Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-07
STATE QUARANTINE.
Some Interesting Facts and
Theories by a CattIeman
OF FORTY YEARS. EXPERIENCE.
Judge n. h. Campbell OF Matador
Talks to a Gazette Man About
Texas Fever and Its
Control.

A GAZETTE reporter had an interesting
chat with Judge H II. Campbell of Matador,
wt,) is stopping at the Pickwick Judge
Campbell was billed for an address before
the meeting Of cattlemen lately held at Aus
tin, on the subject of Texas Fever and
Quarantine. - but was prevented from speak
ing by severe attack of the grippe, and the
reporter thought his views on the subject
would be OF interest to the many cattlemen
low gathering here, and interviewed him
with the following result:
What action do you think the legislature
will take on the quarantine at its COM
ing session. 90
u have no idea, ~ said he, ''as to what will
be done, but it is certain something ought to
be done. The governors proclamation
shows that he is aware of the fact that cat
tie raising is one of the chief industries of
Texas, and il is to be hoped that the legis-
lature will ind time to consider the matter
fully The great increase of meat exports
from this country has been largely brought
about by strict inspection and quarantine
laws, both OF the United States and of sew
eral different states; and certainly Texas,
the leading cattle producing state, ought no
longer to be behind in this matter.''
''What do you think ought to be done?"
'We ought to have quarantine regula-
tons for the state of Texas, and there
IEpuEnI ~ OO d way LOT GQer en-
Increment. 1t is a well known fact that
cattle from the lower attitudes of Southern
Texas will, in some way, impart what is
known as Texas fever to cattle raised IN
high attitudes in this state as well as
others, and to overcome the prejudice that
now exists against Texas cattle and to put
Texas cattlemen on an equal footing with
those of other states, a fair quarantine line
should be established and adhered tor
''What is your idea of fair linel'"
Gas to this there will be found to be
considerable difference of opinion among
cattlemen and experts; this difference re-
suits partly from a want OF general inter-
change of views among and partly from the
different theories as TO how the disease is
caused and communicated For instance.
it is now known that Texas fever has been
accused of killing great many cattle that
were never subject to it or exposed to it,
and investigation of these cases has shown
that many other causes exist, and that, in
some cases, they are as fatal as the fever.
A case in point;
In thelspring of 1889, in preparing the
Matador two-year- old steers to go north 1
noticed good many of them dyiog. On in
vestigation 1 satisfied myself that the cat
tie died from being close herded on the
frost-bitten shinnery. 1 then moved them
off the shinnery, after which they all
right: and when, few days afterward, we
kept them of the shinnery and had no
. trouble with them. Many other causes
have, at different times, been COMPOUNDED
with this fever; such are black leg, 1bloody
murrain, dry murrain, sickness from drink
ing alkai water, ETC., but experienced cat
tlemen are now easily able to distinguish
them, and as they are believed ITO be purely
local, no regulations are necessary concern
ing them.
But to answer your question, my ids01s
of fair line for Texas would be as nearly
a straight line as practicable from Red
liner through Wichita Falls, southwest to
a point about the mouth of DEVILS river.
A quarantine based on such line and
maintained from about the middle of March !
to the 1st of November would be safe
enough for all practical purposes, and
would enable the cattle south and east of it
to be placed above it. where they could be |
purged of the malaria, or Whatever it is
that imparts the fever to cattle of higher
attitudes. 1 do not mean Eto say that it
cattle from the extreme south |
of these limits direct to Kansas or further
North, but this is a just line for Texas |
and the regulations of the government and |
the different states will do the rest"
What special reasons are there in favor
of such a linel''
"My reason, judging from past ex- |
perience, is that the altitude has very |
much to do with the spread of the disease. |
For instance. you can snip cattle direct |
from Corpus Christi to an elevation any |
where up to 1900 feet, such as Wichita |
Hardeman, Baylor fand Cottle counties |
without injuring cattle raised in those |
counties, but the same cattle shipped |
direct from Corpus Christi to elevations |
from 1000 to 5000 feet above sea level, such /
as Dickens, Motley, Floyd, Armstrong and |
Donley counties will impart the fever to
cattle raised there"
ITO what extent have you investigated |
these questionsP
II became interested in them over
twenty-years ago and have been interested
in and watched the movement of a great
many thousand cattle from the lower to the |
higher attitudes ever since. For eleven |,
years was ranch manager of the Matador
com pany cattle ranch, which embraces
attitudes varying from 1900 to 3100 feet above
sea level. This range had an average of
about 10000 cattle each year, and these
were continually exposed, more or less, to
cattle from the infected districts which
were passing through on their way north.
observed that when these Southern cattle
passed through among the cattle in the
lower part of the range, as Cottle county,
no loss resulted, but when they came in con-
tact with the cattle in the upper part of the 1.
range. as Dickens and Motley counties,
they developed more or less fever. Again,
cows placed from Motley county, at an ele-
walton of 2600 feet, into small pasture in
the Western part of Cottle county, 1900
feet. together with other cows belonging in
Cottle county were all exposed to a herd
from Southern Texas; the result was that :
nine of the Motley county cows died of
fever and none of the Cottle county cattle
were effected. also had in Cottle county,
in Colmans pasture, from 200 to 500 of the y
Matador cattle exposed every year for
three years TO cattle shipped by Colman
from near Corpus Christi without any
fever resulting. These are only a few of
many similar cases that have come under
nv observation for the last twenty years"
''What is your theory as to the origin of
Texas feverl''
II am not much of a theorist, but my
idea. to state it generally, is that the cattle r
in the lower coast country are continually
drinking stagnant water, and thus become
mpregnated with something we call
their whole systems, and espe-
eially their livers and spleens, seem to be
affected with a disease, which, however, is
not serious with them, but is very fatal when :
communicated to Northern cattle. The \
department of agriculture has given this
question considerable attention of late
years, and seems TO regard ticks as the