Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-23
Are the Western Herds in Peril9

Are the Western Herds in Peril?
A writer in Harper's Weekley of the
current number seems to believe they
are, and opens the subject in the fol-
lowing manner: "While Senator Ed
mund's bill strikes at moral disease
in the territories. there are other dis
eases there which deserve similar at
tention. Western life has always at
tracted a sturdy and enterprising class
OF settlers from the older portions of
the country, but no form of it has been
more fascinating than that of cattle
raising on the great plains. This has
rapidly become a vast industry, the de.
tails of which are not much known.
but one OF the results of which we see
in the anticipation that America will
soon feed Europe with beef as we'll as
grain. 1t is only twenty years since
the animals destined to stock the Pa.
chic states arrived upon the plains,
and the great cattle business of Wyo-
ming is but fourteen years old, the
first large breeding herds being turned
loose in 1867. To-day Wyoming has
at least 100000 head of cattle grazing
within her boundaries, worth from
81. 100000 10 $15,OO0,0OO, to which
must be added from $I,000,OOO to 81
100000 in real estate improvements.
horses, and general 'plant" required by
the business. Wyoming stock owners
have sent to market this year about
lOO,OOO beef animals, worth about So
100000. Tsey have branded from 75,-
600 to 100000 calves worth $12 per
head-$l, 900, 000-and the increase in
the value of their herds is $3,000,000.
These figures (Which will serve as
esnmates) show gross return
of T,500,000 in sales and increased
values. From this sam must
be deducted at least $1,000,000
for expenses of handling during
the past year, 1880, 900 to replace the
losses by death during the same period,
which were unusually large, and 3d.
100000 to- replace ON the ranges the
amount OF stock equal in number to
those sent 80 market, and of average
value with those remaining. The care
Of this wide-TangiDg property in soil
IaTy country is, Of course, enormous,
md an association of stock grOwersin
and Nebraska has undertzk-
m it. BY its Inspectors it watches at
criminal points every railroad crossiBgI
he Missouri river, rom Kansas City,
% GeDdive, on TIE Yellowstone. The /
indian agencies, the-miItary posts, the
establishments in town and
,oWztry, have been diligently guarded.
AS an Illustration uf the detaN and eff
iciea0y Of this WORK; it appears that
1t railroad crossings Ispon' the Missouri
sbous' 22OyS0O head of castle were in
'pected' duuing the last year. the brand
If each anKaal being SaenJfed by in
examination. Of this>DGmber
about 1000 head were found in the
wrong possession, andi were- retNqned
20 the owners But there is. a, gJsater
leril to this great intyestttfan' 5heft
u strSsing,. and that IS disease. A
cabsle epidemic upon the
lsains would be ruinoas to this vast
O(iustr%. Cattle plaques are apparent !
J. fixed in many EASTERN states, and
Dey ale moving weStwa Gf. AT Council |
Ssaffs, .r Iowa, during the last SUM
ner, rpost-mortem examination Of
:1IaAy animals, -ewealed a-lthraxS whieh |
s. the NEST dpsaded Ere achh epidemic,
md in its most wirulent form. HfeslFo-
)76amOpia haS also Often Appeared
IS far vest - the Missouri river.
rSmpt AID energetic Legislation
T~uld stay the Threatening psangs-
e1t suc;zr' Legislation shC&Ad b., both
tate and National. Tia, importansJ,
,aints to- be provided, won4d be, first,
'igid quazaRSine-at certainp Oinss, and
inspection of alllcattle NOV
ng eithesseass. or west; 1ndi second,
,uAhOrity invested in professionals
# the b3etI character and capacity to
laughter and 5aun to assses. Illinois
ras alreaitg passed such 6 bill to- pro-
sos her owR frontier, Wyaningg.s>p pre-
.aEing an,elabOrate and stEDgenS bill,
and Iowa.and Nebraska probably and
Kansas and Colorado possibly, viii
adopt similar measures. IL coz gresS
would cooperate by the establishment
Of quarantine stations. they could be
1aade sesfsupnOrting by fees collected
from cattle-ow081s and tia sale OF hay
$t fair profit, as in cattls,yards.- This
is kind-Of protection to American in
austry to- whies. the mostzealOus-free-
trader could net object, and to Ihieh
the Territorial Delegates should not
call the attention Of con y2ess, ilaTain.
The Cass5le-growers' Association. is far
away, Sat its, snergy will hardly suffer
the castls.dissases to become fiaSa and
fastened upoa,the country, like QOlyga-
nay, aid the ;naNstTy it represents may
confidently csunt upon the public in
terestand sympathy"
Ame sioan Girls ioaPaniS
Lacy Hooper, in a letter to The Gin