Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-18

nels. The atmosphere was at times
so full of fine snow that a person
could not see more than ten yards
ahead. No one could have lived in
it more than half an hour. Two
Indian women out on the Columbia
range looking foy ponies perished.
At Yakima City, the storm was very
violent, demolishing a considerable
amount of property. Stock raisers
have lost severely this Winter, owing
to the great depth and long stay Of
snow on the range. One stock man
computes that out of band of l 500
he has lost 1000. Others have lost
at the same ratio. 1t is believed
that fully two-thirds of the cattle
and horses on the ranges have per-
ished for the lack of food. Owners
of small herds have lost we'll 1igh
their all, many of whom have be-
come discouraged and are deter
mined to remove to more congenial
climes where stock-raising is not
subject to such contingencies.
POOR Los LOSSES.
IDdians say that snow is four feet
deep in the Winachie-a valley 80
miles distant from here, and that a
living animal is not to be seen any
whele. All the large herds of In
dian ponies ranging over this Sec
tion of country have perished. One
Indian has lost 500 horses. Losing
his stock to the cattleman is no loss
of outlay, but of income, for his
cattle multiply and fatten on the
mountains without any expense to
him, save that of branding and hunt
ing them up occasionally. He makes
up much of his losses by slick
caring" that is, appropriating any
body's cattle found roaming without
a brand and branding them. How
ever beneficial these cattle dealers
may be to the people of Puget Sound,
they are decidedly a detriment to
the building up Of new country.
They do not want to see immigrants
coming in and the land taken up
and fenced and cultivated. Every
new settler limits their pasturage,
whilst on the other hand, their vasI
herds of cattle and sboop dove"r the
pasture which should be legitimate
ly left to the animals of the poor
settler.
THE DAYS OF THE sToCK-RAIsERs
here are about numbered, and some
of them have sense enough to see it
and will 60 out of the business as
soon as possible. As for poor Lo,
his misfortune elicits but little COM
miseration for the simple reason
that he raises his horses, not for the
market, nor for money making, but
for his own accommodation in riding
around, and amusement in horse
racing. As a rider he is veritable
Jehu, running horse to death in a
short time, and when one is killed
he has plenty of others to meet the
same fate. His horses are his
currency, his wealth, for these they
gamble, and with these they barter
and trade among themselves. With
but few exceptions, Indians set no
value on money; an Indian would
not sell horse for ten times his
value in money, unless he was al.
most perishing for the want of food,
or burning for thirst for fire.
water" or crazy for money to follow
up a gambling spree. But for a
breech- loading rifle or shotgun, or
a few bottles of whisky, he would
willingly part with the best horses
in his nerd, and there are several
parties in this valley who are clan
destinely carrying on a lucrative
trade with them in the "beverags
of hell" Drunken Indians are fire.
quently seen rolling about our vii.
laee and fighting like demons among
themselves on the roads. Ofcourse,
our saloonkeepers do not know how
they get it. (?) But the death OF
their ponies is severe loss to the
whisky-seller and great blessing,
as far rs drinking is concerned, to
the Indian; while the farmer says.
good riddance, we shall have bet.
ter pasture for our stock" 1t IS ex.
tremely unwise and cruel to accum.
ulate more stock than can be pro.
vided for during Winter, trusting to
the clemency of the weather for their
preservation.
FEED AND PROVISIONS.
have advanced in price, in conse.
quence of the loss Of stock and the
protraction of Winter. Hay has
gone up from s. to $25 per ton, beef
from four to ten cents pound;
wheat from SO cents to Is cents, pc.
bushel, and will, according to all
probability, be about 81 so per BUSH
ell about seed time. 1t is said that
there are plenty of grain and hay il
the valley; but that the owners
farmer fashion-are holding then
back, expecting to extort the very
last cent out of the pockets of their