their
cheapness and consequent profit they were in demand for distillery
feeding.
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