The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-05-14
WESTERN CATTLE.
Risks of Cattle-Raising on the High Graz
ing Grounds.


Risks of Cattle Raising on the High Graz
ing Grounds.
The grazing grounds of great altitude
are the grave-yards of cows. For years
the trails leading from Texas to the
northern ranges have been crowded
with stock cattle that were driven north
to be used in establishing ranches. The
nur'iAAs of cattle in Texas is great, and
81 ---.,f the capacity of the land to carry,
that during the decade ending in 1880
from 100000 to 100000 CATTLE old and
Young. male and female, were driven
from the State annually. 1t is fair to
assume that in the past ut least one
fourth of the Texas drive were fe-
males, and young females generally.
Where are tho COWS that have been
driven from the mesquite and gamma
ranges of Texas during the past decade?
The business of raising cattle on the
northern plains is not old. 1t is safe to
assert that Mt least 100000 female cat
tic have left Texas for the northern graz
ing ground during the ten years last
past In q suitable climate these cattle
would have been alive to-day. Where
are theyP The bones OF thousands of
them lie bleaching on the wind-swept'
tlanks of the foothills of mountain rang
es; they pave the bottoms of miry pools;
they are scattered among the pines
stapding below the eternal snow-drifts
of the Rocky Mountains; they lie in dis
jointed, wolf-gnawed fragments on the
arid, bunch-grass ranges; they are scat
tered over the short buffalo-grass, low
lying monuments of mans inhumanity
to the dumb animals he has arrogantly
assumed charge of; they have died of
hunger; they have persisted of thirst,
when the icy breath OF winter closed the
streams; they have died of starvation by
the tens of thousands during the season
when cold storms sweep out of the
North and course over the plains, bury
ing the grass under snow. Other thous-
ands have been frozen into solid blocks
during blood-chilling billiards..
There has been Il movement of young
cattle, steers generally, from the corn
States to the plains, for several years.
Many of the men who own or control
Wyoming, Dakota, and Montana rang
es have practically abandoned the bust
ness of breeding cattle, driven out of it
by the severe losses of female cattle dur
ing the winters, and now confine their
attention to grazing young steers, known
rs pilgrims" which they bring upon
the range from eastern States. These
animals are generally high-grade steers
from the corn States, or long-horned
cattle from Texas. If the latter arc
bought, those that have been held over
one winter in Kansas or Nebraska or
Indian Territory are preferred. In the
past, this business has proved to be
fairly remuncrative, BECAUSE. since it
has been started, the price of beef has
been high, and there has been no OK
ccedingly severe winter on the plains.
The country these cattle are held in has
been in the white mans possession for
but few years. The men who have
accurate knowledge of its climate can
be counted on the fingers of one hand
The northern cattle-growers assert that
the climate is mild and the winters
balmy. There are q few men in the
northwest who have traded in the yell
lowstone Valley in the winter and early
spring when the Sioux occupied the
land. Some of these men have told me
that during some winters the snow was
deep on the ground for weeks, and
that occasionally the winters were so
severe that large numbers of hardy In
dian ponies died. 1t is well-known
fact that Indian ponies can endure a
greater degree of cold than American
horses, and that American horses can
endure greater degree of cold than
cattle, it matters not where the latter
are raised.
1t is estimated that 220,0 900 cattle were
driven OF carried into Montana and Da-
kota during 1884. The larger portion
of this stock was brought on to the
range to be fattened. They were young
steers 1t is also estimated by compe-
tent authorities that 100000 of the 220,-
600 cattle that entered the far northern
range during 1884 were young native
cattle from the corn States. The num-
Der of Through" cattle that were in.
cluded in the great herd of Texans no
man can tell The Texas drover is
famous throughout the arid belt for
never telling the truth as to where his
cattle come from. He is always willing
to swear that they passed the previous
winter in Kansas or Nebraska, and ~
cold weather kills the Spanish fever, his
cattle are sound, and he is not response
bic for damages if the disease makes its
appearance in northern herds. The truth
is that large proportion of the Texas
cattle driven into Montana and Dakota
during the season of 1884 were fresh
from the southern range. The young
cattle that are brought on TO the north
ern grazing grounds from the agricult-
ural States come from the land of plen-
ty. They have been well fed and at
tentively watered from the day of their
birth until they are sent West They
have been protected from severe winter