Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1886-06-26
The Present Favorable Time for Buy
ing, Fencing, and Stocking
Cattle Ranches. ~
How Land May Be Prepared for Setting
Out Trees with Little Trouble
. or Expense.
The Range I'm the Future.

range property has been subject to
great changes during the past few
years. In 1875 herd of cattle could
be bought in Texas at SO per head, the
seller throwing i'm all the calves.
Often one wishing to dispose of large
''bunch' of cattle would offer to make
a present to the purchaser of suf1i-
cient number of horses or ponies for
the use of the herders. At that period
many large herds were sold on four
years time. The purchaser by judi
cious management could meet his run
ming expenses and make his annual
payments by the sale of matured ami
mails, and at the expiration of the four
years have a much larger herd than he
started with. At that time it was not
necessary to purchase, rent, or fence
land. There was an immense free
range over which cattle could feed,
almost without restraint. In many
parts of Texas there was no occasion
for buying salt for stock. Almost the
only expense was for branding at the
annual 'round up" fencing a corral,
and the wages and food of the herders.
The best land was used for grazing
purposes, as scarcely any of it was de-
manded for cultivation. AS soon as the
food became short in one place the herd
was removed to better locality.
In 1883 cattle raised from stock
bought for SO per head, calves not
counted, sold for $22. 80 per head, calves
included. The profits of cattle-raising
had been written up" and many per-
sons, both in this country and in Great
Britain, were induced to 90 into the
business. Cattle companies were form
ed, as mining companies have been,
on the representations of persons who
had property to dispose of, or who de-
sired to obtain positions as managers.
So many desired to engage in the cat
tle-raising business on an extensive
scale that the demand for stock was much
greater than the supply. Many bought
herds on "book account" and paid for
many more cattle than were ever de-
livered to them. The purchases were
often made at the close of a very hard
winter, during which the losses from
disease and starvation had been from
to 10 per cent. 1t was necessary for
the managers of a cattle company to
make good showing to the members
at the close of the first years opera
tions. This they did by selling animals
not sufficiently matured to bring their
true value. The herd was reduced in
order to declare large dividend and
to keep up the hopes of the stockhold-
ers. In many cases this course was
followed for more than one year, but
at length the true state of affairs
became known. A gentleman in
this city who has watched operations
very closely for a number of years
states that cattle companies have been
as generally overstocked as railway,
mining, and gas companies, and that
watering stock" has been as common
with the former as with the latter. AS
with mining companies money has not
lnfrequently been borrowed to use in
paying dividends. The money has gen.
orally been obtained ut rates of interest
that would be ruinous TO any legitimate
branch of business. The rates of inter
est nave been higher in Texas than in
the northern states and territories, as
The risks were considered greater
Money was scarcer there, and most o1
the capital was obtained from the east
or from England. Many companies
have been doing business chiefly on
borrowed capital, and considerable
proportion of them have been badly
managed. With payments to meet at
certain time it often becomes necessa
ry dispose of some cattle as "stock-
ers at about half the price they would
bring if they were held year longer