Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-05-18
SPRING CATTLE DRIVING.

SPRING CATTLE DRIVING.
Extent of the Western Trade-This Sea-
sons "Drive e".-Almost Half Million
Texas Beeves Coming to Market.
The live stock trade of the Southwest
has become matter of millions. The
herd is king. Drovers and "cow-boys !"
90 about with mastery swagger, and
are the most popular as well as the best
envied class to be found. While the
average herd runs from two to three
thousand head, there are those that
number from twenty-five thousand to
seventy-fve thousand, and the owners
of such, like Abram of old, may be set
down as decidedly erich in cattle" 1t
is now getting to be the time of year for
the annual "drives" from Texas into
Kansas and Colorado, preparatory to
marketing beeves for the Eastern trade.
From April until November the "tral !"
fairly swarms. The cattle have been
grounded up" as soon as the young
grass begins to start, and assorted ac-
cording to their brand. This is neces-
sary because while feeding through the
winter they roam at large, and the herds
stray apart and get mixed. After the
"round up" each drover takes his own
to separate Grange" or pasture. Then
the process of "cutting out" takes
place. This is the selection OF such as
are designed for the market. The next
step is to get the "long-horns" Z" upon
the road or "trail." When once upon
the way they follow on without much
trouble. The greatest danger is from
" stampeding during storms, or
through the efforts of highwaymen, who
often take this method to steal cattle.
A herd of two or three thousand upon
the trail often presents fine sight,
tramping in Indian file, and stringing
out for a distance of mile or more over
the prairie.
When the cattle are fairly upon the
trail they are allo we'd to feed along
leisurely upon the spring grasses. The
distance to be made in these " drives
is generally from $50 to $50 miles, and
it takes from thirty to forty days. When
they reach the vicinity of a shipping
point they are often herded out several
weeks until good prices prevail then
they are hurried forward to Kansas City,
Chicago, st. Louis, and other points:
Middlemen are always on hand, and
herds frequently change hands en- route,
and more commonly at the shipping
point. Then there are numberless COM
mission agents who undertake to
negotiate sales. The most OF these are
located at Kansas City, which figures
largely in this trade. Her stock yards
are a busy scene from June to Decem-
Der. In 1871 there were received To-
827 head of cattle !; in 1872, 236, ,SO2 In
1873, 227, 1859 in 1874, 2Q7, ,069, and in
1875, 169, 1891. While the number last
year was less than previous years, the
cattle were better and brought a higher
price. The total receipts of the past five
years have been over one million head,
q large share of which were reshipped
or driven to Chicago, st. Louis, and
points in the Mississippi valley, for
beef.
The annual drives from Texas run
from $4,000 to 100000 head. ALI of
these do not 60 into market, but work
their way across the plains into Colorado
and Wyoming. The stockmen in these
Territories give a good deal OF care to
breeding and improving the quality of
cattle. The old buffalo ranges have
gradually been encroached upon, and
stock thrives and fattens so well that the
herds now Craze over large portion OF
the plains, and the principal shipping
points are in the very midst OF what was
not long ago designated as the Great
American Desert. The numerous springs
and creeks are found to give sufficient
water, and the buffalo grass throughout
the entire year is sufficiently nutritious
to keep the herds looking fat and sleek.
It is now ten years since Texas cattle,
OF "the long.horns," began to appear in
large numbers on the Northern markets.
Since 1867 over 5000, 200 head have
been driven into Kansas. and shipped
to Chicago and st. Louis. Large num-
bers also have been herded in western
Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and Wyom-
ing. In looking over our future beef sup
ply, good judges place the number OF
cattle now in Texas at $500, 900, with
half as many more upon the Western
plains, distributed as follows Western
Kansas, 100000; Colorado, 100000 !;
Nebraska, 375, 600; Wyoming, 200, 900
New Mexico, 10000.