The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-12-05

Gen. Brisbin, in recent correspondence
to the Pioneer Press, makes the follow
ing observation on the cattle trade:
The shipment of cattle west is also
another strange development of recent
times. This year eastern Montana has
sent to market about "a, 900 beeves and
has received about "a, ,O0c head of eastern
cattle-an excess of 10000 head of import
over export. This is really wonderful.
Most of these cattle are young and
brought out to grow up and fatten on the
nutritious grasses of Montana, when
they will be returned to the eastern mar
ket as beeves. The eastern cattle bought
for western shipment are purchased ia
Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and
Minnesota. They are generally young,
one and two year olds, or cows brought
out for dairy or breeding purposes. How
this experiment of shipping eastern cat
tie west to winter will come out [ am
not prepared to say, but | think it will
succeed It care is taken of them the first
winter. Cattle become acclimated in q
year or two, and then there is little Or
no danger of their dying, no matter how
severe the winters are. A Montana
calf, born and reared on the soil. cannot
be killed by severe weather any more
the hair of cattle born in this northern
climate is longer and the hide thicker
than that of eastern cattle. SO [ suppose
nature accommodates itself to the lati-
tude Ina which it has to exist. Our
stockmen, too, are becoming more care
ful of their herds than they used to be.
They now cut and put up good deal Of
hay for their cattle, a thing they never
did until lately. A moving machine
and little labor has been found to be a
cheap insurance of a herd. The number
of cattle shipped and driven into Mon
tana from other points during the past
year marks it as the future grazing
ground of the northwest. Three years
ago we had less than 10000 head in Gus
ter county, and this year 81, 900 head are
taxed. These probably represent only
about two-thirds of the saumber in the
county, so that there are 10000 head of
cattle in Custer county. The sheep in
terest have kept pace with the cattle,
and focks from the eastern states, Ore
gon and California have been driven in.
Like the immigrants, they are moving
both ways and centering on Montana.
A few years ago-1S77--the first flock of
sheep weredriven down the Yellowstone,
and now there are hundreds of focks
numbering thousands Of head. | have
been somewhat skeptical about sheep in
Montana; I doubted if they would do
we'll in so cold climate, but [ am be-
ginning to think was mistaken in my
estimate of the climate, and am fast COM
ing to the conclusion that Montana is
just as good place for sheep as it is for
cattle. The cattle men of course are Bit
terly opposed to sheep, for they eat off
the ranges and destroy them for cattle.
In time, as the ranges crowd, we shall
have sheep and cattle wars, the same as
they had in Colorado a few years ago,
and then the foot herders Sheep will
have to get cut, and the moaanted herd
ers (cattle) will hold the ranges for their
herds. The time is coming, and is not
far distant, when the question: Of ranges
and their ownership will have to De
met by the government. At present
every large cattle owner, and sheep
owner, for that matter, is trespasser on
the public lands. They have no legal
right to the lands they hold and cannot
retain them against actual settlers.
~@NDb-A%