Connecticut western news., 1886-02-24
COUNTING HORNS.
Picturesque Scenes on a Mon~
 tana Cattle Range.
How the Animals are Counted, Identified,
 and Separated.

to the Pittsburg Commercial Gazette correspondent writes entertainingly about the cattle business and life on the ranges. He says: In receiving, say, one thousand head of "pilgrim" cattle from the States (of value not less than $25, ,O0O, brand ing them at the stock yards with an X on the left hip, for instance, and turning them loose upon the range the owner either understands the business or has an unswerving trust in Providence. A DOT tion of his herd may be seen occasionally during the season by himself or his cow boys, but other portions may drift away fifty or hundred miles, sometimes more, before the next ''round-up." Even then it may be impossible to find them all." The ranges are divided into districts" and each district is worked by seperate company of cowboys, numbering any, where from twenty to sixty (more occa- sionally), according to the importance of the district. All who have range cattle within the limits of that district are rep resented, either personally or otherwise, in the roundup party. Every member of which exercises his ability for the advantage of his neighbor as we'll as for himself. The district may be two hundred miles long and seyenty-fve miles wide, and the cowboys move from six to ten miles each evening, gather the cattle from the hills surrounding the camp, the next morning divide the stock into punches, each bearing the brand of a sep crate outfit, brand the calves with the marks borne by the mothers they follow, and, in cases where the ownership of the calves can not be determined, they, in this territory, receive the brand of the outfit that holds the range upon which they are found. Now, in the district where those ''X'' cattle live the represen- tatives of that brand will see as far as possible, to the holding and branding of the stock belonging to their outfit Then the cattle that are disposed of will be thrown into herds, according to the To- cality of their ranges, and driven toward their regular grazing grounds. Those that belong in the vicinity of the camp will be left there, and the "round up" party moves on.
 The above has special reference to the spring roundup, which takes from sixty to ninety days. In addition to the fall ''round-up," the beeves are "cut out"- separated from the other stock-and driven by members of their respective outfits to the points of shipment. It is at these shipping points that the value of the stock inspector is seen. He examines the brands of every animal shipped from his point, and if some of those "X'' cattle arc being shipped with the beeves of some other party he notes the fact, reports to the Secretary of the Stock Commission the whole lot goes to market, and in due course the owner of the TX" cattle re- ceives the proceeds of his "strays" on the basis of the price at which the main body of the shipment is sold. The number of animals thus found is large. 'Strays'' that belong in Montana have frequently been shipped from points on the Union Pacific in Wyoming, and vice versa, on the Northern Pacific. It is not consid- cred surprising for cattle to drift 100 to 150 miles from their customary range. Thus are range cattle looked after, and though it may take years for the 'cX' outfit, or any other, to secure all their stock, they are more than likely to do SC eventually, excepting where the "crit- ters" are stolen, killed by wild animals or die on the range. The inspectors are thoroughly familiar with the brands ol the Northwest, watch closely for stolen stock, do much toward bringing offend CTS to justice, and are stationed at the principal stock-handling points. The detectives are equally instrumental ir furthering the success of this great sys- tenn. About five thousand different brands have already been recorded in the office of the Territorial Treasurer at Helena Even the Indians have their brands, and
 with the multiplicity of devices that arc used, under the acts of 1864, to distin guish stock, it is no easy matter to keer them all in mind In the effort to rio Montana of dangerous wild animals boun ties were paid during 1864 on more thar 5000 wolves, 1,5OO coyotes, 500 bear and 100 mountain lions During 1885 the bounties were still greater.
 No Student of Philosophy.