The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-01-25
THE CATTLE CRAZE.
A Timely waraiss As~i~st Cattle Company
StScks and Bonds.

A Timely waraiss Assi~se Cattle Company
stscks and Bonds.
A now phase Of the cattle-growng Industry
on tho Western plains has now mado Its ap-
pearance. This 10 the formation OF stock COM
panes for the alleged purpose OF raising cat
tie. Our country is cursed with thousands OF
spectators -sharpers would be better word
whose sole aim In life 10 to take advantage OF
any business excitemont and eIdeAvor to APP
propriate some Of the money In sight BY swim
ding schemes. 1t matters not whether the
craze Is mining or railroad building or orange
growing or cattle raising. A. soon as the e.
citoment becomes widespread these men ap-
pear. eager to plundor friend or foe. They
were numerous In tho mining excitement that
followed the discovery OF the carbonates at
Leadvile. That men OF the samo character
are intimately connected with the business OF
building and operating railroads investors
know to their cost. Mon having tho same
characteristics are now appearing IS the pro-
motors OF cattle gro wing companies
Tho newspapers OF the country have inno-
Gently and without pay as far as the pubica-
ton Office is concerned. created the present
| excitement. which ls the sharper's opportunity.
by widely aud favorably advertising the catte-
growing industry; by printing sketches Of tho
lives Totally embarrassing and excessively
stupid) OF men who have grown rich In tho
business and by reporting the dongs OF cow
| boys. AS though their acts were Of any more
Importance than those Of bod carriers. except
whom engaged In hanging strangers and play
ing poker for tho effects Of tho hanged ones.
Tho press has also created the impression that
siroccos under the name OF chinook winds.
course over the dssoate grazing grounds all
winter, and that sure road to wealth In to buy
cattle and turn them OH tho plains to shift for
themselves.
Cunningly devised tables showing tho in
crease In ten years from 10 or so or 100 cows.
| have been circulated wildly by newspapers
and magazines. On analysis these tabes prove
| TO oo computed simply by addition and multi
| p,tcation: division. TO represent losses during
| the winter siroccos. being ignored. So favor
ablo are some of These tabes that mon of guils
instantly suspect that the accountants vino
have boon discharged from the Offices OF land
grant and granger railroads, have taken SER
| vico with the cattle companies. Some OF tho
Knowledge OF the plains. insinuaie that the
men who prepare III. statements OF tho month
ly earnings Of tho railroads also compute tho
| profit OF cattle growing this for the purpose OF
| turin. men into shipping cattle over their
roads to the grazing region. Then tho roads
| one on Transporting the cattle to the range. tho
| other on carrying their hides back. When the
all over tho northern range. and the degree OF
cold ut Niles City. the centre OF the northern
range. Is OIL below zero. 1t shakes the belief of
ali but the most creduous OF the pubic In the
Doteney Of the winter siroccos, alias the Chi
prone to suspect ihst tSsls has BEEN esn fuo
sion OF terms. mado through ignorance. proba-
biy. or that sheets OF the man script descrip-
tive OF Florida and orange groves have mad
vertently been mixed with those relating to the
sattle industry; and that the one in which the
bllzzards and the freezing OF the cattle to death
is described has been deyoured by the wisely
discriminating railroad office cat,
BE this as 1t may, u cattle-growing craze has
been created, and unscrupulous men have
come to the front. Stock companies are being
| formed. Advertisements OF the Roaring Bull
| HrlZs OK Cattle Growing Com Dtni9S bag
appear In the newspapsrs Lane: ID secured, or
Fsas ' or Il 81 tho Ss
| southern Territories and in Colorado. public
land cannot DO secured excepting by fraud.
| ANY cattle-growing company, in the Northern
Territories. which claim To- own tho grazing
land it has fenced lies, 1t may hold the
tanned from thu Government by fraud. but the
range il does not own. Preparatory to tho is
n series OF bonds. prcdicatsd on the land and
cattle purchased. or to be purchased. II the
are aoated on the market. il possible Some
Of this money is paid over for tho branding
irons and the cattle that accompany those in
! pocketed by the Speculation Tho promoters
| Of the scheme arc in pocket. 1t matters not ii
| are being this winter. II. through rare good
luck and honest management. the stock be-
comes valuable Y the sharpers are far. far ahead
=, The, now cattle companies that are Offering
their bonds tor sale in Chicago aad other large
cities are not a whit more responsible than the
wildcat mining companies OF Colorado. have
q s, few 6ushe Of Colorado mining stock: some
| traction oil II cent on the dollar, and one entire
stock book. signed and sealed. ready for isaus,
was present to me from the retiring secretary
| OF a bankrupt gold mining company: and while
| value the lot at precisely seventeen cents.
| stock of the new cattls-grown. com panies now
being iormsd to operate in tho remote regions
| Ii is high time tho public was warned against
Investing money IN the stock or bonds OF cattle
land Outside Of Twas nn Of Of T the spsn oh
grants. simply chattei mortgages. II the herd
is frozen or starved TO death in blizzard or a
succession OF bizzards. "r sold out clearly to
| pay interest on the bonds and expenses. the
security il gone. Another thing must be re-
membercd by woud-he investors in these
securltIes-that Ia. that the mon who have been
successful n raising cattle are those who have
| they rodn on round-ups: as young men they
| rode Tn" cattle trails. They know the bus ness
from top to bottom No man nnaclnnntsd
| age herd any more than the men who left
Eastern work benches and counters and went
mines to IL profit. Men who propose to trust
thor money in the hands Of strangers. to bo
that tho Western non are as sHarp, i # not
| sharper. than Eastern men and that their
termination IT, have tine best Of the trade not
| to trade. They know the peculiarities of the
so and climate" nIy kno% tine ynIn' OF the
ditons OF the ease. and If hey sell it il because
| they ara paid more han the property is worth
| The average Western man holds his Eastern
brother in profound contempt He does not
| like his ways or speech, or clothes. II. CON
siters IL to be legitimate to loot him. Far
| Western men. who may deni suuarey with each
| other. never deaI sanare.y with u 'tend-rfoot."
Great cattle-growing companies have bssn in
! operation on the plains for some years. Tho
| profits the managers NJ these companies allegs
they earn arc very large. Who know except
| Ing the active officers 81 tho associations the
az. and sex OF the cattle sold to pay these 1ivi-
dendsr Personally do not. but have, friends
| who buy feeding cattle on the plains. Last fail
| three OF These Insn told mo That they had
bought two ysar-od steers from these com
panies. and one told me that he bought yenr-
| lings. Ii this is so. and | see no reason to
doubt the truth Of their statements. as the in
| formation WINS e ven to mo in reply 10 my in
aury as tn where could buy steers the cheap
| est. these great cattle raising companies ars in
| bad SHAPE, aud the losses they will suffer dur
ing this wi nter Of great severity on tho plains
| Will probably cause than to pass dividends In
ths near future.
1 know of no business on earth that the
managers can as absolutely clean out M they
| 4 cattle prOperty worth a