Morning journal and courier., 1881-02-09
MORNING. FEBRUARY 9. 1881.
t5uurrlal allo Courier.
Wednesday Morning, Feb. 9, 1881.
sTOCK-RAIsING IN MONTANA.

Many pleasing and seductive stories have
 been told to illustrate the ease and certainty with which 8 fortune can be made in stock
 raising in the far West, but we have seen none more cheerful than that of correspon-
 dent of the New York World, who, in the
 course of a couple of columns reveals enough
 about stock-raising in Montana to excite the
 imagination and cupidity of those who are
 making haste to be rich.
 There are in Montana 38, 1000, 900 acres of grazing land, covered with the nutritious
 bunch, buffalo and other grasses whose fat
 tening qualities are only second to grain, and
 which are as good food in December. when
 apparently withered and dead, as in May
 Cattle and horses are never fed, and sheep
 rarely, ''but roam in their fatness the year
 round upon these carpets of luxuriant bunch
 grass, beside which clover, blue-grass, and
 the far famed mesquite of Texas sink into
 insignifcance." Thosewho go into the stock
 raising business in Montana figure on profit
 of from twenty-five to thirty five per cent.
 per annum on cattle or horses and forty per cent on sheep. Stock cattle, all ages, sell at
 Helena at an average of SIS. 50 per head, or they can be purchased in Oregon at $1O.5o
 A start cen therefore be made on less capital
 by driving from Oregon but the most care ful breeders dislike running the risk of get
 ting Oregon cattle through safely the first winter, the drive always bringing them to the Montana range late in the fall and poor.
 Until the country is thoroughly stocked,
 which will be several years yet, no money is needed for ranch. Improvements usually consist of rough log huts and corrals which for, say. ,0OO cattle need not cost over $25O if the owner relies largely on his own muscle. The additional expense is the cost of living, if the owner does his own herding, and this will vary from $25O to $4OO year. If a herder is employed he receives about $3s per month and board. There are numerous instances of stockmen who commenced four or five years ago with from 100 to 200 COWS, whose herds are now worth $s, 900 to $15, 1000 each, and of ''capitalists'' who show profit of $45, ,00O to $60,OOO from investments of $2O, 900 and $25, 1000 five and six years ago. Probably the most successful of Montana's cattle men is Con Kohrs, of Deer Lodge, who commenced on a small capital some twelve years ago. He paid $50 per head for breed ing COWS, and to enlarge his business from time to time since he has often borrowed money at ? per cent. per month interest. He now owns some 12 ,000 head, and he markets $40, 900 worth of beeves annually. A young man without capital five years ago agreed to care for the herd of D. G. Flurry, Sun River Valley, for one-ffth the increase. He can now get $25, ,O0O for his share, or $5, ,0OO per year for his work.
 But sheep-raising seems to be emphatically the poor mans industry in Montana, for, with free range, timber at hand for the construction of sheds and corrals, and in fact no capital needed for running expenses after the first season, he is master of the situation if he can command any sum from $500 up- wards for the purchase of smalf flock. Bet ter stilr is the plan of leasing focks. by which the trusty workingman without dollar can secure 8 flock of from ,O0O to 1000 head for, say five years, giving the owner one-half the increase and wool and returning the original number of sheep at the termination 1 of the lease. A Sun River firm leased 1000 ] ewes to man who possessed no capital but l his muscle in 1875, the lease running four ! years. In 1876 the increase was l, ,O50; in 1877 | l ,25O, in 1878 1,4OO and in 1879 2,30O total ! increase 6,OOO. In July, 1876, the owners re- l ceived $65O for their half of the wool-clip l in 1877, S1 ,O00; in 1878, $1, 100, and in 1879 | $2 ,25O. The owners thus received in four | years &, ,OOO worth of wool and 5000 sheep l worth at least $1O,OOO, or return in four | years of $15,OOO from an investment of | $4, 900. The renter, who had not dollar at | the start, has now a $1O, 900 flock of sheep, l a good ranch and somo cash besides. The | recent experience of Governor Potts is more | still He invested $12, ,OOo in flock | of 1000 sheep, held them long enough to se- cure one crop of wool and a years increase, soli out and exhibited a return of nearly | SIG, ,OOO inside the twelve months.
 Notwithstanding this and much like it, we | would not advise all our readers who want to | get rich to drop everything and migrate to Montana, for we do not imagine that all of | them would succeed in the seemingly simple l and easy business of stock-raising. Special l fitness and capital "count" in that as in other | businesses