The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-01-18

of being marketed, were driven west
ward to feed until another season, and
then to be shipped East as Colorado or
Laramie plains beef.
While five or six years ago cattle in this
section were herded in sufficient guam
titles only for the local demand, isuch
as comes from the scattering settlements
and military posts, and the business did
not attract much attention, it is now
grown to such Importance that it seems
likely in few years to be more extensive
and profitable than gold or silver mining
The returns are large, and it is noticea-
bic that greater share of the capital
that has come this way during the last
year has been put into stock as the safest
and best investment. There are large
numbers of moneyed men, out of health,
who have their cattle ranch Oh the plains
or in the parks, and are getting the
double returns Of restored health and
multiplied ducats.
The tendency to 60 into the cattle busi-
ness in large way seems to be growing.
The amount of capital represented in
some of the herds is sufficient to run a
national bank. Five hundred or thou
sand cattle are looked upon as of very
small account, although from sic, 900 to
$4,000 Is represented. The average
herds run from 1000 to 5000 head.
There are many having from 5000 to
10000, and several from 20, 600 to 40, 600.
At only $40 through and through here is
from S2OC, 900 to 100000 in single
herd, to say nothing of the corrals, the
hundreds of ponies, the hired "cow
boys" the grain and feed in store, and
the reserve fund necessary in handling
such bunch of cattle While most
of the herds are owned by individuals
and firms, the capital invested is larger
than some actually employed by COM
panies in working some of the most ex-
tensive gold and silver mines of tho
Rocky mountains.
1t is estimated that there are 10000
square miles of grazing lands, tit for
herding aud nothing else, west of the
Kansas borders, between the Union
Pacific and Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe railroads. Owing to the rapid in
crease of cattle many of the best ranges
have been eaten of, so that new ranches,
handy to water, are at all times sought
for. The sheep men have gradually
been invading this field. Grazing
as they both do upon the public
domain, the only right one has over the
other is priority of settlement. The
State ard Territories cannot 1egislate
upon the matter. Quarrels have at
times come up, and at one time, two
years ago, there was such bitter feeling
that considerable numbers of sheep were
killed by the CATTLE men, followed by
retaliation in kind. The two interests
seem to be antagonistic, and, rs if by
common consent, the sheep men, at least
those doing business Oh the largest scale,
are operating south of the Arkansas and
in the San Luis valley. Northern New
Mexico is kind of paradise for them,
though there is occasionally trouble from
the fact that cattle men are also carrying
on large business in some parts OF that
Territory. 1t may not be generally
known that stock raising is an extensive
and profitable business In the slow Ter
ritory of New Mexico. The largest herds
are to be found there. One man owns
forty-two townships, which he has stocked
with 60, 900 head of cattle. New Mexico
cattle are OF an inferior grade, as no
attention has been paid to breeding up.
This is also the case with sheep, which
in some districts seem to cover the coun-
try for miles. A limited number of
families, mostly pure Castihans, have
absorbed and own nearly all the focks,
prominent among whom may be named
tie Arniio family, who have 25O,OOO
sheep. They drive to Denver every
spring from 10, 600 to 10000 for market.
To return, however, to our subJect-a
talk about cattle. 1t seems as If the
next few years were to largely change
the beef supply of the East. Instead OF
coming from Texas, as now, the best and
most viii come from the old buffalo
ranges n western Kansas, Colorado and
Wyoming.
There are now more cattle on the
plains than ever before. Large num-
bers from the Texas "drives instead
of being marketed at once are driven
westerly over the ranges to feed few
months before being sold. Generally,
cattle winter we'll, without shelter or
much If any feed beyond what they get
by grazing. Last winter was open and
mild, without any hard storms or severe
weather. But the winter before that was
mprecedentedly cold and thousands of
cattle perished. On the average the
stockmen take the chances, and come out
without much loss from exposure; bnt it
is found best to be prepared for storms
and extreme weather, and it is now Gus
tomary among the most experienced
herders to have shelter and feed for their
fiocks during the winter.
The plains cattle men are now wholly
dependent upon the ups and downs Of
Eastern markets. Some of them have a
regular demand for their beeves from the
markets of Denver, Cheyenne and the
larger towns of Colorado and Wyoming,
and large numbers are driven into the
mountains to supply the miners camps.
The sales to butchers in Denver last sea-
son amounted to $3.50 and to the
mountain trade $165, 900. During the
past summer there has been brisk de-
mand from the San Juan country and
from the new towns in the Black Hills.
There has been a good deal of risk and
much 1oss in trying to drive cattle into
the latter region, owing to the frequent
Indian raids and stampeding; but where
a man could get through safely he had
no trouble in dGsposing OF his beeves d:
high price. Fatcattle are worth eight
cents per pound on the hoof at Dead
wood. At the older settled towns along
the line of the railways i'll Colorado and
Wyoming the price Of beef is moderate,