Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-11-30
CoMAECHE COUNTY AND THE INDIAN
TERRITORY.
Range Notes and the Condition of Cattle.

Leaving Medicine Lodge and having
in view the scenes and Incidents of life
in cow camp, we wendell our way
west through the different small ranges
until the Sumner County Cattle cOmpa-
ny was reached, which is located south
of the Medicine river on Bitter, Oak
and Bear creeks, all well supplied with
water. This range is furnished with an
abundance of Buffalo grass for winter
feed. Adjoining this range on the south
is the Sand Greek and blackberry pool
which is fenced and stocked with a class
of cattle adapted to the climate and
range, being grades from Texas cows
and Shorthorn bulls. This range sup
ports about 1000 head of cattle, is a
broken country, well watered, with
good coat of grass and very rough. The
soil being Of a sandy and hilly nature is
not desirable for agricultural purposes,
which insures the occupants a long
lease of the range, which has been very
remunerative to the owners. who are
thorough cattle men, giving their entire
attention TO the business TO which to
great extent perhaps is due their pros
perity in this particular business.
Leaving this range we entered the
range of the Comanche Pool, which oc-
cupies some $4,000 acres, IA small por-
ton Of which is in Barber county: but
the greater portion is in Comanche coun-
ty and the Indian Territory. This range
supports something over 10000 cattle
from a thoroughbred Texan to the thor
Oughbred Durham, Hereford. Polled
Angus and Galloway. Having had the
benefit OF eighteen head of black bulls
for the past three years, there is quite a
sprinkling of the black beauties Oh the
range, which have more than filled the
expectations of their owners at the time
of their first purchase. The calves are
strong aud robust from the start and
are as hardy grazers during the win
ter months rs the original Texans.
Though there are many superior ami
mails among the Shorthorns and Here
fords, the black muley seems to lead on
the range. What he will do when fed
on corn when compared to these ami
mails, is one Of the things yet to be tried.
The shipments from this range this
season have been $500 head of three
years-old and over; the bulk of them
being grade Shorthorns which were sold
to Kansas feeders, mostly, for from S35
TO $40 per head.
Evansville, which was by its founders
doubtless promised a great future as a
city, is only the headquarters for this
immense range, and consists Of store
room, barns for horses, sheds for wag-
ons, harness and camp outfits; board
ing house for the men when there on
business, a directors room, and sleeping
apartments for the men around the
camp. The supplies are bought at
wholesale and hauled to this place, and
from here distributed to the different
camps on the range. 1t requires four
teen teams to do the freighting.
1t being the semi-annual meeting of
the owners of the herds grazing here as
one, and the ending Of the seasons OPP
erations, as well as the time for electing
the three directors, who, by virtue of
their Office manage and control the en-
tire business of the pool, the owners
were all present to settle up the &C
counts of the old year and begin anew.
The directors, A G.. Evans, II. W. Phil
| lips and +. w. Payne, who held the po-
sitiOn for the past year, and who are the
heavier owners. were reelected for the
ensuing year. The most novel thing in
the management of this business is the
fact that the owner of 100 head of cat
| tie has the same vote as the owner of
$1,000, and it is running more satisfac-
torily every year. This was the first
pool formed in the cattle growing coun-
try for the purpose of lessening the
running expenses, which it seems in this
case has been accomplished, as the cost
of handling this $4,000 head the past
year has been only fraction over IL
cents yer head.
Leaving Evansville with the directors
we visited the great Salt Plains which
are situated on the south side of the
range, in the bed of the Cimarron riv-
er. This saline proper is about one
mile wide by four miles long, and the
salt is now One-fourth of an inch in
thickness. The surging water of this
river sinks at the edge of this formation
and rises again below, confirming the
theory of there being salt spring that
is continually boiling up beneath this
| formation of salt, which has caused the
deposit through which this immense
body of water passes. Digging down
to a depth of few feet in places, layers
of salt are found which, in many instan-
ces, are twelve or fifteen inches in thick
ness, though this deposit is mixed with
sand and is not desirable for stock pur-
poses even. The salt which forms on
the surface eau easily be shoveled up,
is as clear as crystal and white as the
driven snow, and superior to any salt
for stock, while it is said to be as valua-
BILE for curing meats. Wagons from diff
ferent counties in Kansas are there
daily, loading, some of them having
come distance of l50miles. This salt
is to be had without money and with
out price, but woe be unto the granger
who happens to be there after a shower
of rain or a few foggy days, for his
hopes arc blighted-the salt has disap-
peared-sunk back into the sand to form
again when the sun and wind have dried
the surface of the sand and assisted
in solidifyine the saltwhen evaporation
takes place. Following the Cimarron
down 20 the southeast corner Of the