Arizona weekly citizen., 1884-01-05
BOVINE BUSINESS.
4 Brief Insight Into the Arizona Cattle
 Trade.
One Firm That Began With Three Hundred Cattle II Nears Ago, Has an An
 nuaI Income of ss65,OOO.

Tired of the continual reports of mur- der trials a CITIZEN reporter started out the other day to hunt up something of a more interesting nature to be read.
 Mir. Driscol, of Maish < Driscoll, the pioneer cattle firm, WAS found at the Palace hotel, and asked for a few facts and figures on the cattle question. He said be was very busy with his affairs, and would rather refer the matter to MT. | Naish who had more time.
 The latter was accordingly sought out at hls residence, 20 South Meyer street. In response to a knock, he answered "come in," and the reporter found the | senior member of the firm lying on cot iu hls room. On inquiry he stated ! that years ago he received wound Tn one Of his ankles in fight with the Apacnes. The wound had never healed. He had spent the last summer and con- siderable money in San Francisco with out a cure, and was receiving the first actual benefit from a Mexican, who was dieting him and administering simple herbs.
 When the cattle subject was broached be said:
 can only give you my own expe1- ence, I know nothing about that of others. have been in Arizona about fourteen years, and it has been the same firm of Naish X Drscoll all the time. We started in with long horned Texan cattle. We bought three hundred head at Sl5 apiece of the emigrants that came along. It went very slow. The first three years We did not make our salt. The Indians stole us blind. After wards we had smooth sailing.
 What is the size of your herds now?
 We have about 5000 to 10000 head; We would not sell out for less than l0,- GOO head anyway.
 Where IS your range!
 Our ranges have been all the time on the Santa Cruz with headquarters at 1 Canoa We own a four league grant. | Then our range IS about twenty-five miles wide from mountain to mountain, and about twenty miles up and down | the Santa Cruz. We have eight differ | ent camps in this stretch of territory | The river furnishes abundant water and | there is always plenty of gramma grass When did you first begin to realize an income?
 The first profits were from a govern. ment contract in 1874 Then We made | our first raise. We furnished the gov | ernment with beef for the whole terri. ! tory. We bought three or four thous- and head of cattle that year. We got 1 I2ls cents per pound delivered dressed
 From what source now Is your re l venue?
 WholesaHng beef cattle The prices l are 3 cents now, but, from now on til July, 3ii. We never sell less than fifty l cattle at one lump. The cattle average 1 S25 per head. No man can have then l for less than that, and any one can take 1 them right along ss they come at tha price. We have about 500 head just now l we should like to sell immediately. Where do you find markets? Los Angeles, San Carlos and Tomb | stOne and about equally divided. Tht l buyers come right to US. Los Angeles and Tombstone take about an equa amount. San Carlos takes the most This last year we sold 2,600 head, at | total value of S65,OO0.
 Have you thOrOughbreds?
 We are mixing them gradually wltl the other cattle. We keep all our female calves, and We don't sell our COWS. w, buy from fifteen to twenty short horI Durham and Devon bulls year, mostly from the Murphy ranch oD the San Pc drO. We have no fancy breeds. w, leave that kind of business to othe ranchers. We are using 400 bulls a 1 present. We do not sell the cows. Fo every ten COWS We leave bull. The re mainder We sell. That Is the rule.
 At what age are they profitable?
 They are sold from 2 to years old but a man can have them at any time h. is ready to give S25 head for them, i they are only day old.
 What is the percentage of loss?
 About 20 per cent. of calves branded are lost. A man that has hundred cows will lose 10 per cent; 1000 anC over, 70 per cent. We branded about 5000 calves this year. For five or sil years We only branded 5)0; and now | 5000.
 l. there much disease here? | None at all. The cattle are perfectl!
 free from disease. The blackleg wa | here three years ago; but of all ours no
 one died. In the rainy season we hay,
 a worm that has done some trihinI damage, but of no consequence. w, never had the murrian, excepting thu
 calves. We did not loseten head of cat
 tie last year from all causes. What improvements have you fol
 carrying on your business? We have S75,0O0 capital invested. w,
 have two steam pumps running on ou
 three ranches. We have inside of thi
 Sl5,O00 invested in houses, pumps 1 fences, corrals, etc., necessary for suci uses. We have 100 saddle horses included
 in about 300 mares, colts, horses, etc. w, nave twelve men employed, including
 vaqueros, cooks, etc. Then we hay,
 fenced a thousand-acre field where W,
 roundup our stock for buyers to viev
 before purchasing.
 How is the business generally?
 There are as many leaving as gOIn!
 into 1t. The big ranchers are swallowing
 up the little ones. Arizona has no fenc,
 law, California has one. Herding the
 stocks there cut off the profits. Cslfor-
 mia will always be big market for Arl ] -DnH