The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-06-26
DYING B( THOUSAND.
New Mexico Eatuo Starving to Death No
Rain for Six Montns

Eain fcrSix MnntHs.
SILVER CRY, n. NJ. June 14-SiccE
ncn III New Mexico have never br-
tore suffered anything like the loss, y
winch arc now being bornc OH &C
count OF the extreme shortncss of
feed, which has been blought partly
on account Of ovcrstoclicd ranges.
but mainly on account OF the lone
continued dry weather. There has
been no rainfall for more than six
months i'll the southern portion of
the Territory, and the consequence
IS that the rungcS arc bare and brown
and cattle nro dying by the hundreds
ualy. The Lyons - Campbell Cnt-
tie Company, on" OF the large comma
mes on THIS county, reports nn average
LOSS 10; OF about forty hcad per day.
Ims company has shppcd several
thousand head OF cattle within the
past two months, ns many other
companies and individual owners
haVo done, but the ranges will not
support the stock now on them unless
there are heavy rains bcfolc mnny
days to, start the grass.
Some OF inc oldest lnnchmcn in
tins c"nniry say that if the dry
weather continues II month LONGER
thry Will los" one fourth of their
herds. Few cattle ,l.r out on the
ranges. The grass has been eaten
down clos" to the ground in tho vi
cnlty 0t ali the water courses md
watering pli,c:'E, and the herds in
Somo INSTANCES 30 miles into the foot
hills or out on tho mcaaa, where tin GRO
IL better grass to feed. They 70
main out until thirst ,iricvcs thom in
and they drink their fill Of water nf
ter which they invariably lie down.
The weaker ones never get up
Thousands of bloatod cnrcnssoA of
dead cattle lie rotting III the ecorch
ing sun III Now Mc1 1ico. but the stock
men orc bearing their losses philoso
phlcally. Good prices are boins
obtnlnod for cattle shipped North
Tor feeders. Stocrs which arc nov.
solllng hero for from Sl6 to $40 Der
h"ad would not have ncttcd shippers
more than $6 to 81 per head two
years ago. An long M such low pri-
eos prevail thcro were worry few cat
tic Hhippod from Southern New Mex
lco, consequently the ranges became
ovrrstockou. Stock Hhipmcnts from
tins Territory this spring havo brcn
unprecedented. For more than two
months the Atchson, Topeka Il San
ta tc railroad has been taxed to it's
utmost to move stock North, and al
Though extra crcwH have been put
ON and tho motive power has been
made TO do extra duty, the company
has been unable to furnish transpor-
tltlon for stock as fast us it has boon
brought III from the ranges. Over
$4,000 head Of cattle have been ship
ped ovor the Santa Fo i'll tho past
two months from this county alorc,
but the shipment Of this large mum
bcr OF cattle has made no npprccia
bic Improvement in the condition, of
thc ranges, and LOSSES from d1ing
stock will contin4n Ut tAefafttee- Fate Of
,nIdS OF dollars daily until there
fSh good rain fall. In tho northern
intrt of the territory there has been
rain, nnd cattle ;lro not suffering, but
the losses OF stock sustained by
ranchmcn during The blizzard last
November w"rc nhnut na heavy us
they nr" in soutlIrYn New Mexico
now. During tn" pust eight months
moro stock has been lost in Now
Mexico thnn hnd bcrn loat in as
many years previous t. last October.
Notwi!h":mlnG the unusual losses
of In" pAat eight months, th"nvrrngc
prrr"ntnG,' rf loss III New Mexico for
len years has been l",;5 than that OF
any other storl; raising section OF
TINS country.