Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-19
Ca,,Iemen in Council.

The CattlemeD's Convention, which as
sembIed in St. LOUIS on Monday for the
. Of forminga national league for
the mutual good OF those engaged in cattle
raising, calls attention in a very marked
to the remarkable development OF
the cattle interests in this country.
L IS not generally understood how great
these interests are, nor 10 Wnat proper
lions tba- promise 20 develop. Those who
read the newspapers closely have Noticed
freouent references TO cattle kings, who
were said 10 own thousands Of cattle and
whoa wealth amounted TO millions OF
dollars. but the public generally has only
a faint idea Of the extent Of the cattle
raising business.
This II. Louis convention has called to-
gether cattlemen from almost every part
OF the country. The owners Of tie great
herds. however. are from Texas and the
Territories. The Texas Live Stock AssO-
citation. of which William Lambert Is
secretary, owns 100000 head Of cattle,
100000 sheep and $4,000 horses. The
value Of all this live stock is estimated to
be S45, 100000. The Southern Texas Live
stock Association owns 10000 cattle,
$4,000 horses, a vast number Of sheep
and 4,65O.0OO acres Of land. Its entire
property is valued at $21, 100000. The as
ISOLATION employs 1900 herders.
These are among the largest associa-
tions represented IN the convention. There
are A great many other associations some
Of them almost as large, and a few Of
them controlling a great deal more land.
The New Mexico Cattle Growers Asso-
citation. for instance, has 1900 acres Of
land on which there are 100000 cattle and
almost as many horses, and the Lincoln
County Association, Of New Mexico,
which has a capital Of $S,0O0,00O and land
which affords grazing for 100000 cattle.
The cattle interests have become so
vast that cattlemen think that it is
necessary that they should have harmony
| Of action and a mutual understanding
| that will protect them against damaging
competition.
vast as the number Of cattle annually
driven to market is it is not greater than
the demand. The demand is all the time
increasing. while the ranches of the cat
tie raisers are becoming smaller, because
Of the encrOachment Of settlers, and the
increase Of the agricultural area. The
time must come when the cattle raising
business must be pushed further South
into Mexico, Central and South America.
But why would it not pay to utilize
some Of the unused lands Of the Southern
states for cattle ranches? OF course no
reference is made to Texas. In this State
there are hundreds Of thousands Of acres
that produce good pasture now and could
he made to produce excellent pasture.
This land can be obtained at an exceed
Ingly small price per acre.
Up to this time, perhaps, land in Texas
and the Territories has been preferred
because it was cheaper and could be OBJ
tanned in larger tracts. In those iocali-
ties, however, all the best lands have
been taken up. The question of land
Will soon be a very important one. The
cheap lands of the South must then at
tract the attention of cattlemen who
want TO carry on the cattle business on a
smaller scale than it is carried on at pres
ent in Texas and the Territories. Already
experiments are being made, II it is
understood that they promise gratifying
results.