Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-22
The Effects Of the Recent Storms
on the Western Cattle
Jzssrests.
An %ggregata Loss Of Over
Iw0 Mill ons of Dollars
Reported.
Chi 2 Trihune.

tt6uc III COIOfAAO, halsss, N5uraHKa,
Wyoming, Montsna, L ah sid Iisho,
TO obtain the tffse5 OF the ,evero
storms Of tho last two weeks Oh the
immense cattle Interests # 5ho west.
Answers by mail ard Telegraph f'om
over ono hundred poiute giva an
aggreg It's ioas of ovor So 90 ,00C.
The press di,pa'chse sent from
CheTonne By tbs Sack Gro gere' nsso-
ctstion last week TO the effect tina. the
intensely cold weather had c.usaa no
ioss RIA eve to the csttlc and steep
herds, were, like all rep .rtI f;om TIA.
association, entirely uoreliable, being
biased By their interests 10 the "bull'
eide If the market. Cheyenne las
nov become o centre for the cattle in.
terests of the Middle Rocky mountain
region, and largo sales to Foreigners
are being constantly negotiated aE thu.
point. hence tho bias # thu dis.
patches to boom cattle raising G, Oh In.
vestment that never suffers log.
SOURCES OF DANGER To CATTLE.
As the cattle of the western plains
Roam wild and uncared for the year
round, except during the usual
ROUNDUP" the approach of the wiz.
ter season prings with it two causes of
death TO many thousands annually
viz deep snow and intense cold,
With the deep we of winter, tho
salvation of the stock Is a high Wind
that freos the hilisidss and drifts "the
beautiful" into ravines and ho,io7s.
il a crust forms before q wind urises
the snow will eHectually cover tho feed
and the cattle will starvs Us death.
The second source of loss Is wha. oc.
cured two weeks ago, bsiere the tire.
meFdous ow-storms Of last wesk--
he~Hfreezing OF stresulA by vhe intense
cold, when many, uneb!e TO reaca
water, will die of thirst. Nov that
tho SNOW IA two feet deep on thelevel,
add the Union Pacific, 0E ECO miles Of
Its road east OF here, is wrestling with
the worst snow blockadeffor years, Az.
tention nay oo called TO the TACT that
Gsn Hszsn, the gentleman who has
crafge OF our National weather, pre-.
dictea a few months ago that Janusry
and February wouh be- free fr,m
severe storms and cold-shat, ia shcrt,
we would have a milo and open via.
ter. The Rocky Mountain winter
began 30, but has taken a grand tum.
BILE. Its unusually mild beginniae
augured well for the cattlenaen, IS tie
stock was exceptionally fat and able
to endure q good long seige on .slt
rations. Unfortunately the cold snsp,
ranging from 25 to 40 degrees besew
zero, which almost regularly drop.
down upcr the cattle ranges of4th,
west in March,ceame this winter IL
January, leaving several moarAs o.
winter weather still ahead.
UNUSUALLY oouDowEAyazR.
The intense cold that has Jus
passed has not been equaled before II
January in many years All through
the great valley of Salt Lake, In Utah
which has an average elevation Of
1900 feet, the mercury reached a
minimum of % to 80 degrees kelov
zero. In Wyoming, Idaho, and Col
orado, where the elevation is muc
greater. the cold was proportionatel
more severe. For three days alon
the Oregon Short Line, which rui !
from Granger, or the Union Pacif ,
northwest into Idaho, the spirit the /
mometers indicated 46 degrees belo
zero. A number of persons wei \
frozen to death, and a large loss b
the live stock interests resulte d
Along the Utah q Northern rsiiros q
from here to Montana, a greater Q 6
gree of cold was felt. At the en- nm 4
Of the route the spirit thermomete 7
gave q minimum of So below, and al
work was stopped in the gradipi
camps and Selsewhare. Every streai:
in the country frozs up, and man
of the .rauchmen turned out to Gu
holes IN the ice to relieve the sufsrin
stock.
KANSAS AND NEBRASKA.
The stockmen In Nebraska AM
Kansas telegraph that, while the eattl
have thus far been In fine condition
the great depth of the snowfall viii
cause an immense loss unless an un
expected thaw should occur to bar
the hillsides and furnish both gras
and water. Four years ago q slmila
snow storm occurred, covering tn
great plains of Kansas from the BIAS
of the Rocky Mountains to the kta
souri, river, a distance Of 600 miles
entailing q fearful loss of cattle, Will
all the herds In the mountains, wher
the hillsides were barred by the winds
escaped, Sheep require constant car
and watching and unless sheltered Ii
corrals at night will frequently perish
On masse In a snow storm. Cattle, o,
the contrary, are hardy and accus
toned to rough it for themselves. I
Is their instinct TO retreat before &C
we're and protracted storms, Turnin
their tsils to tho wind and storm, the
will drift in great herds for huudred
Of miles, until they reach a milde
climate, unless induced by a p%ositiv
change Of weather to halt. In tbs
event they will ruminat whereve
they find water, or else return to the
own ranges. Two years ago, during
month of intense cold, the great bul
of cattle which saved their llves drifJe
before severe storms from the north q
the way from Northern Colorado an
Southwestern Nebraska to the regic
of the Arkansas river, come going
far south as the Indian t%erritor
Last winter all herds remained {
their ranges, the occasional CO
snaps causing no movement amor
them.
A LARGE STAMPEDE.
kilograms from Eastern Colora,
and Western Kansas state that q lar.
stampede o ccurred there among Ii
cattle, extent not known. One her
numbering thousands, passed to Il
south Of Denver, headed for Il
mountaiua Amouo khano wara son