Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-06-29
From IIArPer's Magazine.
RISKS or CATTLE RAISING ON THE
HIGH GRAZING GROUNDS.
nv FRANK wILKEsoS

The grazing grounds Of great altitude
are the gravc-yards Of cows for years
the trails leading from Texas IN the NORM
.rn ranges have been crowded win STOCK
cattle that were driven North To be used
An sstabI.hlng ranches. The number oi
cattle In Texas i - great. AMI 80 near
The capacity ~ the land n carry, That dur
Ing the dscsi- ending 10 lssO from SoO,upl
q zoo 90 cattle, old and young. male aud
female. were driven from the state snna.
.lv. ut.fslrt0 assume that la The past
| A. least one fourth 20 the Texas drive were
/ females. AMI Young females geusraly.-
/ Where arr the cows that have been driven
from The mesq1lt- aud gamma ranges or
Texas during the past d.cAief Tie bu.l'
/ ne. ~ ral.lng cattle on The Northern
,'sin. Ii not old IL IL saf. - ssseft that
Al least LOO OoO female csiu. have leit
Texas for the Northern grazing ground
daflus m tsn year. last past In asuit.
.sl. climate thsss cattle woali have been
aily. today Where arc theyf The o'ncs
of thousands % thsm lic bleaching on The
wiud.swspi + anks of th- fOot-hiuso OF moun-
tain ranges. they pave the bottoms of mlry
p,,l.s they are scattered AmOug The pines
st.ntins below ta~ eternal ~nos-dflns ~
the K,sky MoanlAlns; thgy lie Ia di-lDlnt'
ei. wolfsuawcd fragments 90 The nlj,
bunch.gras- ranges, ihcy are scAitsfeh
over the short batfilo-grAss. loS ling
mouumsuts of nan. inhunsnliy - The
dunb animal. be has arroganuy assumed
charge OF. they have died 90 hunger they
have peflshe,i of thirst, when The icy brraih
of winter closed The streams. ihey have
sls-i of starvation by The tens of ihousand.
durire The season when cold storms sweep
out of the North and coarse over the plaius
bur,lur The grass under snow. othst
,hoa..pd. have been frozen Into solid
block. durlug hlOod-chilllng oliIrsrds.
There has been = movement OF young
cattle. stesrs generally. from the corn
states 10 the plains, for several years
N.uv OF The men who own or control wy
omlns Dako,A. and Montana ranges have
pr.etie.ly abandoned the business OF
breeding cattle, driven cat OF Is by The Sc
yer, los.e. OF female cattle during The
.i,,er. .pi now counne thslr aueaton
u grazing Young steers, known a. ''ph-
erim. which they hring upon The range
from E.stsrn states. These animals ATE
generally hlsh.grsie steers from TIE corn
STATE. OF long.hOrnei cattle from Iexss.
m he latter are bought. those that have
hen held over one wlnter Ia Kansas OF
S.hr.ska or lniiAn Territory are prefer.
RI In The past, this business has proved
"a be fairly n muntra,lvc. because, since
/, IA. besu started. the price OF beet has
hem hl.h. atd there has bcen no exceed
tnrlv severe winter on the plains Ihe
eountrv these cattle Arc held Ia has been
iu The white mAu's possession Tor oai
~ v.ars The men who have accurate
kuoNledRe of lts climate can De counted
/ ON The nnger. OF one hand. The Northern
/ c.t,le.srovers assert that the climate j.
miit .nd the winters balmy. There src .
f,x men In the Northwest who have uad-
"a In The Yellowstone Valley 10 The winter
.ni early spring when the Sioux occupied
The land S1mt of these men have tOld
M. that during some wiuiefs The snow Was
d.,o on the ground l0r weeks, Ani The
cold vas most Intense. They SAID mat
occaslonally the wlnters were 80 severe
TIA, large numbers OF hardy Indian Ponles
died. IL isA weil.known fact thai Inilan
poulss can endure greater degree ol cold
| than American horses. arc that American
horses can endure . greater degree oil ooli
than cattle, IL matters not where The la''s'
itis estimated tha, 30. 900 cattle ~sre
driven OF carried lnio Moutana Ant Dako'
"A during isst The larger portion OF 'nls
stock VA. brought on 10 The range 10 Dc
fattened. They we're young steers ~
also es,imated by competent auinoiltes
that 100 90 OF the 20. 600 cattle .ht sn.
tered the far SOrthern range durlug 1885,
were Young native cattle from TIE corn
states ne number OF "through ea,ile
,h.t were included in the great herd OF
T,x.ns no man can tell. The Texas droyer
Il famous throughout the arid belt ior
never telling the uuin A. 10 where BIS
cattle come from. lie Is always WILING
20 swear that they passed the prssloa.
winter In Kansas or Nebraska. aud as cold
weather Kills the Spanish fever, bis cattle
.re sound. aud be Is no, responsible ior
d.m.se.i N the disease makes its appear
.pee In Northern herds. The truth Is
,h., \ large proportion OF the Tsxas ca,,ie
driven lnto Moutans aud Dakota during
The season OF lisa were fresh from the
southern range. The young cattle thN
.re brought on 10 the S0rthern grsIlns
grounds lron the Agricultural States come
from |. land OF plenty. They have been
well fed and sttsntiyely watsred from the
day OF their birth until they are sent west
/ luNI uANN WNNa IAts~Ns~~-
winter storms. They have had intelligen'
and anxious care. Their instincts have
been blunted by the protective care OF
man. These immature animals have oeeh
taken West and turned on the range 70
hin for themselves. They can DO 90 ln
mild winter. List year, up 10 September
:. the Northern Pacific Railroad carried
cs SEQ young cattle from the Last into
Montans and western Dakota. Many thou'
sand. hsye been driven IN, and other tnou'
s.uds carried In by other railroad compS
MES. Bat let q hard winter come, follow.
Iug a We, autumn, and the grazing ground
b. covered with snow, and blizzard al'er
blizzard sweep out OF the frozen NORTH 10
quick succession. Then how VIII these
cattle fArei and how will Tie tnrougn
Texsns farei answer, just a. they dlo
IN Kansas In the winter OF ls7l-2. They
would disappear from the range. Anu u
the winter should be as severe As some OF
the Iudlsn traders told me they hsd seen
iu the YELLOWSTONE Valley, so severe INA,
The Indians were forced TO Gu, COTTONWOOD
trees so that their ponies could ieeu on
the buds and tsnderer limbs, the tougheneu
range cattle will be decimated oeiofe