ir holdings of cattle often ran in
excess of one hundred thousand head. The trail passed away within two
years of the close of this narrative; but from their wide acquaintance
with former drovers, cattle with which to restock their ranches were
brought north by rail. Their operations covered a wide field, requiring
trusty men; and with the passing of the trail, their first sponsors
found ready employment with their former proteges. And to-day, in the
many irrigation projects of the brothers, in reclaiming the arid
regions, among the directors of their companies the names of J.Q.
Forrest and John P. Priest may be found.

A new generation now occupies the Beaver valley. In the genesis of the
West, the cowman, the successor of the buffalo and Indian, gave way to
the home-loving instinct of man. The sturdy settler crept up the valley,
was repulsed again and again by the plain, only to renew his assault
until success crowned his efforts. It was then that the brothers saw
their day and dominion passing into the hands of another. But instead of
turning to new fields, they remained with the land that nurtured and
rewarded them, an equally promising field opening in financing vast
irrigation enterprises and in conserving the natural water supply.

Joel and Dell Wells live in the full enjoyment of fortunes wrested from
the plain. They are still young men, in the prime of life, while the
opportunities of a thrifty country invite their assistance and
leadership on every hand. They are deeply interested in every
development of their state, preferring those avenues where heroic
endeavor calls forth their best exertion, save in the political arena.

Joel Wells was recently mentioned as an acceptable candidate for
governor of his adopted state, but declined, owing to the pressure of
personal interests. In urging his nomination, a prominent paper, famed
for its support of state interests, in a leading editorial, paid one of
our heroes the following tribute:--

"... What the state needs is a business man in the executive chair. We
are all stockholders in common, yet the ship of state seems adrift,
without chart or compass, pilot or captain. In casting about for a
governor who would fully meet all requirements, one name stands alone.
Joel Wells can give M---- a business administration. Educated in the
rough school of experience, he has fought his way up from a poor boy on
the plains to an enviable leadership in the many industries of t