The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-05-27
THE TEXAS CATTLE.
Situation At Brennan Station Not Ex-
aggerated---An Effort
To Stop Their Shipment Into The
State Being Made.

down to Brennan station in order to get
the exact facts regarding the unloading of
Texas cattle Mt that place and the hun.
dreds of dead and dying cattle spoken of
by persons living in that nelghborhood.
It can be said that the reports which
reached the city did not in any way exag-
gerate the situation and that the situation
is a decidedly serious one; one which de-
mands prompt and effective relief meas
ures.
When about a mile from Brennan on the
road from this city a herd of hungry, thin
and weak Texas two-year-olds which had
just been unloaded were encountered.
Several dead ones were noticed and the
disgusting odor of rotting animal matter
became stronger at every moment. Going
over the hill about a hundred dead steers
were noticed piled up in a gulch. They
were among the first to die and had been
hauled of 'sonto the nearest government
land by order of the railroad company.
Fully a hundred more dead were lying
around on each side of the station. At
first an effort was made to bury them but
it was soon abandoned. Driving on east
wardly from the station, dead cattle, two
or three and sometimes 81 half a dozen
in a bunch, were found every few rods.
Many Of them were lying in the water
holes and small: streams. From cattle
men at the station it was learned that
the trail for five miles farther than the
UNION reporter drove is lined with dead
cattle. Such being the case five hundred
is Il conservative estimate OF the number
OF dead cattle. Acting under instruct
ions from the county board OF health
County Commissioner Crockett today
commenced the work OF disposing OF the
carcasses by burning and burying, II
the work is done thoroughly and quickly
no serious results will follow and it is
not probable that as large Il proper
ton OF those unloaded hereafter will die.
But for the storm last week it is not
likely over III hundred would have died
at or nea Brennan. 1t is a question
whether the owners OF the cattle aud the
railroad company can be held respon-
sible for damage done by and expense
incurred III disposing Of the dead cattle.
The dead cattle, however, or the ex-
pensc incurred III disposlng OF them. is
not the most serious part Of the matter.
The cattle after being unloadcd are al
lowed to feed on the range around Bren-
nan and then driven slowly towards
their destination. BY this means
much good range which Is used
and needed by local stockmen
and ruuchers is destroyed. 1t is how
ever not only destroyed but on it are
left the germs OF disease. Last year a
number OF native cattle along Spring
creek that gruzed over land that the
foreign cattle had passed over died from
Texas fever. The cattle now being
poorer condition and are not as he lthy
as those shipped in last year.
The ranch and stockmen held II meet
ing at MurpLy's school house yesterday
to consider the matter and take steps
towards preventing the shipment into
the state OF Texas cattle or ii that cam
not be done to have all such cattle UNI
loaded at Belle Fourche. Nine thous-
and cattle have been unloaded at Bren-
nan so far this eas and unless some
measure to prevent 1T is taken probably
twenty thousand more will be unloaded
there during the next three weeks
II no relief can be gained by an appeal
to the county and state officials the
rancllmen in the vicinity of Brennan
will take the matter into their own
hands. Just what course they will
adopt has not been decided upon but if
nothing else can lie done they will pre-
vent the feeding and grazing Of the cat
tie in their district, and as soon as they
are unloaded take them in charge and
hurry them through the country.
Should they be obliged to resort to this
measure Il little fSouth Dakota cattle
! war is among the possibilities.