The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-09-02
THE GREAT RANGE.
IMPORTANT AND INTEREST
ING CATTLE AND
HORSE NOTES.
DAILY DRIVES FROM ALL PARTS
OF THE STOCK GROWING
COUNTRY.

Montana pays six dollars for mountain
lion scalps, but the average Texas legis-
lator thinks two dollars too much for the
scalp of mountain lion.
w. G. Butler, the veteran ranchman, of
Karnes county, says that while they were
not suffering at all before the recent rain,
now all water courses and ponds are full
and the prospects for the coming winter
are very fattering. Next winter when
prices are good we will see plenty of roll
ing fat grass beeves going north from
that section.
L. Y. Pettus and Mr.. Bourbon, of Go
lad and Bee counties, respectively, have
just returned from their Mexican ranch
opposite Del Rio, Texas. They say they
met with no inconvenience from the war
excitement, and unprecedented no danger.
The grass was fine and the recent rains
had filled all the water holes, therefore the
condition of things was all that reason
able man should wish.
prominent Texas cattleman says that
now that the cattle boom has played out,
it is the safe time to invest in cattle. He
thinks cattle are about as low il is possible
for them to get, and he who buys will make
profits as prices go up, as they are bound
to do so. Nearly everybody wants to sell
and very few want to buy. 1t is the auspi-
cious time to look around and locate good
Investments Stock Commercial.
Stock cattle are not quotable or saieable,
except where some local trading is done on
the range. There are runors of bargains
and low prices. We find stockmen from
reported drouthsmitten ranges stand
stitfiy to spring prices in movable stock,
such as two and three-year-old steers.
The present condition of the cattle trade
is considered to be at the bottom. No
rise in stock cattle is in prospect just
now. Many good beef steers are now
held from market as good Investment.
We consider that two yearold steers on a
good range are the best property in cattle
in Texas to-day.
The post of Fort Elliott, near the town
of Mobeetie, is furnished beef under con-
tract. Recent developments go to show
that Cresswell, Eaton, Odom, the Moody
Andrews company and other stockmen,
are the contractors who furnish the beef,
but receive no pay. Recent Investigations
brought to light number of buried hides,
bearing the familiar brands of the above
named outfits; some of the hides were
rather ancient and others very green. M
merous arrests for cattle stealing will be
heard of from Mobeetie.
This brings to mind conversation with
one of our leading stockmen, who said
last winter that fat beeves were being
killed in the woods, and the butchers in
the small towns could not show up hides
for one half of the beef they sold.
Col. John N. Simpson, president of the
Texas Live Stock association, told Chi
cago Tribune reporter that "a revolution
is going on in the beef business. There
will be change from shipment of live
stock to shipment of dressed beef, and
in my opinion, it will come from Missouri
river points-Kansas City and Council
Bluffs-and also st. Paul. Eventually
meat will be dressed there and shipped
east, and the stock yards business of Chi
cago will be affected very materially. But
I do not know that it will hurt the slaugh-
tering houses here. They are supplied by
large district of corn-fed cattle. Ar
mour, Swift, Morris and Hammond draw
their supplies from it, and are not de
pendent on the west-in truth, they are
almost independent of the range dis
trict."
The cattle associations can break this
kind of business up, when 1t is recog
nized that all stockmen must belong tC
the association of their districts ant
pay small pro rata towards protecting al
the stock from the depredations of mel
who have no other occupation than tt
steal. Until the cattle associations arr
strong enough to prevent it the perform
ance will continue, and every balance
sheet Will have to include an item, called
'losses by theft"
In cattle, the beef market is low, ten
eleven and twelve thousand cattle reach
ing Chicago on several different days
Very handsome Texas grass steers, a
times go, bring $3.50 per hundred, some
times less; common cattle very much less
The average prices for cattle cannot b.
given. Cows have sold as to net from
SO to SIS; steers from $11 to $50. A few
choice heavyweight beeves have brough
trife more. 1t is good steer that will
net S25. Feeding steers are IN slight de
mand at two cents, and are not yet of
fered at that.