Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-01
\ MONTANA WINTER
"a ,Ap eoe NATIVE ,Trtl AND
WORSE FOR TeAA
%HN4 suffer Whom the Mercury
u 20 Degrees Below zsro-Cattls
en- the Track-Drovss In the
Streets.
Miles City Mon Cor Chicago T,n,.s

snow Il very deep and the weather YER
cold, so that the cattle cannot find sufficien
nourishment from the scant grazing. and an
therefore suffering accordingly Near Mis-
soula, west of the Rocky mountains, and ais
In northern Idaho, the snow is said to h
from five to six feet deep and the cattle ar
coming in from the prairies, driven in h,
the protractei blizzard W ich is sweeplps
over that section of country. In the south
west, near Bozeman, in Madison, Beaye,
| Head. and Gailatin counties, the same stat,
OF affairs exists. and the suffering has ex
tended to the bands of sheep as well as I,
the cattle herds. In the Musselshen distric,
cattle matters have a rather gloomy ap
| pearance.
Late In the fall many rowing bands of In
dlans-Piegans, Crows and ,Blsckfeet-iu
| their numerous marauding expeditions
against each other, stealing horses from the
whites. and running off stock whenever an
opportunity offered, maliciously set the prai-
rie on fire and burnt OF the grass. The Mus
ssishsH country was particularly unfortu-
nate in this respect, as directly through it
lay the roadway over which the Piegans
came south to raid the Crows, and over
which the Crows travelled north TO get back
at the Piegans. In consequence of these fire.
quent expeditions a great deal of fine
grazing country was burned over and
now the cattlemen of that section feel the
effects Of that calamity. The last great
fire In the Sweet Grass hills burned a tract
OF country thirty-tive miles in width and
twice as long, consuming a number of hay
stacks put up by the ranchmen for winters
use. Cowboys have been going over the
burned district and the country adjacent
thereto gathering the cattle and driving
them to the foothills and sheltered places,
where they will fare much better than ON
the open prairie while the extreme cold
weather lasts
All along the Northern Pacific railroad in
Montana and Idaho the cattle are congre-
gated near the track looking for shelter, and
not seeming to relish tho deep snow Of the
opsn prairie, where blizzards are sweeping
with such tremendous force The poor
creatures are actually frightened, and don't
know what to do with themselves They
get under the bridges, or in the bitches on
the sides of the track, or gather in knots and
punches In the willows near streams, and
don't seem to care to Craze. The native cattle
appear to fare badly also, but the greatest suf
fsrlnS Is among the new cattle, who know not
what to do for water The acclimated stock
viii take great mouthfuls of show when
water Is not to be had, and in this way man
age to allay their thirst to some extent. but
the pilgrims have not vet learned that art,
and are therefore suffering in consequences.
The streams and creeks are frozen SO hard
that they are no longer useful for watering.
places. As freight train on the Northern
Pacific railroad was nearing Saltwater Ia
town In the western part of the Yellow
stone valley the engineer discovered the
track ahead of him completely blocked by
cattle. Before the train could be STOPPED it
rushed pell-mell into the very midst of the
and plowed them from the rails
right and left A heavy snow-plow was in
ront OF the engine, and it crushed ur.
Killing tn m outright Fourteen Others
we're damaged more or less by the time the
rain came to a standstill and yet the rest
would not move The train men then got |
iown and drove the animals of, clearing
he track with great trouble They seemed |
wild with cold and fear, and sew
raj OF them attacked the train men, caus- |
ng the latter to fly to the nearest protection |
Near Miles City curious spectacle is to |
'e seen The whole valley on all sides of |
ne town is filed with cattle that have come |
n from the range to escape the cold Among
he short, stubby rose-bushes that grow
long the banks OF the Yellowstone and
'ongue river il sea of heads, belonging to
be astonished animals that are seeking
Fhat protection the scant shrubbery affords |
wen in the streets of the town great droves
( cattle mean Ter back and forth as the tall
ouseS on either side have the appearance. if
OF the reality, Of conveying warmth The
7eather in the city must be at least 10 or Is |
egrees warmer than out on the prairies.
nd no doubt the cattle feel the difference.
nd will hang around until it moderates
Efficient to allow a return to the regular
razing grounds. But there is a grea deal
suffering among them for food, for there
not enough in the town nor in the valley
it to make even one square meal
n the immense drove of animals now Con-
regated hereabouts
A number Of cattle, among which were
me pilgrims, went out on the ice Of the
river opposite town to drink at
1e OF the water-holes cut in the ice for the |
lrpose OF supplying the town. The old rust
IS went at the thing in the right way, and |
ienched their thirst without any difficulty: .
ut the newcomers, the Texans, to whom it !
IS new experience, were not so fortunate |
their side, and forty-fye of them Tell into | ,
% aperture, one after another, and were |
Tept under the ice and drowned Scores of |
hers that fell In but managed to get out in ,
me way, were SO badly moistened with the I
Id water that they froZe to death shortly ,
Numberless bodies are living | ,
ong the river bank, farther up stream. {
ozen stiff, having evidently come to their i
aths In this way. Cattlemsn are taking | a
Q matter in hand, and cowboys have been I
tailed to patrol alCng the river opposite |
ese dangerous places, in order to prevent a
o accidents o
The cold weather appears to have brought L
yriads OF coyotes and prairie wolves from a
as ths whole territory is literally
We with them These scavengers formerly c
lowed in the wake of the mighty buffalo v
rds that once filed the plains of Montana, II
now that they have returned it Must be t
1t no more buffalo are to be found, and the c
tile are to supply their place. These '
serable brutes are committing great raw &
es on domestic cattle, particularly the il
ives. The latter are weak. tender, and 81
nted with cold, and can not keep up with n
'ir stronger parents. The coyotes watch a
'se calves, and il ono becomes tired and 4
IS down in the snow to rest he is sure to be q
upon by score of ravenous wolves and a
n to pieces. The county authorities find d
y are compelled at last to give their at IL
tion to the growing evil. and they are a
refore offering free strychnne to all who 5
Il use it In the determination of these 81
'ts As there is a bounty offered for every rc
If killed, al7o ready market within the
rltory for the skins, many of the COWBOYS
} entering into the business of wolf-poison.
them a bau L.