McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20
THE CATTLE RANGES.
Some Facts as to the Condition of Stock
From Lincoln Men Interested
in Western Ranches.

/
Mr.. B. F. Shepherd, an intelligent
observer, has taken trip up the Re-
publican river and gives the following
report in regard to the cattle in south
western Nebraska: Along the b. & NJ.
railroad for thirty miles west of Benkle-
man, one hundred head will cover all
dead cattle. On Chief creek, a few miles
further west, the loss is heavy, there
being death trap caused by too much
fencing. There are five hundred. dead
cattle there, mostly from the Platte riv-
er country. For ten miles on the Hack
berry, five head will cover all loss. On
Molasses Bills creek, one head, and ON
the south fork of the Republican, from
Ward ten miles west, four or five head
will cover all losses. By good authority
for forty miles west from there, thirty
head will cover all loss.
Young cattle brought from Michigan,
Iowa and eastern Nebraska early last
spring have become acclimated and are
standing it better than Texas rawhides
or any kim of COWS with calves.
Of one hundred and twenty-five head
of cows and poor cattle gathered by
Messrs. B. F. & B. Shepherd, not one
has died nor have they eaten five hum
dred pounds Of hay. Mr.. Shepherd adds
that range cattle are thin in flesh and
bad storms may yet do much damage.
In connection with this subject Mr..
L. G. Richards was called upon and in
tcrrogated as to the condition of the
stock of the Red Willow cattle compa-
nv. Mr.. Richards said that the condition
of their stock was hardly criterion to
go by as to that of range cattle in gen.
eral, as they took care of their cattle and
provided both food and shelter for those
that needed it. Still they have fec only
a comparatively small number of cattle,
and these only portion of the time.
Mr.. Richards says their loss has been
scarcely anything at all. He believes
that the feed they have given their stock
has saved them great deal more than
its cost, both in preventing deaths and
in keeping their cattle from losing flesh,
so as not to come out of the winter in
stunted condition.
Mr.. D. Baum is also interested in
cattle rancho in the western part of the
state, about fifty miles northwest of Cul-
bertson. The firm is Wray & Baum,
and they have 1000 head of cattle on
the range Their success with their cat
tie this winter has been phenomenal.
They have only lost fifteen head out of
the 1000, and these were some out of
herd of so from the east, which they
were feeding. Their range cattle were
not feed at all, and not one was lost
during the winter.
The loss on the ranges this winter has
been almost nothing, except iu the cases
referred to by Mr.. Shepherd, where the
cattle drifted down to the railroad and
died for lack of water It seems that
the railroad, which follows up the creeks,
has fenced its track with wire fence,
but left places at intervals where the
cattle could 90 through. Some Of the
stock men concluded they would keep
their stock from drifting away and clos
ed up these openings. The result was
that the cattle drifted from the Platte
country south with the first storms, and
when they reached the railroad and
could not get through and get to water
they died. From MIR. Shepherds report,
however, it will be seen that the loss
has not been so heavy as was at first
feared by stock men. The large num-
Der of dead cattle along the line gave
the impression that the loss had been
great everywhere, when, in fact, almost
the only dead cattle on the range are
those in sight Of travellers on the B. &
NJ. trains.-Lincoln Journal.