The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-12-30

/ tHIo place. here are MS private STOCK
yards, with corals, chutes, and all the
necessary conveniences for handling
cattle. 1t is on the South Platte River,
and of course has fine watering facilities
while from the bottom land adjacent
plenty of hay may be cut for the use of
| horses employed in herding. He cuts
no hay for the cattle. They live the en-
tire year on the rich native grass on his
range, and with the exception ola severe
winter now and then, the percentage of
loss is not very great.
Mr.. lift is a thorough cattle man.
and from his long experience has per-
tect knowledge Of the business. He has
bought and now owns some 20,0 900 acres
eddy purchase more land as soon as it
comes in the market He now owns
IS, 900 head Of cattle. and will have this
mum yer alter his sales for the present
year are completed. The number OF
calves branded this year on his ranch
will be from 400 to 5000 head, and his
sales Of three aud four year old steers
and fat COWS, the present fall, will prob
ably amount to the same number. He
told me he expected to realize the sum
OF s33, 900 per head net, 'on his sales this
year. At this rate 800 head would bring
Sl4,S50. TO take care of this immense
herd he employees from twelve to thirty
five men-very few usually, in the win
ter and the largest number during the
''round ups" in the spring. At the pres
ent time be has tweLty-four men en-
ployed, and is cutting out of his herd the
four year old steers and fat cows which
he intends to ship. When engaged at
this work the same men are gathering
the cows with unbranded calves, which
they put in the corals near by, and after
the calvse are branded, they are turned
loose with the herd again His herd is
rapidly being graded by the introduction
OF thoroughbred Durham bulls. In
addition TO the cattle raised on this
ranch, he deals largely in Texas and In
dian cattle, and has advertised for 30, 900
head OF Texas cattle to be delivered at
his ranch in July OF next year. Mr. lift
estimates his increase OF cattle from his
home head-outside of purchases and
sales to be about seventy per cent per
year, and about equally divided as to
gender. His shipping points are at Pine
Bluffs and Julesburg on the, Union Pa
ciic, and at beers Tail on the Kansas
Pacific.
Lest any one should come to the con-
clusion that this business is all profit.
and that the expenses and losses do not
amount to much, let me further state
that Mr.. lifts policy is to keep his ex
penses as low as possible, having the
keeping and SAFETY of his cattle constant
ly in view. Last year, | think. the ex-
pen e Of herdlng, ETC., amounted to less
than Sl5, 900, and Will amount to a still
less sum this year. But the losses from
theits and deaths some years are fright
full, The winter Of 1912 was verv Sc
we're. There were deep SHOWS over his
range that remained on the ground a
long time. and the storms were inces-
SAINT. In midst of the storms Mr.. Iliff
visited his ranch, and found his cattle
literalyodying hy h)us nds. On the is
land in the South Platte river he found
and drove off into the sand hills on the
south side after great exertion, some
200, and OF this number less than half
have since been recovered. Their bleach
ing bones now whiten the plains in the
vicinity where they were frozen to death,
and those that were recovered were
found in two difft r mt states and four d..
terent territories in the union. More than
f24, 900 were expended in trying to find
them. Nor was this all. Ii was i'm
possible to tell for number of years
how much the loss had BEEN His books
showed nearly 5000 unaccounted tor.
No trace of them beyond skeletons could
be found. and at last-in the spring OF
1874 this number was charged to prof:
and loss account, and the books bal
anced for new start. This large num-
Der would probably have averaged $50
per head could they have been sold the
fall previous. and at this rate they would
have amounted to 100000. | estimate
his capital invested in the cattle bu ,iness
At $500 900, and yet, from its very nat
ure, he Is liable to loose half OF it the
coming season. Like other business
ventures. il man goes into it of course
be takes the chances.
GEORGE WaSH.NcTONS FIRST LOVE.