The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-29
RECEIPTS FROM EsTRAYs.

A Straw Which Shows How Large the
Shipments From Montana Have Been.
It is almost impossible to tell the number
of cattle Montana has marketed this year,
but there is a record in the Office of the
secretary Of the board of stock commission
ers which gives some idea Of the extent Of
the business. From July II, when ship
ments commenced, up to September II.
Secretary Prsaitt had received from buy era
in Chicago somewhere in the neighborho cd
of SEQ. 900 az the proceeds of the sale of ss-
trays. Thu greater part of this has already
been rent to the owners of the estrays, and
in many cases this was the first instruction
they had that any of their cattle
were in the market. This part of the
duties Of the board OF stock commissioners ia
one Of the most interesting, ~ we'll as the
most important of its many responsibilities.
When the shipment of cattle begins, the
work of the inspector commences in earn
est. At all the prominent shipping points,
such as Benton. Billings and Livingston,
these men are stationed, and shey inspect
the cattle as they are loaded on the oars.
To the initiated it may be we'll to explain
that by inspection is meant the keeping of
\ resord of any stray cattle that mav get
into I shipment. For Instance: John Smith
il shipping ten cars of cattle. His brand is
A. B. Among these ten cars the inspectors
find twenty head branded B. g. The cattle
bearing this latter brand belong to VIM.
Jones. The inspector makes 4 mote of these
twenty head and notifies the inspector ut
Chicago that in John Smiths shipment arc
twenty cattle, branded B. G. belonging to
VIM. Jonas.
At St, Paul, where the cattle are unlosded
and fed, there Is another inspection, this
time By William Lander, also in the en-
ploy OF the Montana board. He is consid-
S.raI n~s of Tho kon< irxraakoro -, III, ~.
vice, mounted on a pony he rides
through a lot of cattle noting the ~estrays.
Ee is exceedingly we'll posted on brands
and can locate a stray almost by intuition.
Arriving At Chicago the final inspection is
made. w. D. Smith, one of the best men
il the head inspector for this state. He
works with an inspector from Wyoming
and the two have one assistant during the
busiest times. The animals missed at the
previous two inspections are rounded up at
Chicago n then the business completed.
The estrays are always sold with the ship
msnt on which they are found and the
buyer is notified to send the money for ali
oattls bearing q different brand from that
OF the shipper to the secretary Of the
board of stock commissioners This is
done and accompanying each draft
IL description of the brand
'AASN a. - HAM,. EOECTSJAfv
PrSuitt or his assistant 90 Immediately to
the book containing the recorded brands,
md the name OF tho owner and send the
check to him And right here ia where the
nSn who has paid two dollars to have his
brand recorded has tho advantage over the
ore who mas not. Tho stock commissioners
Know only owners brands from the fact
s6at they are recorded. All the big cattle
companies recogni2s the fact, 80 they do
not care, no matter who ships their cattle.
E1t the small grower, who neglectK to re-
corc has brand. has no way of getting the
money from the sale of one of his estrays.
vi coarse, il dosg not often happen that
estfsy money il unclaimed, but there are
eases and this goes to the state. To an
outsider 1t would keem to be very poor
economy Tor any man h uses a brand to
Neglect to have it recorded, when il only
costa, altogether, two dollars, and may save
him hundreds in a few years.
When it IL remembered that 90 far $50
ooo mas been rsceived from the sale of
estIays and that it will probably amount to
100000 before the shipping season closes
In October, it will be seen that the inspec-
torg at Chicago and Secretary Preuitt and
his assistant have plenty to do, The lsttsr
Keep full records of the business and at any
time can answer an inquiry concerning it.
1t may DO thought strange that SO many
cattle are shipped by others than the own
ert. somstines il lone by mutual agree.
msnt, as III rounding up it may be more
cohyenlent to send thirty or forty hasd to
market with some one olss's beef than TO
drive them to the owners shipping point.
Ihen IN driving from the roundup to tho
railroad. outside cattle join TIE herd, ars
nor n%otieed, sad ars taken along. As a
rule bsfors the end of the season matters
about even themselves up, and if tho. Broad-
water MCNAMARA outfit send twenty
head OF Aurphy's cattle to Chicago. |
the latter or some one elgs will send tbe
same number for the first named firm.
Inc banner stray OF the year Was one
urea'tt has sent him q check for SG7.7 I'd.
Inns was the net rrooseds. Another atrnv
"hlen beat them all for weight, going 800 |
pounds, was not in such good shape al that
Of AIT. Cruise, and did not bring so much.
market this year have como from Mont.nn