Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-09-26
talks with ready intelligence, an easy
grace and the quiet confidence Of man
who is conscious that he has ample evi-
dinca in reserve to prove his case.
CATTLE In MONTANA.

Great Drives on the RaDges-The Prosper
for Wintering Stock.
A Chicago Times special from Miles
City, Montana, says not less than nfty
thousand head of eattle-a million dol
lars worth at our assessment valuation
of $40 each-have crossed the Yellow
stone near here this season, on their way
to the northern Montana ranges. These,
with the fifty thousand head that were
up north last season, and the increase,
make a very respectable addition to the
taxable property of Custer and Dawson
counties in northeastern Montana, be.
tween the Yellowstone and Missouri
rivers. Among the owners ofherds that
have crossed to the north of the Yellow
stone this season, are Hunter, Evans q
Co., st. Louis, 10000 head; Niobrara Cat.
tie company, 5000; Phillips Bros, of
Chicago, 1000; Mabry Cattle company,
of Kansas City, 5000; J. FL. Conrad. OF
Chicago and Miles City, 1000; Henry
Tusler, of Miles City, 1000; Rea Cattle
company, of Boston, 5000; Stoddard &
Howard Cattle company, 1,4OO. The re-
mainder is easily found in other and
smaller herds. The Powder River Cattle
company crossed five thousand head
early in August, bound for the Ma1ias
river, in Chotueau county. They will
not get much farther than Flat Willow
creek, in Meagher county, before winter.
The drive is nowhere near over, and it
looks probable that a good many more
cattle will yet 60 north. Most of the
above mentioned herds are stock cattle
that were driven from the south. The
Tusler and Rea lots were brought from
Washington territory by rail in June and
July. The receipts OF cattle by rail from
the east, were comparatively light this
season, in consequence of the quarantine
Most of the parties men,
toned, are here, or are we'll represented,
and there are as yet, no complaints from
them of losses. The trail cattle are ar
irving in very fair condition and perfect
ly healthy. They show large proper
ton of stock cattle this season in contrast
TO the herds that went north last year,
which were mostly steers.
It is only year since the stocking of
Montana began to be noticeable; and
now the water rights and range locations
have been claimed to such an extent
hat new corners find it difficult to secure
desirable locations for their herds. With
he dry season and grasshoppers, feed is
-ather short, so that the prospects for
stock with but light loss, are
not as favorable in the northern district,
lor, in fact, on our southern ranges, as
hey were year ago. South of the Vel
owstone in this Custer county there
ire fully 100000 head of cattle and
arge number of horses and sheep. The
'anges in the southern part of Custer
county are now crowded with large herds,
md in view of the shortness of grass,
urther additions are not at all accepta-
lie to the great majority of the stockmen,
Who only see heavy loss staring them
n the face in case their cattle have to do
much rustling during the coming winter.
The grasshoppers have given them good
eason to be cautious, and they have Sc
ured all the hay they could from short
:rop for use during the cold weather.
Dur neighbors are beginning to take ad-
,antage of this scarcity of feed, The Bad
Lands CoUboy, of Medora, Dakota, saying:
The ranges between Miles City and
and, as we are credibly inform
ID, for radius of fifty miles about Miles |
ity and other parts of eastern Montana,
learly show the reason for the low price |
f cattle on the Chicago market. The
ange is absolutely bare in the places
lluded to, owing to drought and grass.
loppers. There is scarcely ton of hay
q sight all the way from Glendive to
files; not enough in a place to even
ticket horse. The bad lands stock men
an well congratulate themselves on
aving escaped both drought and grass
oppers and having hay to SELL" The
oaUb0y has overdrawn the situation con-
iderably. The picture is not as black as
ainted by it. Yet it behooves those
Tho are interested, to be on their guard
nd have their cattle on the best ranges
ley can find this fall.