The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1880-03-26
Cattle Raising.

IS THE OLD FIaHTING GROUNDS or CRot
AND CUSTER - AN EXTENSIVE HEI
!, OWNED BY ENaLIsHMEN-THE kEMARl
ABLE GRASS ON Which THE CATTl
I FEED-INTEREsTING FACTS REGARDIs
THE CARE OF THE CATTLE AND MOI
d OF LIvING-A SPoRTsMAN's PARADIs
The heard of cattle of which | wro
occupy to-day the extreme frontier OF th
= of no domestic animal had ever trod tn
+ sod where these cattle were placed, e,
cept of the horse of some hunter or scou
and the files of Crooks and Custer
troops. Only since 1876 have white me
/ dared to come here. Then it was tn
home and cattle grounds of hostile Ind
ans Here Sitting Bull and Crazy Hors
fought most desperately and only yielde,
to the inevitable. In this near vicinit,
the gallant Custer fought, and little {,
the north and almost in sight, as it were
he was slain with his whole band by
savage foe. Until 1877 no cattle mel
dared place stock north of the Nortl
Platte river. Now the north side of tina
! river is lined with cattle, but after leavin,
Tie Platte valley there is en- immense bel
OF country, some 60 miles in width, tina
is practically of no use as a cattle coun
try, because of the lack of water But a
a distance of 80 miles north of the Platte
Powder river is reached, and this furnish
es water in the greatest abundance. Here
two Englishmen, brothers, named Frew.
en-, have this year established large cat.
tie rancho. They now have on the range
$500 head, for which they paid in cash
$4,000 and they expect to increase their
herd, the coming spring, to 10000 head.
| They are real Britons and cultivated gen.
| tlemen, having travelled well over the
world, and have studied the cattle busi-
ness in Australia before coming here.
One of them has shot elephants in India,
and is now bringing his elephant guns to
bear on the Rocky Mountain bears and
other game. They occupy the site of old
Fort Mckinney and have built nice
house costing $4,000. Their plan is soon
to ship the cattle to England, and as they
will have good many cattle to sell each
year after they get fairly started, the ad-
vantages which will accrue to them if they
send their cattle right through will be
very large. Frewen brothers are the
nearest neighbors Stoddard and Lapham
have, Il think | have not mentioned
these owners names before, but they will
have plenty of neighbors in the spring.
A great many Colorado men who have
been for years in that business have an
eye up II that country. and in the spring
will move their cattle there, as a great
deal of the range here is overstockeG and
played out Several men have been there
this fall, and made preliminary survey.
Among those who are to take cattle there
tt,a gnYin1 l.. a pn ,,f Ctl,n,, JliI
lon, who is interested in very large herd
in western Nebraska, and is putting up
his rancho building this winter, for
move in thespring north of Powder river
There is here an immense tract of the
finest grazing country in the world, wait
ing for the pucky capitalist to stock it,
Next year will see an immense tract
of it taken, and the time for new
pastures is short. The grass is a
source of constant wonder to tender
foot" 1t never grows very high, six to
ten inches being very rank growth, and |
it never forms a complete sward over the |
ground, but grows in little detached
punches with spots of bare soil showing |
between the punches of grass. These |
grasses are known as buffalo," "grama" |
'ht DuiiIli, anu ali spring up uilicT lIlc I
spring rains and mature about July Is to |!
August l, when the dry weather comes
On, and they dry up on their stalks and |
ook to be as worthless as rye straw, but |
hen is the time of their greatest value.
To quote cattle man on this subject
The green grass makes the cattle start |
we'll, but when it is we'll dried then there |
$ TALON in every spear of it." And the
,affla fat ~ Give la
-ange where they can get plenty of this
,rass, and where there is an abundance
If running water, and it is the united tes-
imony of cattle men that they will come
'ut in good order after the hardest winter. |
No hay is fed cattle whatever Every !
puts up some hay, if he can, to
eed his work horses, and sometimes an
Inimal that has met with an accident or
las been sick is fed for little while, but
he whole herd are expected and obliged
o look out for themselves. Stoddard and
4apham have 10000 cattle on the range
nd 30 horses, and their stock of hay is
2 tons. During the winter but little
ttention is given the cattle, beyond
the streams to see that they do
lot become frozen so the cattle cannot
rink, and daily riding the points in the
ange where the cattle are most likely to
tray, and turning them back. If there
5 enty of good grass and water the cat
lie do not stray much in pleasant weather,
nut when a severe storm of wind and
now comes on, then the cattle will drift
n the direction the wind is blowing, and
nlesS they strike good shelter they will
ontinue to drift till the storm ceases, and
ven with the best protection and best
are the herds of neighbors will be more
r less mixed when spring comes. Then
ONES "the round up" This begins in
lay or June and lasts about two months,
hough of course the time it lasts will de-
,end greatly upon whether there are
many or few herds. The country is
ivided into districts by the stock associa-
ion, and for each district there is appoint
d foreman of "round up" On the day
ppointed the different Ground ups" meet,
ach owner sending his quota of men,
nd self-interest prompting each to send
nore rather than less than his number
f men, Each foreman gives his orders,
ending men in different directions, with
riders to gather all stock within certain
limits, and on certain day to have the
took at certain point. the ''round up"
5 then said to be at the place named on
he uay stated, all'l On liltl udN tilt ON Al
RS are present or are represented by
rusty men, and "cut out the stock bear
ng their brand, taking especial care that
he calves follow their mothers. The
cutting out is done by men on horse
,ack, who move among the herd and Sc
ect such cattle as bear a certain brand,
nd move them quietly TO spot at one
ide of the main herd, where they ara
eld by other horsemen, aud added TO
ntil all bearing that brand are separat-
d. When the division is made each
wner moves his herd 10 his own range,
1heDe the cows and calves are corralvd,
nd the caly thrown upon the ground
rom and branded. Later on the beevesare
me to time gathered, aud in the season
he caves are again gathered and those
orn since the early ''romld up" are brand
d. A cattle rancho has no actual bounds
lany men own large herds and never
ave rod of fence or own foot of land
however, a piece of land is
lken, varying from 40 to $40 acres, and |
nc cabin and horse stable put upon it.
toddard and Lapham have taken $40 .
cres, in square lots of $40 acres each, and
nus own four miles of the creek, making I
secure against intrusion on
heir water privilege, but the stock ranges
re entirely on the government land, and |
lere is no fence whatsoever And so FAR {
) fence is concerned the cattle could I
lnre from Texas to the British line and
eyer meet one TO our,ose them Cattle