The Portland daily press., 1885-01-06
Pitiful Scenes.
Great Herds of Freezing Montana Cattle
swarming 10 the Railroad and the
Towns 10 Gset Warm.


A correspondent Of the Chicago Times
writes from Miles City, Montana: All along
the Northern Pacific Railroad in Montana and
Idaho the cattle are congregated near the
track looking for shelter, aud not seeming to
relish the deep snow OF the open prairie,
where billiards are sweeping with such tre-
mendous force. The poor creatures are actu-
ally frightened, and don't know what to do
with themselves. They get under the bridges,
or in the bitches on the side 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 suffering is among the new
cattle, who don't know what to do for water.
The acclimated stock will take great mouth
fuls of snow when water is not to be had, and
IN this way manage TO allsy their thirst to
some extent; but the pilgrims have not yet
learned that art, and are therefore suffering in
consequence. The streams and creeks are
frozen so hard that they are no longer useful
for watering places. Yesterday afternoon, as
freight train on the Northern Pacific Rail-
road was nearing saltwater "a town in the
western 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 NELL into the
very midst of the animals and ploughed them
irOm Tue fdllSs rlSnb ana l6It. "A hoaVY DlOW
was in front of the engine, and it crushed
four, killing them outright. Fourteen others
were damaged more or less by the time the
train came to Istandstill, and yet the rest
would not move. The train men then got
down and drove the animals off clearing the
track with great trouble. They seemed per-
fectly wild with cold aud fear, and several of
them attacked the train men, causing the lat
ter to fly to the nearest protection.
Near Miles City curious spectacle is to be-
The WhOlQ UallaU al ui1ac Of
town is filled with cattle that have come In
from the range to escape the cold. Among the
short, Stubby rose-bushes that grow along the
banks OF the Yellowstone and Tongue rivers is
sea of heads belonging to the astonished ami
mails that are seeking what protection the
scant shrubbery affords. Even in the streets
of the town, great droves Of cattle meander
back and forth, as the tall houses ON each side
have the appearance, If not the reality, of
conveying warmth. The weather in the city
must be at least 10 or 10 degrees warmer than
out on the prairies, and no doubt the cattle
feel the difference, and will hang around until
1t moderates sufficient to allow a return to the
regular grazing grounds But there is great
deal of suffering among them for food, for
there is not enough in the town nor in the val-
ley surrounding it to make even one square
meal for the immense drove Of animals now
congregated hereabouts.
A number of cattle, among which were some
pilgrims, went out on the ice of the Yellow
stone, opposite the. town yesterday afternoon,
to drink at one of the water holes cut in the
ice for the purpose of supplying the town. The
old rustlers went at the thing in the right way,
and quenched their thirst without ang-difiss
Guilty; but the newcomers, the Texans, to
whom it was new experience, were net SO
fortunate on their side, and 45 of them fell in
to the aperture, one after another, and were
swept under the ice and drowned. Scores of
Others that fell in, but managed to get out In
| some way, were so badly moistened with the
| cold water that they froze to death shortly af-
| terward. Numberless bodies are lying along
| the river bank, farther up the stream, frozen
| stiff, baving evidently come to their deathe in
| this way. Cattlemen are taking the matter in
hand, and cowboys have been detailed to pa
| trol along the river opposite these dangerous
| places, in order to prevent like accidents.
The cold weather appears to have brought
| myriads of coyotes and prairie wolves from
somewhere, as the whole territory is literally
| alive with them. These soavengers formerly
| followed in the wake Of the mighty buffalo
| herds that once filed the plains of Montana,
| but now that they have returned il must be
| that no more buffalo are to be found, and the
| cattle are to supply their place. These misera-
| bic brutes are committing great ravages on do
| mestic cattle, particularly the calves. The
/ latter are weak, tender and stunted with cold,
/ and cannot keep 1p with their stronger par
/ ents. The coyotes watch these calves, and il
/ one becomes tired and lies do IN in the snow to
rest he is sure to be set upon by q score of raw
| enous wolves and torn to pieces. Some cattle
/ men from the Judith basin report great havoc
| among the calves and yearlings of that section
/ and that the wolves are unusually ferocious
and daring since the advent of the cold snap
Il