Even at this early day there were indications that a political ring had been formed in Cheyenne county and unless a man was favored by the members he did not succeed in public life.

The Cattee Business

The stagnation of the town and county continued through the next five years. The trail herds passing through the town and county enlivened life occasionally, when cattle werei driven from Texas into the country north of Sidney. The cattle business was becoming important in the Nebraska Panhandle where abundant pasture was available. A report of Thomas Kane, secretary of the Cattle Association, made August 5, 1876, indicates that the growth of this industry in Cheyenne county was considerable. The report gives only the cattle actually in the county, though some of the companies or ranchmen had large herds in other counties of the state, and in Colorado

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

and Wyoming. Some of the most important companies and ranchmen with their holdings are as follows : Adams, Redington & Co., six thousand head ; Codd Brothers, five thousand head ; Creighton Herd, three thousand head ; Tusler Brothers, thirty-five hundred head; Pratt & Ferris, three thousand head ; Bostler & Irwin, twenty-five hundred head ; Bostler & Lawrence, two thousand head ; other men who had large numbers were Maybury, C. A. Moore, Harkinson & Griffin ; Thomas Kane. D.

B. Lynch, H. Newman, Callihan & Murshied,

C. McCarty, Walrath Brothers, Robert Howard, Jesse Montgomery, Merchant & Wheeler.

First Events of Interest