I stayed on this place until the spring of 1872, ranching with
very poor success, by which time I had learned to a certainty that
this was not my line.
When a man came along and wanted a cow I always sold him one. I
would take his note for the price and, as a rule, that was all I
ever got.
In the spring of 1875 a man named Glen came into that country from
Jefferson county, Missouri, and to him I sold my entire
possessions. I got out of that scrape by losing my time and one
thousand dollars in money, but I had five years of almost
invaluable experience in ranching and stock-raising.
In those days this was what we called a Mexican stand-off. I lost
my time and money, but had my life left. Nothing occurred during
this five years of my life more than the routine of business that
naturally belongs with this kind of life, so I will pass over it.
I had such poor success ranching that I don't like to think of it
myself, much less having it told in history.
Leaving here I went to Virginia City, Nevada. This was in the
palmy days of the Comstock, and everything was high. After looking
around for a few days and seeing that horses were valuable, I
started for Jacksonville, Oregon, to buy horses for the Virginia
City market. On my arrival at Jacksonville I met a man by the name
of John T. Miller, who was a thorough horseman, and was said to be
a great salesman, which I knew I was not myself.
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