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

cost of raising beeves, and the losses by
stampede, tlieving and Indians, are not
nearly so great SIS in the Red river coun-
try. The Colorado drover can at any
time get his beef, fat and sleek, into the
Kansas City market, off the range, i'll
five days time, and thus take advantage
of rise. On the other hand, the method
of marketing Texas cattle is to drive
them across the country, north, to the
Kansas Pacific and Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe railroads, taking generally
two months time, and then holding
them, at considerable expense for feed,
at the shipping points until prices are
favorable. A hurried glance at how the
Texas drover has Jared in this way may
be taken. He is always more or less at
the mercy of the speculators, who every
spring 20 down early into the cattle dis
tricts and spread the most doleful ac-
counts of the prospects for the coming
seasons trade. If the times are dull and
the drover hard up they have all the
better chance to frighten and squeeze
him. The result is large contracts for
beeves, to be delivered at such time to
certain shipping points. Whole herds
have, during the past few seasons, often
been bought off at So per head, or culled
out at IS per head. This is from twenty
five to thirty cents per hundred pounds
gross. From the year 1865, when what
is known as the annual Texas cattle
"drives" began, until 1875 the busi-
ness has been series of ups and downs,
more particularly the latter. Take, for
instance, the experience Of 1866, when
the Southwest was undergoing the pinch
Of hard times. Everybody was anxious
to sell. Money was scarce. Some who
could count their long horns by the tens
of thousands could hardly raise cash for
their ordinary wants. In fact, mans
poverty was almost according to the size
of his herd. The "driye" of 1866 into
western Kansas numbered 100000 head.
The drover went forward with visions OF
better times and big pay for his beef, but
was destined to meet with unlocked for
difficulties. Bands Of outlaws infested
the "trail," and if they could not by
some means make away with the drover
and steal the whole herd, would at night
time stampede the cattle in every dlrec-
ton, and seize the opportunity to gather
up and hurry off what they could. HIS
losses were fearful, and many Of the
rising cattle kings were "snuffed oat. "
In later years the Texas drover has been
put to great annoyance and loss by the
Laws of the Kansas Legislature establish
ing "dead Gnes," and compelling ship
ments each year to be made st points
much further west, lengthening the drives
and turning them into sections where
food is short and dear.
During the past eight years about g.
OO0,0 Texas beeves We're put upon the.
market. In 1874 100000 head We're
handled, the cost value of which at the
shipping points in Kansas was only So
600. 900: and when finally sold to butch
ers and packers. S12,0O0,000. This was
Door wear for the business. The grass
hopper plague depressed everything.
There was no feed, and so the drovers
hurried to market, the supply beng. so
great and the quality SO poor that pieces
were down, down.
The cattle men of the plains suffer
none OF those drawbacks. Stock is easily
raised, multiplies fast and is of better
quality and generally in better condition
for market than tho Texas; the drovers
are old hands at the trade, give a good
deal of attention to improving the breeds
and are carrying on their business in
methodical, business-like way, and have
good markets at their command, all OF
which seems to point to the Great.
American Desert" as the Texas Of the
future York World.