Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-02-28

The recent cold snap seems to have
been pretty rough on Colorado cattle.
Field and Farm says 1t has been a good
many years since the last days OF Janu-
airy and the last days OF February have
recorded zero weather In Denver. There
has been over q week when each day the
thermometer in the morning was below
zero. This Is unusual, and Ii Is not at
all remarkable that reports are coming
in from all directions OF suffering and
fatalities among cattle. On the prairie
the snowfall OF last week varied in
depth from six to fourteen inches on
the level, and, followed Immediately by
this long stretch of cold, it was hard on
all range animals. These first reports
always over-estimato the damage, and
in fortnight the reality will not be
found as bad as now appears TO be.
However, it Is more and more evident
that the day has gone by when ii is
safe or prudent TO have cattle on the
range without supply OF hay on hand.
While the introduction Of sheep in
the northwest in such large numbers,
last year, will prove lasting benefit, it
does not require prophet to foresee
that thousands OF them will be for sale
at less than cost within two or three
years. Sheep thrive and do well in
small numbers in the hands Of men who
know very little about handling and
caring for them, but in large numbers
no other stock is so tender and liable to
disease and no other succumbs so quick
ly to disease when attacked. Those
farmers who take TO sheep and care for
them properly can hardly help making
money, but those who have never ham
died them and neglect them will lose
money and want to get out of the busi-
ness. They will want TO sell sheep low
about the time the price OF cattle are
high, and they will go into cattle, only
to go out again, and into horses or hogs.
Those who always buy when prices are
high and sell when prices are low are
never satisfied with what they have in
the way OF stock, and always change at
the wrong time.
Nelson Morris, the big Chicago
packer, in Q circuit court bill, asks an
accounting from Pierre Wibaux, a Mon
tana cattle king. ]. Meyer, acting as
agent for Morris, made a contract with
Wibaux on June 81, 1890, for $500
steers at $i5 per head, and 1900 cows at
$50 per head. Taey were to be good,
merchantable cattle. Up to September
10 Wibaux had delivered 1867 steers,
for which he was to receive SlO6, SIS, and
1910 cows, amounting to S72, goo, and
Morris had paid him S143,2s0. Wibaux
claims there is due him S45. AS,
while Morris declares that
the cattle dealer owes him
at least 1925, 900, as the steers and cows
fell far short in quality OF what the
contract required. Wibaux claims 10
have more stock, which he has rendered
TO Morris, but which the latter has de-
clined to accept A few weeks ago the
cattle dealer began suits amounting 10
nearly 5000, 600 against Morris for al
legged breach of contract Now the
packer seeks TO have his claim estab-
lished, and insists on an accounting
In few days Messrs. Kraus, Mayer 81
Stein, representing Mr.. Morris, will ask
for an injunction TO restrain the prosecu-
ton OF the lawsuits brought by Wibaux.
The secretary OF agriculture has just
issued his Texas fever regulations, the
district being defined as follows: En-
bracing all that country lying east and
south Of line commencing at the
southwest corner of New Mexico, thence
running northerly along the eastern
boundary OF New Mexico to the south
western corner Of the county Of Cochran,
Texas; thence easterly along the south
ern boundary of the counties of Goch-
ran, Hockey, Lubbock, Crosby, Dick
eos. .~~A ai<i-~ 80 ..h. ase.hl y-ss.Aai~..s "a
Tooth meridian to,the southern boundary
OF Kansas; thence easterly along
the southern boundary OF Kan.
sas 10 tho northeast corner oi
the Indian territory; thence
souther)y along the eastern boundary
OF the Indian Territory to the south
west corner of Missouri; thence easterly
along the southern boundaries Of Mis-
souri,, Kentucky and Virginia, to a
point where said boundary is intersected
hy the Blue Ridge mountains: thence in
a esterly direction, following the
Blue Ridge mountains to the south
western corner OF Madison county, Vir-
ginia; thence easterly along the south
ern boundaries OF Madison, Culpeper
and Stafford counties; thence northerly
along the eastern boundary of Stafford
county 10 the Potomac river; thence fol-
lowing the Potomac river southerly to
the Chesapeake bay; thence easterly
across the southern boundary Of Mary
land to the Atlantic ocean. The regu-
lations GO into effect on the 18th inst,
and continue in force until December /,
1891.
The estimates OF numbers and values
of farm animals, made at the end Of
each year and returnable in January to
the department of agriculture, have
been consolidated. There appears to
have been little change in numbers, ex-
cept on the Pacific coast and in certain
portions of the Rocky mountain area,
where the winter OF 1ss9-90 was unusu-
ally severe. Losses were especially
heavy on the Pacific slope. The num-
ber OF horses on farms, as reported, Is
IA, 056, $50, and the average price of all
ages $67, decline from last year Of
sl.s4. The number OF mules Is 2. 296, :
sac, having an average value OF S77.sS.
define from last year OF 81 cents. The
number OF milch cows is 16,0l9,59i, an
increase of &C, 79s from last year. The
average value per head Is S2l.62, which
Is less by 25 cents than last years
average. TkNre is a tendency to in
crease Of dairying in the south, espe-
cially in the mountain region, which
offers inducements OF cheap lands and
abundant grasses Other cattle aggre-
gate 36,s75,64s. including those on
ranches. The highest value Is s2s. 64
in connecticut; the lowest Ss. 46 in Ar
kansas, and in Texas IS. SO. The esti-
mated number of sheep is 43, All, ,i3s;
the average value s2.5 or an increase
of "a cents or more than 10 per cent.
All other kinds OF farm animals have
declined slightly in price. A tendency
TO increase of numbers Is seen in most
of the states, though the losses from
the severe winter of last year on the
Pacific have decreased the aggregate.
The average number OF swine is 50,625,.
106, showing decline Of nearly per
cent. The average value is Si.l5, de-
crease OF 81 cents q head. The scarcity
of corn caused slaughter of stock hogs
in poor condition, tending TO glut the
market and reduce the price tempro-
rally.
An Attentive Daughter.
New York Weekly.