Suncoast Empire by Frank A. Cassell

Author:Frank A. Cassell [Cassell, Frank A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781561649846
Publisher: Pineapple Press
Published: 2017-01-10T19:15:41+00:00

Meadowsweet Pastures

After Bertha had purchased Garrett “Dink” Murphy’s 15,000-acre ranch and 2,000 head of cattle for $93,000 in December of 1910, she continued to buy property in the Myakka River area until she controlled an estimated 30,000 acres. Unlike most of her other Florida enterprises, there did not appear to be a plan guiding the development of what she named Meadowsweet Pastures. Neither she nor any members of her family had even the slightest experience with or knowledge of the cattle industry. She did not intend to develop and sell off the land as at Bee Ridge or the Boulevard Addition. From the beginning, she saw Meadowsweet Pastures as part of her personal domain, which, like Osprey Point, she managed directly. She seemed drawn to the natural beauty of the area around the Myakka River, with its vistas of water, jungle, and prairie; and she often went by buggy and later by car to enjoy the peaceful spectacle with friends and family.32

It does not appear that Bertha thought much about what to do with Meadowsweet Pastures until 1914 or 1915. She had hired a few men to look after the cattle, installed fencing to keep out wild hogs, and sold and shipped at least one substantial trainload of cattle to buyers in Texas. There are references after 1915 to Bertha hosting shooting parties to hunt local birds at Meadowsweet Pastures. Bertha was a good shot, and this kind of sporting activity may have taken place there earlier. By May of 1914 her correspondence showed an increasing interest in the business of cattle raising. She observed to her brother Adrian that she believed it better to sell cattle on the hoof rather than already slaughtered because slaughtering allowed butchers effectively to control prices and therefore profits. Around the same time, the foreman of the ranch demanded a substantial pay increase, and she found that she was losing cattle to predators. In Paris at the time, she could not realistically dismiss the foreman and, for the moment, capitulated to his demand. She also instructed Adrian to place all her cattle in fenced pastures.33

Finally, in May of 1915, Bertha made the decision to fully engage in the cattle raising business and to approach it with the same vigor and professionalism she had displayed in her real estate dealings. She began by dismissing the foreman and seeking a new leader for Meadowsweet Pastures. She selected Albert Blackburn, a local man with considerable experience in the cattle industry. A copy of the contract shows that Bertha was now paying very close attention to details. Blackburn’s duties were carefully listed, along with what he would be paid. He could buy a horse and employ three or more men for “calf marking” at two dollars a day plus food. Bertha reserved to herself the right to terminate the agreement “at any time without notice.”34

To support Blackburn’s operations and provide housing for his family, Bertha ordered the building of a two-story ranch house whose second floor was surrounded by a screened-in porch.

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