Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-06-12
CATTLE.RAISE IN AMERICA.
Immepsity of the Area Used for Grazir
Twenty Million Acres.

Immensely OF the Area Used Tor Grazing.
Twenty Million Acres.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer
The portion of the United States devoted to
grazing, and known as the range and cattle
area, embraces 1865, 600 square miles, or a
per cent. of the total area of the United
States, exclusive of Alaska II is surface
equal to that of Great Britain and Ireland,
France Germany, Denmark, Holland, Bel
GUM, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Spain and
Portugal, and one-fiith of Russia in Europe
combined.
Foreign as well as domestic companies own
cattle that Craze on this immense territory.
In Texas, where are the largest ranches, the
cattle exhibit marked selfreliant traits of the
wild animal, being strong in the instinct of
seeking food and water, and of self-protection
against the inclemency of the weather. In
the language of the herdsmen they are good
''rustlers," which means that they know how
and where to find food and water, and have
the alertness and spirit to seek them upon
the vast plains and i'm valleys and mountain
Businesses where they roam, and even be-
meath the SHOWS, which in winter at times,
in the more northerly regions, cover their
feeding grounds
1t is estimated that during the year 1884
about 100000 cattle were driven from Texas
to northern ranges, to be there matured for
mark eting and that about 625,000 beef cattle
were shipped from Texas direct to the
markets OF Kansas City, St Louis, Chicago
and New Orleans.
Already the raasge and ranch business of
the Western and Northwestern states and
territories has assumed gigantic proportions.
The total number of cattle in this area, East
of the Rocky mountains and North of New
Mexico and Texas, is estimated at 7,500,00O,
and their value at Sls7, 100000.
"The average cost of raising a steer on the
ranges, not including interest on the capital
invested, is usually estimated by the large
l,t tr., ttxfn t..
81 - year. Thus a steer four years old
ready for market has cost the owner 81 or So
to raise. When driven to the railroad he is
worth from S25 to Sl5. A recent estimate,
approved 10y a number of Wyoming ranch-
men, places the profit at the end of the third
year of herd consisting of two thousand cows
with one thousand yearlings, and thirty-fve
short-hOrn bulls, representing in all, with
ranch improvements and horses, an invest
ment of about $4,000 at 100000"
Recently the cattle-owners have joined in
request to the government asking for the
establishment OF "A Northern trail 10 tho
Northern fattening grounds. The quantity
of land which the government of the United
States is asked to donate for the purpose of
establishing the proposed trail begins at the
sourlern border line of Colorado and ex-
tends to the northern border line of the
United States. 1t is proposed that il shall he
of variable width, from two hundred feet at
crossing places for "native CATTLE" to six
miles OF the widest part, 1t must, of course,
have sufficient width not only for line OF
travel, but also for n feeding-ground of cat
tie ''on the trail" Such n trail, of an aver
age width of three miles, and extending TO
the Dominion of Canada, would be 600 miles
in length and have an area of 2,070 square
miles, or l,32i, 5000 acres.
They think this would not be too much
when it is considered that forty-eght mil
lions of acres of the public domain have
beon given to railroads.
To very considerable extent foreigners of
large means, and who indicate no intention
whatever of becoming citizens Of the United
States, have purchased lands within the great
range and ranch cattle area, and embarked i'm
the cattle business. Titles to such lands have
been sucured, not only by individuals, but
also by foreign corporations. Certain OF
these foreigners are titled noblemen of coun-
tries in Europe. In considerable num-
bers, herdsmen and other employees who sus-
tain to them the dependent relationships
which characterize the condition of the
peasantry on tho large landed estates OF
Europe. The public sentiment of this coun-
try appears to be opposed to allowing for,
eigners to acquire title to large tracts of land
in this country.