The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-18
" the Advent Of New Railroads
Has Diverted Trailo In Re-
cent Years
D Business 10 Claimed BY the
Railroad People Not to DO
Rsmunerativo.
liabilities That Large Packing Houses
VIII b Established Mssr tbs
Raagss In tho Futurs.

Ase1e 0OW OasstU tuSSsU8 VOAussy Weo
med Mp. The building Of the railroad
Cd the destruction Of tho buffalo, lsav-
this vast section Of couAtry In Western
kosa. Montana and Wyoming u~ntsnantsd
. By the Indians. savs the
ilway Gazette. Altar the buffalo had
n destroyed and the Indians confined
10 OF slsss strictly 70 the several ssssrva-
~, cattle msn turned their attention 70
. region % . new hsld for raising cattle
, sheep. II IL naturally adapted 70 cattle
Pwiag, being we'll watsrsd and producing
luxurant growth Of buffalo and other
1855. One Of, the psouliarities Of ths
Ralo grass II that il 10 self curing and
osds forage the year round for cattle on
ranges.
There have been many changes since the
nmsnoemsnt Of this industry in the
rthwest. and the conditions have altered
u year to year For several years the
|rthsrn Pacific was the only road reach-
the ranges, although several thousand
I'd were driven north each year and ship-
j via. the Canadian Pacific. Then came
1887 the extension Of tho 81. Paul, Min
hpolis b Manitoba, now tho Great North
]. from Ninot. N. D., to Great Falls,
pnt., and later the extension on the
nth into Northern Wyoming. Of the Bur-
Rton d Missouri River, and the Fremont.
khorn & Missouri Valley. Until 1887
&c numbers Of cattle we're taken from
Va, Minnesota and Wisconsin to the
hgss in the new country and bred there.
The winter OF 1856 1887 was an extremely
zero one and the loss to cattlemen. from
PexipR and starvation. was very heavy.
other source OF loss was the ''rustlers,"
10 would not hesitate, when they found q
Y with her unbranded cali, to kill the
y and place their DIVE brands on the
T. Again, the calvinR season coming in
trch, before the winter was passed, the
nth of both COWS and calves at that time
Is 4 further drain upon the cattle Qrowers
Palizing that they must have more hardy
tile to Withstand the rigors Of the winters
the ranges, and to save themselves the
10 OF Mavericks" to the "rustlers," they
gan to bring the wild cattle from Texas,
~ Mexico and the adjacent country to
northern ranRes. Now there is very
tie breeding done there; yearling OF two
hr-old steers being driven or shipped
m the southwest to some point in south
stern Wyoming. then distributed eensr.
y over the northern feeding grounds.
The best grazing is found in the valleys
the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers and
smaller rivers and creeks flowing into
an. Another new field was opened and
b territory increased about II, ZOO. 600
res by the opening for settlement Of the
K Sioux reservation. and this year several
I'M Pierre, Chamberlain and other points
the eastern borders of the reservation.
When the Great Northern was ready to
oept shipments in 1888 it naturally Sc
red a large share Of the business from
3 ranges north of the Missouri. as by
10 route II is not necessary for stockmen
drive their cattle long distances and
i'm the river before reaching the point of
ipment. Prior to the extension of the
ads on the south to the Black Hills and
prthern Wyoming about % per sent of
D Wyoming cattle reached the markets
the northern routs. through st. Paul.
pw the proportion marketed by these
utes toes not exceed 10 per cent, and it
II probably fall below that mark this sen-
Cattle from the northern raness are
Rrketed between July Ii and November IL,
rely latter, for as soon az there il a heavy
II of SNOW the cattle scatter to the ranges
r shelter; then, too, there is danger OF
eezing when shipments are made late in
Q season. Since the improved stock cArs
we come into general use. the time on the
ad between. the ranges n the markets
s been reduced; it is rarely necessary to
PIP to feed and water stock while in transit
St. Paul. It 10 the custom, however, in
SO the cattle get of their feet, or if the
sather ia extremely warm, to stop once foc
BID and rest. The general rule is to un-
I'D or thoroughly rest tina cattle, while in
Rnsit from the ranges to Chicago, at St.
hul. .4 ri
The receipts at Minneapolis. Minnesota
F~ansfer and St. Paul, of cattle from the
pot for the past six years were as follows:
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