Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-22
MONTANA LIVE STOCK.
X. B Harrison, SON Of the Indiana
senator, Tells Of the Profits and
Prospects Of the Business.
no Thinks tho Latter WIN Become More
Remunerative, as the Population n In.
ersnstng Faster than tho Cattle.

NEW YORK, Aug. 9.--R B. Harrison,
the son Of Senator Harrison Of Indiana,
who is engaged 10 promoting cattlc-rais-
ing In Montana, where he is secretary Of
the Stock Growers association and the
executive officer OF several cattle com
panies, went out TO Montana several years
ago to grow up with the territory, and
has become largely Identified with all the
stock interests there. He has just or
ganlzed new company known as the
North Montana Cattle company In which
a number OF capitalists OF this city have
become associated, and Ia here for the
purpose OF putting It's affairs in proper
shape. About the prospects In the cattle
business he said to-day: "When properly
and honestly managed no business Is
safer, more profitable, or surer In results
than cattle-rnising on the open ranches in
Montana. IL is q curious fact with refer
ence TO tho investments OF capital that
while Western bankers and large English,
Scotch and Dutch syndicates have In
vested millions In Western grazing lands
and lands from which they have derived
large and certain profits, Eastern capital
lists have 10 great extent neglected this
portion Of our national development. Re-
Gently, however, they have taken new inter.
est In theimatter, having ascertained that
throughout the present depression In
commercial and manufacturing pursuits
in the countris the business oflcattle-rals-
ing has remained stable and profitable.
Shr0wd foreign investors have become
rich through their enterprise In securing |
possession OF large tracts OF land and |
thoir nurphagaq nf aattlo Tho natural /
increase OF the nerds alone has made them |
safe from loss, and their investments have |
netted them from 2 10 per cent per |
aIlDum, according TO the prudence with |
which the business was managed This |
Is pretty fair remuneration at time |
when most business ventures are barely |
slipping along or absolutely losing |
money" Concerning Montana as u cat |
ue-growlng region, Mr., Harrison SAID |
"Only small portion OF the entire area
can ever be devoted TO agriculture, and
oven on this small portion no crops can DO
secured without careful irrigation; yet It's
great ranches are covered with rich and
succulcnt grasses, on which vast herds of
buffalo from time immemorlal have ranged
and Toasted. The suryeyor-general, In
MS Official report, estimates that only
per cent OF the acreage can be classed as
agricultural land. These two facts estab-
lish the certainty that Montana must re-
main always grazing country. The
general features Of the country Itself are
favorable TO this view The water supply
OF tue territory is constant all the year
round The Missouri river rises within
Its boundary and flows for 400 miles
through the territory. The Yellowstone
10 large and important river, the Jeffer-
son, Gallatln and Madison are rivers OF
considerable size, and their tributaries
winter large extent OF the country. We
have also the Teton, Marlas, Sun, MIX,
Dearborn, Tongue, Powder aud other
rivers, all OF which are fed by thousands
OF streams, making wonderful water
supply. IL comes from the melting SHOWS
on the SUBMITS OF the main ranges OF the
Rocky and Belt mountains and other
which rise TO height OF from
1000 TO 10000 feet above the level OF the
sea. Even In the hottest months OF the
year the smallest streams never run dry,
aud cattle have only a short distance 10 20
Tor pure water, and clear and fresh"
Mr.. Harrison was asked II the cattle OF /
Montana were subject at all TO the con-
lagious diseases which devastated the
lrovos IN Texas and Kansas, aud he re-
pliedi "Sinco the organization OF the 4
.erritory there has never been single
Ease OF lever or other contagious disease
among the cattle. We have competent
veterinary surgeon appointed by law To
sxamine ali live stock IN the territory.
He is authorized 70 quarantine or destroy
my stock found infected with any con
.aglous disease. The governor Is au.
ihorized to prohibit the Importation of
I've stock from infected districts, and no
,attle can come In the territory unless nc.
by health certificate from an
authorized veterinary surgeon a pro-
,lamatlon against infected cattle is now
n force against the Importation OF cattle
rom New York, New Jersey, MARYLAND,
Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia aud
Texas, aud no cattle are to come into the
erritory from these states without exam
nation.
The system OF feeding corn to the cattle
10 prepare them for the market which has
'eccntly como into vogue In some OF the
,attle-graglng regions is not much thought ,
u In Montana. Mr.. Harrison said; tour
yrass-fed cattle bring the same prices In
Chicago as the corn-fed cattle raised In
he states or those that have been STALL
ed after being taken from the ranges be-
ore being put on tne market, The aver
lge price brought last year for the pro-
luoO iOI Onc vi viz companies Win which
am connected was SOL 20 per head In I
lhicago. This includes all the steers l
md cows and old bulls and was net after I
n expenses for freight and handling from
he ranch TO Chicago were deducted. For
me lot Of 500 three aud four.year-old {
teers, we got an average OF S6T.6s per 4
lead. They averaged aa9 pounds each, a
md brought the highest price OF that |, /,
eason. Chicago, Of course, is not the !
lnly beef market, There Ia good home ,
market IN the territory. The government
4 a large purchaser The system of re- i,
has been brought to such
perfection that the markets OF the world
IRE thrown open 10 the Western markets,
ind New York, Chicago, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Boston, st. Louis, Sc. Paul,
San Francisco and New Orleans all de.
nand and secure our products. Thepop-
llntiOn OF the country 10 increasing faster
han the cattle, while the territory over
which cattle can be raised Is constantly
estricted. We are great bsef.eating
country, and for this reason believe that
he cattle business Is TO be stlll more
,roiltable ia the future than IL has been In :
he past. Naturally am prejudiced In {
ayor Of Montana as = cattle-raislng coun-
~, but think Il Is sound reasoning that
he agricultural land now used Tor
ranches in the states Of Texas, Iowa, |
Nebraska, and Colorado will eventually De
l'ied with small settlers and the large
ranches DO thereby cut Oh, leaving TO ter