The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-01-24
BRANDS AND BRANDING.
Soaring Suggestions by a Herald
Correspondent. IA
To the Editor of THE HKRALD.

TO the Editor of THE HKRALD.
Now that the subject of branding
cattle has been preached in your col
umns, would like to say few words
on the subject.
The present system of keeping a
record of brands is too unwieldy and
uncertain to be much of guard against
the stealing of cattle by being driven off
their natural range and then driven off
altogether, To remedy this I would
propose a scheme that, I believe, would
be at least much better than the present
system. In the first place, each county
should have brand, and one particular
part OF the animal should be reserved
by law for this purpose; and, if neces-
sary, the county may be DIVIDED off
Into districts with figure added to the
brand to indicate the number of the
district. Then some person should be
empowered to register individual
brands in each county, and county
branding irons provided for the use of
tne people.
This plan will relieve the public of a
great deal of trouble in relation to stray
stock, as the owners can be at once
FUND out, and notice sent them.
1t will also do away with the necessity
of branding on the best parts OF the
animals hides, which is great loss to
hide dealers and others.
And still l would suggest that the
brand recorder of each county be pro.
vided with private record correspond
ing with the numbers of each brand.
In the private record persons can use
any device they choose to represent the
number OF their brand, and when they
write out bill of sale of animals these
private marks must be written after Il e
signatures, as: JOHN SMITH, KIP, which
would represent (say) 32l. Then any
suspicious characters driving cattle hav.
ing some other county brand on than
the one in which he lives could be in
vited by an officer to produce
the bill of sale of such animals
If the bills of sale were supposed to be
forged, the officer could soon find out
by telegraphing or by having a copy of
such private marks placed in his pos
session, as it would be more than prob
able that such spurious bill would not
have the proper private marks or letters
attached.
AS brand on anv animal can not be
conclusive evidence that the holder of
such animal is the lawful owner, then
it should be required by law that all
transfers of animals should be ac-
companied by bills of sale, giving gen.
eral description of SAID animals. with
the brdnds-county and individual-an
persons not having such bills may be
detained by officers of the law till they
can produce clear records.
IF SpQnnC IN mo fhof NV
arrangement of brands, the best parts
of the hide need not be damaged by
brands; and ear marks, marks in the
dewlap or other places on an animal
can be used to help out the matter, as
there are hundreds of dollars wasted
by the system now in use, and it should
be stopped if possible.
Some proper or legal method of went
ing" brands should be devised, as the
common modes are of no particular use
in hindering dishonest people appropri-
ating animals not their own. If some
effective way could be suggested, it
would be worth while to give it trial.
Let those interested in the cattle bust
ness give the matter serious thought
and give it to the people through The
HERALD.
The cattle business is assuming grand
proportions in our mountain country,
and the temptation and chances to take
what is not their own increase with the
former.
In my own experience, have found
private stock record very convenient
arrangement. often saving a great deal
of trouble. The time when dropped, or
of whom the animals are bought;
brands and marks, color. etc., should
be entered; spots and marks not notice
able only on close inspection should
also be prominent feature in such a
record of this kind. Animals change to
such an extent in the course of six or
eight months, that person is often I'M
certain about the appearance of his
animals. and record is needed to refer
to occasionally.
Yours truly.
VACARo.