The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-01-30
NORTHERN CATTLE-RANGES.
HOW the Poor Brutes Driven from
TeXas Suffer i'll the Blasts of
u Montana Winter.
The Coyotes and Prairie Wolves ON the Trail
Of the Struggling Herds.
A Pltlful and Painful Invasion.

NhN AL
The present cold weather in the
northwest is unprecedented in the his.
tory OF the country, saysa Miles CITY
special to The Chicago Times. 1t is Sc
verest on the cattle. many of which
are Texas pilgrims, shipped or driven
IN during the late summer and fall.
For the past fortnight the weather,
both day and night, has scarcely ever
been warmer than 40 degrees below
zero, and more often has it been in the
neighborhood of so below, accompa-
MED by most piercing winds and biz
yards from the north. Since Dec. /,
when the winter commenced in dead
earnest, there has been no break
In the cold, which has seemed to grow
stronger and strongerevery day, until
1t eliminated last night in the dread
fnl temperature of so degrees below
zero. Mercury thermometers are all
frozen up, and are of NO use. The en-
TIRE autumn to Dec. l was beautiful,
balmy w~eather--all that the cattlemen
could wish for-and save promise of a
mild winter and a successful season for
the cattle. But since that date cattle
matters have put on a different aspect,
and unless there is a break soo in the
Arctic weather there is apt to be great
suffering among the cattle. Especial
ly will this be felt among the pilgrims,
or rather last seasons importations, for
whom it requires at least one years
residence on the ranges before they
can become acclimated and hardened
to the cold plains of Montana. There
were shipped out of Montana, lastsea-
son, about $4,000 cattle, including
dressed beeves, while fully 200, 600
were brought in for fattening purpo-
ses. Over $4,000 we're imported by
rail. The majority came from Texas.
and were yearlings. By the end of
the second year, if living. they will be
hardy Montana steers, thoroughly ac-
climated, and able to rustic for them
selves. But the first year all new cat
tie require some attention and more or
less feeding. Hence it is that the
present cold snap is an unfortunate
thing. especially for the Texans. If
they weather this season successfully.
nothing except 4 very sever winter will
cause any material loss among them.
Reports from all over the territory
say that the cattle are suffering great
!ly, both natives and pilgrims, and that
1t is feared n run over the ranges will
show heavy losses. In the northwest,
near Fort Benton, the snow is very
deep and the weather very cold, so
that the cattle cannot find sufficient
nourishment from the scant grazing,
and are therefore suffering according.
ly. Near Missoula, west of the Rocky
mountains, and also in northern Idaho,
the snow is said to be from five to six
feet deep, and the cattle are coming
in from the prairies, driven in by the
p%rotracted blizzard which is sweeping
over that section of country. In the
southwest, near Bozeman, in Madison,
Beaver Head, and Gallatin counties,
the same state of affairs exists, and the
suffering Las extended to the bands of
sheep as well as to the cattle herds.
In the Musselshell district cattle mat
;ers have a rather gloomy appearance.
Late in the fall many rowing bands
If Indians, - Picgans, Crows, and
Blackfeet,-in their Nero maraud-
ng expeditions against each other,
stealing horses from the whites, and
cunning off stock whenever an oppor-
sunity offered, maliciously set the
prairie on fire and burnt off the grass.
The Musselshell country was particu-
larly unfortunate in this respect, as
directly through it lay the roadway
over which the Plegans came south to
raid the Crows, and over which the
Crows travelled north to get 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 five
miles in width and twice as long, con-
suming q number of haystacks put up
by the %ranchmen for winters use. 1t
commenced about Dec. 9 and burned
five days. during which time an i'm
mense amount of good grazing was
consumed, and many cattle in conse-
uuence left on very short rations.
Cowboys have been going over the
burned district and the country ada
cent thereto gathering the cattle aud
driving them to the foothills and shell
tered 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 cat
tic are c~ongregated near the track
looking for shelter, and not seeming
to relish the deep NOW of the open
prairie, where billiards. are sweeping
with tremendous force. The poor
creatures are actually frightened, and
don'tknow 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 APP
pear to fare badly also. but the greatest
suffering is among the new cattle,
who don't know what to do for water.
The acclimated stock will take great
mouthfuls of snow when water il not
to be had. and in this way manage to
allay their thirst to some extent, but
the pilgrims have not yet learned that
art, and are therefore suffering in con-
sequence. The streams and creeks
are frozen so hard that they are no
longer useful for watering places.
Yesterday afternoon. as a freight train
on the Northern Pacific railroad was
nearing Saltwater Ga town in the west
ern part of the Yellowstone 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 animals, and plowcd
them from the rails. right and left. A
heavy snow-plow IA in front of the
engine, ana it crushed four, killing
them Outright. FosTteen others were
damagessmore or less by the time the
train came to n standstill, and yet the
rest would not move. The train men
then got down and drove the animals
Z: 2>. 4ha trank with 1raat