The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-09-08
The Cattle King Of the Plains.

The experience of Mr.. Tiff, the
Seattle King of the Plains, whose great
ranch in Northern Colorado includes
hundreds of square miles of bottom and
upland ranges, is typical of the whole.
During the severe winter of 1871-'72
there were deep SHOWS that remained a
long time, and the storms were inces-
SAINT. In the midst of them Mr.. Tiff
visited his ranch and found his cattle
dying and scattered by thousands. In
spite of all he could do, less than half
of them were recovered, and those had
strayed at springtime into different
States and four different Territories.
More than 800, 900 were expended in
efforts to find them. At last, in the
spring of 1874, 5000 undiscovered head
were charged to profit and loss. Could
these have been sold the previous fall
they would have brought at least $18 a
head, total of 800, 1000. Yet the Cattle
King, and many cattle princes beside
him, make money from embarrassing on
the plains, for they learn much by ex-
perience, and the demand is great
enough to warrant all their risks. Mr..
Tiff has now more than 10000 lead of
cattle of oil ages, sizes and conditions.
Nearly 5000 calves were branded on his
ranch last year, and he sold about the
same number of 4-year-old steers and
fat COWS. At the average selling price
of $32 head net, 1000 head brought
him 1928, 900. He employs from twelve
to thirty-five men to take care of his
immense herds in summer. BY the in
PRODUCTION of thoroughbred Durham
bulls the herds are rapidly graded up,
and he estimates the increase, outside of
purchases and sales, to be about 20 per
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, to
be delivered during the driving months
of 1876. If he does not obtain this
from Texas, he expects to sup
ply. the deficiency with the Oregon and
Montana cattle, which are beginning to
come East. The Laramie Plains, higher
up, among the mountains, are paradise
for stock, especially sheep, and away
over the mountains toward the Pacific,
there are stock ranches that throw even
LII y Ill lilo LII buc IluulDOluJ
Valley, some $50 miles east from San
Francisco, one cattle firm, Dunphy &
Hildreth, have 1000 acres fenced in.
1t is seven miles across from their east
ern to their western fence. The fences,
made of redwood posts and Oregon pine
boards, cost about 5000 mile, and there
are twenty miles of them. The firm own
$1,000 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
annually purchased to improve the
grades. The snow here seldom falls
deep, 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 latest
cattle on the continent Further down
the Humboldt 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 heavy herds, for which
the green grease-wood bush is alleged
% furnish abundant provend err. -New
York World.