The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-09-14
THE CATTLE KING OF THE PLAINS

She experience of Mr.. Iliff, the 'fCat.
tie King Of the Plaims," whose great
ranch in Norther Colorado includes
hundreds of square miles of bottom
and upland ranges, is typical of the
whole During the severe winters OF
1S7I-72 there were deep SHOWS that
remained a long time, and the storms
were incessant. In the midst Of them
Mr.. Iliff visited his ranch and found
his cattle dying and scattered, and
those had starved at springtime into
two different States and four differ
ent Territories. More than $4,000
were expended i'm efforts to find them.
At last in the spring of 1864, 5000 nm
discovered head were charged to prof
it and loss. Could these have been
sold the previous fall they would have
brought at least SIS a head, a total Of
$4,000. Yet the Cattle King and many
cattle princes besides him, make money
from cattle raising on the plains, for
they learn much by experience, and
the demand is great enough to warrant
all their risks. Mr.. Tiff has now more
than 26, 600 head of cattle Of all ages.
sizes, and conditions. Nearly 5000
calves were branded on his ranch last
year, and he sold about the same num-
ber of ffour-year-old steers and fat cows
at the average selling price of $32 a
head net. A, 600 head brought him $685.
600. He employees from twelve to
thirty-fiye men to take care of his i'm
mense herds in the summer. BY the
introduction of thoroughbred Durham
bulls, the herds are rapidly graded
up, and he estimates the increase out
side of the purchases and sales, to be
about 10 per cent. per year. Besides
the cattle raised on his. ranch, he deals
largely i'm Texas aud Indian cattle, and
last season advertised for 10000 head
of Texas cattle to be delivered during
the driving season of 1874. II he does
not receive this number from Texas,
he expects TO supply the deficiency
with Oregon and Montana cattle,
whin h are beginning TO como Esst.
The Laramie Plains. higher up among
the n oantains, are a paradise for stock.
especially sheep, and away over the
mountains toward the Pacific, there
are stock ranches that throw even
Iliff 9 in the shade. In the Humbold
Valley, some $50 miles east IRON San
Francisco, one cattle firm, Dumphy s.
Hildreth, have 10000 acres fenced in.
II is seven miles across from their east I
ern to their western fence. The fen
ces, made of rosewood posts and Ore
gon pine boards, cost about $500 a
mile, and there are twenty miles Of
them. The firm own $4,000 head of
cattle, which are mostly shipped TO
San Francisco. The stock is all of
good quality, and some Of the best
blooded animals in the country are an
nually purchased to improve the
grades. The snow here seldom falls
deep, and does not stay long, and the
grass makes its appearance early in the
spring. Grass, though, does not seem
essential to the well-being of some OF
the fattest cattle on the continent.
Further down the HumbOld Valley, |
where nothing else but sage brush,
grease wood, and alkali dust is TO be |
seen, the Central Pacific trains have
to slacken speed to avoid manning the |
heavy herds, for which the green
grease bush is alleged to fur
nish abundand prOvinder.