The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 31, July 1927 - April, 1928 Page: 351
390 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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A History of the J A' Ranch
While it was the "general policy of the cattlemen to discourage
the coming of the settlers to the Panhandle," according to Henry
Taylor, at the same time it will readily be seen from the facts
above mentioned, that it was the cattlemen who prepared this sec-
tion for the coming of the settlers, and also did the most for them
after they did come.
As has been mentioned before, by 1887 three different railroads
had extended their lines into the Panhandle of Texas. The State
Legislature, in order to get these roads extended to the Panhandle
had granted these railroads large tracts of public land in alternate
sections. A law was passed April 6, 1881, providing for the sale
of the alternate sections of land still belonging to the state. This
land was to be sold for not more than two dollars per acre and not
more than one section to the same person.4 It was thought that
this would cause people to flock to the Panhandle, but the rail-
roads had not been extended at that time and very few people
came. Those who did were of the "squatter" type; that is, they
would take up a piece of land, or rather just stop on it, and stay
for a short while with no serious intention of remaining there.
The first opportunity that presented itself they would trade their
interest in the land for "a cow, a team of mules, or 'most anything
they could get for it and then move on."'5
These "squatters" always brought with them a few cattle, and
since the most of them were from the southern part of the state,
their cattle had ticks on them. These ticks caused the "Texas
Fever" to break out among the native herds and, perhaps, caused
the cattlemen more worry, more trouble, more expense, than any
other hardship they had to endure.
Two instances related by Colonel Goodnight will suffice to illus-
trate how deadly the fever was; however, there were many more
epidemics equally as destructive as these two instances. In 1881, a
herd of cattle was brought from San Saba County up the Goodnight
trail, which passed along near where Tulia is today. Sam Dyer
(brother of Mrs. Goodnight) and Mrs. Goodnight had a thousand
ciation. According to Judge O. H. Nelson, the Panhandle Stock Associ-
ation ceased functioning in 1889 and most of its members joined the
Texas Stockmen's Association.
"Laws of The State of Texas, 1879-1889, p. 85.
"Interview with Henry W. Taylor, Clarendon, Texas.351
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 31, July 1927 - April, 1928, periodical, 1928; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101088/m1/375/: accessed May 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.