The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-04-06

low the Pecos, and pass into Arizona
and California; others keep along the
Arkansas to Bent's Ford, thence across
Colorado over the Black Hills and into
Wyoming, and on up into Utah, Mon
tana, Nevada, and Idaho. There are
some drivers whose names cannot men
ton, but the whole number of cattle
brought North overland from Texas dur
ing the year 1870 did not not fall short
of 100000 head. OF these, 20 600 went
vada, 5000 to Wyoming, 10000 to Cali
fornia, 1000 to Idaho, and 10000 to
Colorado and New Mexico. The amount
of money handled along the base of the
mountains in transferring this stock was
over 81, ,250000 At Abilene, the great
Kansas cattle market, over 200. 600 head
were handled. The shipments in Sep
tember reached 60 600 head, and in Octo-
Der nearly 10000 head. This immense
trade may be estimated when it is stated
that it took IL cars per day to transfer
the stock, and one bank in Kansas City
handled So 100000 cattle money. In
Nebraska the cattle trade with the
South is just beginning yet last year 27,-
600 head changed hands at Schuyler, and
the First National Bank of Omaha hand
led $500 600 in consequence of this trade.
1t is likely the trade at Schuyler in 1871
will reach 100 900 head of cattle, and it
will require 81, 100000 to carry it on.
Large as the cattle trade may setm, it
is as yet in its Infancy, not only in Texas,
New Mexico, Colorado, on the Platte,
but throughout the United States. The
rapid increase of our population, both
from foreign and domestic sources, de-
mands a corresponding increase of food,
and at present there is no product of
cattle that is anything like equal to the
demand. Beef can be raised on the
plains, and delivered, at six cents per
pound, and until that is done there need
be no apprehension of crowding the cat
tie market. That beef can ever be had
i'll our day so cheap as six cents does not
seem probable, and yet even at four and
half cents per pound large fortunes can
be made in cattle breeding. 1t is only
on the limitleSs plains, where land is of
little or no value, that stock can be
rails d to great advantage. But even the
plains, boundless as they may seem, are
fast disappearing before the advancing
waves of population. Texas, the great
cattle hive of the country, has during
the past year received 100000 settlers,
and already cattle growers there feel
that they must soon look elsewhere for
untrammelled ranges. A few more years
like the pasta few deductions of mil
lion acres of pasture lands in single
season, and Texas will be no more of a
grazing state than New York, Pennsyl-
vania, or Ohio. Yet, compare these
| States, aud how do they stand now
New York, with her settlements $50
years old and a population of 100000
has 74S, 1000 oxen and stock cattle Penn
sylvania, with over 3 000, GOO people, has
72l 900; Ohio, with 5000, 900 people, has
749 900; Texas, with 100000 people, has
$500 900 cattle alone.
The great Platte Valley has over S,000,-
900 acres of rich pastures ; but how long
will these acres remain grazing grounds
The Union Pacific Railroad has already
divided these lands from their eastern &c
their western extremity, and towns and
villages are springing up everywhere
along its iron rails, and farms are being
opened on every side of them. 1t is nc
exaggeration to say that the population
of the United States before the close o.
the present century will probably reach
l00000,000 of people. Then there will
be no West to settle up, no great stocl
ranges, but farms and cities and cite,
and farms everywhere. predict tha
those men who begin now by raising
cattle on Government lands, and ar,
wise enough to buy a portion of thes,
lands as soon as they are offered for sale
will find before they die that thes,
lands will be worth more to them thar
their herds ever could have been. You
great Ohio Senator, Benjamin Wade
once said that he believed "within tn
present century every acre of good lanC
between the Missouri river and the Cali
fornia coast will be worth fifty dollar
in gold" Wild as this declaration
at the time seemed, it has already beeI
realized in many portions of Nebraska
and is likely to come true in all on
States and Territories west of the BIZ
Muddy. Great, then, as are the fortune
which are being made in cattle, still
greater will be the fortunes made il
land. Those who are wisest will max
all they can on their cattle, and the mo
ment the lands are for sale buy all the,
can get, even if they have to sell a par
of their herd to pay for the lands. Tn
Homestead law precludes the possibilit
OF getting much land in one body, bu
by buying out settlers at fair prices, sui
ficient grounds for grazing purpose
may be had for many years yet.
THE ACCUMULATION OF RICHES
The acquisition of riches seems from tn
. | hnninninn of TINA 70 haua hnan nna q