Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-12
s:AUNT SCENERY.
11J Miles Of Dead Cattle Seen from
a Car Window

Las Animas, Col, letter OF recent date says:
The region OF country from Dodge City to Las
An1mas crossed by the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad distance OF l15 miles, is
great cattle graveyard. The road runs along
the north bank OF the Arkansas from Dodge to
Granada, the first station In Colorado, where
1t crosses to the north SIDE 1t is In sight OF
the river nearly all the time, and from the
car windows can be seen thousands of dead
cattle. Many are lying close to the track. but
back as far as the eye can reach the plains and
elevations are streWn with carcaSSes, thus
belying the stories told by not few that the
only cattle that have died are those which
have been Killed by the cars TO be sure
many have gone that way; but only small
proportion of the whole. AS have hereto
fore explained, the cattle belonging on the
northern ranges nave drtfted IN upon the
Arkansas, where they have been stopped by
thousands and persisted from the combined
effects Of cold, hunger and thirst. ThOus tnds
were In sight as we passed, and. as many OF
the herds were close to the track, was enabled
to see their condition. They were scattered
about. try ing to pick up little nourlshment
from the ground which is now bare In places,
but with Indifferent success. Some are in bet
ter condition than others. but great ma
iority OF those encountered along the Tuuta ara
nothing but living skeletons that sway and
stagger with WsaSness when they walk. Their
ribs SUCK oat like barrel hoops, and some OF the
dead ones that have been skinned show scarcely
meat enough to make plate of soup from.
The men who are employing their time tray-
gathering up tue ulueS would save
money driving the living cattle into the watts
and picking out the bones afterward. They are
so thin and weak that they can scarcely stand
and when they lie down they can scarcely mus
ter strength enough to get up again. When IL
is remembered that these cattle will have to
pass through atryiDg season OF two months yet
before they can get enough to eat, 1T will be
seen that their chances Of surviving are Slim
indeed. The cattle l saw are those from the
north. and from what have learned since my
last letter, am confident my estimate of the
n I'M no Rrff cd In rTty En
rather below than above the estimate. lido not
believe that more than 10000 or 80 00o have
crossed the river. A few have gone back into
the range, where food is plentier, but by far the
largest proportion still hug the river and OF
this number the mortality can not be less than
SO per cent, and it is apt to be IS per cent
Fully 80 per cent. have died alreaoy, and when
the heel fly. comes to worry what are left the
death list Will be increased enormously.
There are not dead Cattle for the entire dis
lance between Dodge City and Las Animas, but
rles and line the banks Of the Arkansas, which
here oozes siuggishiy along under rotten
blanket of Ice through an unsightly gap In the
naked face Of nature. The banks are seldom
sas line east it has never been known to ovre
flow, while In the late summer its bed is dry as
the sahara: A more dreary spectacle cannot
be Imagined than a trip across this country
affords the tourist at this season of the veal,
1t Is scene OF death and desolation. It ia
pad enough In summer but Infinitely worse ia
HlnteT. Inere are more dead animals In sight
Within few miles on either side of I.aki1. a
station midway between Dodge City and Las
Animas, than at any other spot, and inquiry
at that point developed the fact that at least
forty-five thousand cattle had been crowded in
and around the town during the prevalence OF
the storm two weeks ago. few thousand
bad been driven across on the Ice which was
then quite strong, and hurried beyond the
sand hills to more hospitable pastures ON the
Cimaron and Its tributaries but the larger per
cent. fingered on the north side, and their
gannt frames ornament the landscape for
miles,