CRAIG, John R.
Title continues: "Being a record of actual facts and conditions relating to the cattle industry of the North-West Territories of Canada; and comprising the extraordinary story of the formation and career of a great cattle company." Tells the fascinating story of Alberta's famous Oxley Ranch from the perspective of John R.Craig (1837-1930), its former manager. One of the best books on Canadian ranching in its infancy in the 1880s. Craig, an American, not only describes cattle ranching, but criticizes the ranch's general director, Alexander Staveley Hill, for mismanagement. The story is a classic example of absentee ownership, in this case by the British lords and commons referred to in the title. But see Hill's book, Home to Home, for the other side of the story. Then read Craig's 1924 follow-up, Ranching with Lords and Commons: A Sequel, in which he completes the ranch's story, at least from his point of view. Adams Herd 598. Dobie pp. 100-101. Graff 900. Howes C 842. Streeter Sale 4:2390.
