The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-09-04
on rIIE PLAINS.
stock Taking tho Place OF the Butialo---
Western Cattle kiuEs.

As the train gIides on over the plains,
writes Western correspondent Of the
World, we see the ruins OF the little
dugouts-hali house, half fort-which
used to be inhabited by the squads Of
soldiers who guarded the railway line.
Small herds OF antelopes stand and gaze
within rifle shot, or speed nimbly away.
The prairie dogs bark and Skeet into
their holes like mad, to the delight OF
the children at the windows. Not buf-
falo is TO be seen. The cruel fun OF
shooting at and sometimes manning
them from the car windows can no more
be enjoyed. They have been scared
and murdered away. Besides the
reckless slaughter by tourists and pleas
ure hunter thousands Of them have
been killed during the past two or three
winters for commercial purposes. The
hides were stripped of and sold, some
times for S1.50 each. Tho bones were
gathered in heaps near the railway sta
tions and ireighted eastward, to be used
as fertilizers. II is estimated that in one
winter on the lines OF the Union and
Kansas Pacific railroads over one hun
dred thousand head were killed.
The retreat Of the buffaloes is COM
peusated by the advance Of the stock
rAisers. As We approach the Rocky
mountains tho outposts Of hundred
herds Of tame cattle are visible on either
side. The rich nutritious grasses with
which the plains are covered arc here
found in all their excellence, and the
territory east OF tho Black Hills, north
to the North Platte river and south to
the gulf Of Mexico, now sustains mil.
lions OF cattle and sheep. all around
Cheyenne and Denver are the ranches Of
stockmen-men engaged in growing cat
tie, sheep, horses and mules for market.
No hay il cut for any Of these animals
except sheep and tho cattle kept for
winter use. Winter and summer they
live on the native grasses, although it is
sometimes hard for them 10 subsist
through tho winter storms. We're it
not for the fierce winds that then do
nude the SUBMITS Of tho ridges while
filing the hollows between them with
snow, the wretched creatures would
perish from starvation. AS it is, thou
sands OF them do annually starve and
freeze at tho clima1es OF tcmpests 10
bitter that they have compelled even
tho bufialoes 10 approach blockaded To-
comotives ut night and lean up against
them for warmth and shelter.
The experience OF Mr.. Iliff, the
"Cattle King OF the Plains" whose
great ranch in northern Colorado in
cludes hundreds Of square miles Of bot
tom and upland ranges, is typical Of the
whole. During the severe winter OF
1S71-72 there were deep SHOWS that re-
NAMED long time, md the storms were
incessant. In tho midst Of them Mr..
Iliir visited his ranch and found his cat.
tle dying and scattered by thousands.
Iu spite Of all he could do, less than
ilnlf OF them were recovered, and those
Ind strayed at springtime into two Diff
fercnt States and four different Terri.
tories. More than 500, GOO were expend-
eI in efforts to find them. at last, in
the spring OF 1875, 5000 undiscovered
head were charged to profit aud loss.
Could these have been sold the previous
full they would hive brought at least
| $l8 Lead-a total OF 100000.
Yet the cattle king, and many cattle
princes, besides him, make money from
cattle raising OIL the plains, for they
learn by experience, and the demand is
great enough to warrant all their risks.
Mr.. Iiif has now more than twenty-six
thousand head Of cattle, OF all ages,
sizes and conditions. Nearly FIVE thou
saud calves were branded on his ranch
Inst year, and he sold about the same
humber Of four-year.old steers and iat
cows. At the average selling price oi
S32 head, net, 1000 head brought him
Sl2S,0 900. He employs from twelve II
thirty-avO men to take care Of his i'm
lnense herds in summer. By the intro
duction OF thoroughbred Durham bulls
the herds are rapidly graded up, aud he
estimates the increase, outside OF pur'
Chases and sales, to be about seventy pei
cent. per year. Besides the cattle raised
on his ranch he deals largely in Texas
and Indian cattle, and last season adver
tised for 10000 head Of Texas cattle tt
DO delivered during tho driving months
Of 1876. II he does not obtain thi,
number from Texas he expects to sup
. ply the deficiency with Oregon and
Montana cattle, which are beginning IL
como East.
The Laramie plains, higher up, among
the mountains, are paradise for stock
: especially sheep, and away over tht
: mountains toward tho Pacific there art
, stock ranches TINT throw even lifts il
, the shade. In the Humboldt valley
some five hundred and fifty miles eas
from San Francisco, one cattle firm havI
&c, 900 acres fenced in. It is seven mile
: across from their eastern to their west
eIn fences. The fences, made Of red
. wood posts and Oregon boards, COS
about 5000 mile, and there are twent,
=. miles OF them. The frm own 40,00I
head Of cattle, which are mostly shippe,
, N San Francisco. The stock ia all @
! good quality, and some Of the bes
1 Olooded animals in tho country aro an
nually purchased to improve the grades
The snow here seldom falls deep, doe
/ not stay long, and the grass makes it
: appearance early in the spring.
!. Grass, though, does not seem essentil
:. to the well being OF some Of the iattee
q cattle on tho continent. Further dow
Q the Humboldt valley, where nothin
;. elso but sage brush, greasewood an
!, alkali dust is to be seen, the Central pl
n cifc trains havo TO slacken speed I
!, avoid manning heavy herds, for whic
q the green greasewood bush Is alleged
n furnish abundant provender.