GOD & TEXAS: Monarch Milton Faver

“I am monarch of all I survey. My rights there are none to dispute.” This apparent slogan for life was occasionally spoken by Milton Faver, the eccentric cattle baron of Presidio County. Better known as Don Melitón, he built one of the most productive Texas ranching empires west of the Pecos.

Born in Virginia around 1822, Faver moved to West Texas in 1855. Some accounts state that he spoke fluent French, German, English, and Spanish, and had extensive knowledge of classical art and literature. Causing curiosity among locals, he usually dressed in tailored clothing that was popular in Europe.

Initially, Faver ran freight along the Chihuahua Trail, an ancient trade route between Old Mexico and the new world. After opening a general store in Presidio del Norte, Faver started acquiring substantial herds of cattle in Mexico. By 1857, Faver had purchased three large properties in the high desert near the Chinati Mountains. Each acreage had natural springs providing fresh water year around. He then built a ranch complex on each property, naming them La Cienega, La Morita, and Cibolo Creek, the headquarters.

Using advanced irrigation techniques, the three ranches produced an abundance of grain, fruit, and vegetables. The peach orchards were renowned for Faver’s legendary peach brandy. At their peak, Faver’s ranches covered about 2,880 acres, with over 10,000 head of cattle. He did not trust banks, and he only accepted gold or silver for his products. And his word was law.

By 1888, Faver began selling parts of his property. He died in 1889 without a will, but his wife and son continued ranching until their deaths. He was buried in a hilltop adobe mausoleum overlooking his vast empire. In Spanish, his tombstone states: “In memory of Melitón Faver who died on December 23 of the year 1889 at one o’clock in the afternoon. If he had faults, let them be forgotten and only his good deeds remembered.”

While Faver did provide an ornate chapel for his employees, little is known of his own commitment to God. But his often uttered slogan for life provides some perspective of his thinking. It was taken from this poem by William Cowper: “I am monarch of all I survey, My right there is none to dispute. From the land all around to the sea I am lord of the fowl and the brute. O Solitude, where are the charms, That Nature has seen in thy face? Better dwell in the midst of alarms, Than reign in this horrible place.”

Faver had achieved his dreams, yet he found it to be a horrible place. Like the castaway Alexander Selkirk, he ruled it all but found it unsatisfying.

Jesus taught in Mark 8:36 ESV, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Our real needs far exceed material possessions. As it says in Psalm 37:4 ESV, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

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