The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-01-27

market. All the country lying north Of
the Union Pacific Railroad is considered
better than the country south Of 1t, on
account ofgrass, winter, range and water.
The Joss TO stock In that country per year
lie very light, not being over 2 to 5 per
cent, and very seldom reaching 8 per
cent.
A ranch is run at comparatively very
small expense. a ranch Of 5000 head
can be run for one year at an expense of
81 per head. With a ranch of 10000
head the cost would average from seven.
ty-hve to eighty cents per head, and %,
900 head would not cost much over fifty
cents head, II requires to run a ranch
say for 5 900 head, about four men during
the winter months and ten during the
summer. It 10 generally estimated that
they require two horses for every 100
head of cattle, which z YES to each man
about ten horses during the summer.
There is nothing sfoot in that country.
Everything is done on horseback. Hor e.
flesh is the cheapest muscle that can be
employed. A stock ranch Is better off
with ten men and 100 horses than with
twenty-five men and fifty horses. The
horses are ridden until they become
tired out, then fresh horse is taken
until the cowboy uses all the horses al
lotted to him, then he begins again with
the horse at first tired. Each ranch has
a trusty foreman, whose wages are about
81, 900 per annum 'and found" The or
dinary herdsmen gets $50 per month and
found. They are rough, hardy, indus
trious set of men, and generally very
trusty. The common dead beat 10 not
going out there to rough it. II is a good
school for temperance and the absenLe
Of dissipation, and the men generally lay
up money. There are no stabling, no
sheds for the winter; the cattle run Just
as the buffalo used to do. There is no
cutting of hay to be done and garnerad
for the winters fodder. The cattle do
their own moving from one years end
to the other In the Eastern States it
has been said that the pitchfork has to
be handled by the farmer about nine
months in the year. In summer the
new mown hay bai to be spread, turned,
put into cocks and loaded up and un
loaded into stacks and mows, and during
the K winter months is used as fodder,
In Wyoming the cattle during the win.
ter drift from fifty to seVenty-6ve miles
from their respective summer ranges
During cold storm they generally move
with it, and keep going until they get in
to sheltered place in some ravine or
behind ledge, travelling sometimes in
this way twenty five miles during a
heavy storm. But to whatever distance
they may stray during the winter, when
spring comes they are found in the gen.
eral "round up" or general gathering up,
when they are driven back 60 their res.
pective ranges without loss, where the
herdsmen attend to them until the win.
ter sets in again.
At one roundup" which the Repub,
liCan's informant attended last spring,
there were thirty five men, thirty wagons
and 200 horseP. That round up is run
by regular organization, and is com.
manded by a captain, whose orders are
implicitly obeyed, he having entire
charge over the operations. The cattle
are ali separated according to the brands
denoting their owners, and then started
back to the ranges The calves are also
branded and again turned loose with the
herd. The operation Of collecting, sepa.
rating and branding at roundup occu
pies about two months before the cattle
are got back, during which the whole
country is secured by the cowboys 1t is
generally time of wild and boisterous
excitement, reminding one of the annual
assembages of the old fur traders, when
they met to exchange their peltries for
supplies brought up from st. Louis. In
closing the interview the Wyoming man
stated that there are herds of buffalo still
ranging within 100 miles of Cheyenne,
on the Powder River, and elk are very
plenty in that region.-&. Louis Repub.
IjcGn.