The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-23

excellent 70 the grazing grounds pecame
ransp beef by sprng' R Ras great Majors uor
', deli. VINO monopoized the trade for 80 many
ears nave PROBABLY had more experience IN W..
Of that ilrn. Mr. Alexander Majors, who com.
menced lreightDg In lSiS, says that rom a. na e
present the firm nave never sos Two
wlnters-those OF 1857 and lS5S-when they were
uolug ireigntlng for the government, az Tue uaG G
the troops were sent against the Mormons 1uey nln
To- 900 head OF work oxen on the plains, and nougD
these cattle when turned out " Craze, ntcr wW y
summers hard work, were poor anu tIDn, Wy ai
came out IN line working condiltUn In ire spring,
and many OF them were rat enough Tor be l. Mr.
MAJORS experience covers period OF over twenty
years and tact OF country extending from Tue 40
Grande nortnward To Montana and RON Colorado
westward 10 CALIFORNIA; distance each Nay OF
over thousand miles. He says that during tne
time they were grazing that large number OF
stock on the wild lands OF the west they were also
wintering many cattle IN Missouri and Arkansas
keeping them under cover and feeding them upon
nay and gram, and the sequel showed that the per-
Centage OF loss was less among the cattle nerded III
the West than among those ied and sheltered ,n IN
try Is OF excellent quality. No fatal dis-
temper exists here las In Texas among the stock.
herds OF CATTLE large and small, aie grazing now on
the gramma grass III different portions OF the West
ana this Is December. Southern sections are most
desirable OF course bns the western wners are
A man VINO IS engaged IN the STOCK business. VINO
has spent several years IN going from place TO place.
aud whom l met IN several places, said TO me, =!
have travelled ali over the West many times, ana
don't believe there Is finer Stock-raslug country
inc earth ana yet stock raising here only III Its
lnfancy.n But II soon promises to be very extern
sive as il Is proved to be most profitable business
After the stock the ground the only further out
lay necessary Is the wages OF the herders MeXlcans
are adopts at the business, and their wages are
quite reasonable. The value OF the natural increase
OF 500 head III five years amounts to handsome In
dependence Although many wild Texas cattle are
driven North their appearance out OF Texas Is gene
rally discouraged by people in these Western states
and Territories. Texas catto are prohibited by law
from being brought into Colorado The finest breeds
OF cattle and OF sheep being imported into the
West for the Improvement OF the native stock. The
production OF butter and cheese Oh superior quality
mas already become u large and lucrative branch OF
the pastoral business Large shipments have been
made to ASSIST IN supplying the estimated demand
Tor $4,000 tons of butter and cheese by China and
Japan.
the satisfactory experience OF men engaged in
raising catte is AKIN 10 that OF men employed III
raising sheep. Indeed, large portion OF the coun-
try Is peculiarly adapted u the wants OIL the Sheep
The connguraton OF The country and the character
OF the climate are both favorable Tor them The dry
rolling lands and mountain slopes are the natural
heritage OF locks Here there Is immunity from the
destructive diseases OF the leet which alllct the
Hooks on lower lands No dew or excessive mois-
ture induces the fatal scaD." The dry, crystal snow
has no affinity for the wool. run or passing
breeze VIII shake or blow it on. The short, sweet
grass Is highly rellsned ny the sheep The saubrous
man. The sacred calling OF the shepherd seems
here 10 be most fascinating one. Here, verify
.Tod tempers the winds to the shorn lamb" In
fact, the West has been the home OF our native
mountain sheep. l have lately seen two splendid
specimens OF this royal animal. One of them
weighed $50 pounds. Beneath the outer coat OF hair
there Is an inner coat or wool l pluckeo piece
and found 1t OF the finest texture. The subject Of
sheep raising Is beginning to attract good deal OF
attention in the West. One man III New Mexico
owns "a, 900 head Many men In Colorado have from
5000 TO lo,0oo met large 1ock going northward,
on my way. to Denver. Failing 70 count them l
asked the Mexican In charge OF them how many
sneep there in It, and he said 5000 At another
place saw u Smaller flock quietly grazing, and two
faithful dogs were their only shepherds. On the
Laramie plains this season saw mock numbering
500, when wmtered there last year IN the open
ar at altitude exceeding 1000 feet above the
init OF Mount Washington. 1t was their first winter
north OF New Mexico, and one might naturally sup
pose they would suffer much from the sudden change
OF temperature But with snow to the right OF them
and snow TO the lett OF them only one mad died OF
1.-The 6o0" There are 10 600 head OF stock now on
the plains OF Laramie, within the compass OF the
eye from the railroad ne, and onethird OF them ar
the West, one Is tempted TO predict that instead Of
importing every year from south America, Africa
ana Australia more than $50, o000 600 worth OF wool
we must soon supply all our own manufactures
whlle we could, II required, furnish the raw material
for the world.
The Territories OF New Mexico, Colorado Utah.
Dacotah Wyoming, Idaho and Montana are all pro-
ducing their own beef and mutton, and some OF
them, especially New Mexico and Colorado are an
nualiy raising large surplus beyond the wants OF
their own people In many instances by reason OF
the rapid increase, owners do not know the NUMBER
Of their sheep ana cattle Some stock ralsers in
West have made arrangements with the Union
Pacific Railroad Company Tor transportation, which
Will enable beef TO be delivered IN Chicago during
the present winter at cost not exceeding seven
cents per pound. 1t Is believed that meat can be
sent 10 the East In summer by OF refrigerator
cars. II the experiment prove successful, beef and
mutton can soon be sold IN all our Eastern cities at
one-haif the present prices Ia Short the most fertile
imagination would not be likely to over-estlmate
the extent and variety OF the advantages that can
accrue TO our people by reason OF the countless
nocks and herds winch may lind tree subsistence on
these extensive plains and IN the lovely little valleys
OF the ROCKY Mountains.