The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-02
THE OUTLOOK FOR STOCK.
Purchasers Find Money Easier and
the Demand for Cattle Is
Improving.
Owners Looking for a Good Win
ter and Hoping for the
Best.
Montana and Wyoming CAttlsmcn Had =
Hard Combination to buck Agatnss
This Year.

Tho dry and withering heat that vampire
like sucked the vital fluid from water courses
and pools, from the early days of July to
the beginning of September. 10 ut An end.
says the Stookgrowsrs Journal. The long
drouth was not ended, however. before its
evil effects struck both man and beast. II
left a legacy of loss behind il. TIL want OF
water which worried the good flesh already
accumulated of stock Of all kinds In long
and weary journeys for whsrewithal TO stake
tho thirst that was consuming them, COM
PEELED owners of stock 10 ship Al all hazards
Is Icing rs there was anv flesh left on their
beasts to send them 10 market. Cattle and
sheep that would have been held till rire
and thoroughly ready for market had to DO
sent 80 markets already crammsd TO reple-
tion. in immature condition. thus G!uttinR
already crowded markets and having the
usual effect Of an inordinate supply Of
beasts low in flesh and of poor quality. on
the market rates. 1t would not be neces-
sary to CRY ship SLOWLY. There was no
help for it; most owners had to ship. Cir
cumstances were too strong for them. They
were compelled to submit. Scarce money,
sca,c 90 water and banks protecting them
selves. the panicky condition of affairs In
this Columbia year made q combination
Of adverse OF cumstances to which Colum-
bus himself if he were alive to-day and a
oattleDan or sheerman would have had to
succumb. Nature has at last concluded to
torture her Offspring no more this season
with lack of water. Animals will now have
som ething to drink without travelling weary
miles for it. And that is something to be
thankful for. OF COURSE it is not to be OK
peoted that this tardy gift of our mother
will help the grass to any great extent. 1t
came too late. Frosts followed il fast n
much new grass Is not TO be expected.
Letters from leading cattlegrowers and
throughout the various regions
Of the Montana range county all repre-.
sent the ranges as not in that good oondi-
tion which would insure abundant food for
stock during the winter. In northern
Montana especially, according to advices
T. ON we'll known rover the conditions
arc represented As not At all encouraging
or desirable. The pessimistic go further
and declare the range up in that section 80
be In Indifferent shape. In southeastern
Montana the conditions are more cheering
and more favorable, and the state Of the
range 10 represented as fair, but by no
means As hrst class. In northeastern
Wyoming the range 10 reported as even in
worse shape than in northern Montana.
Buyers who had purposed purchases this
faI! and taken the preliminary steps now do
uOC WNut 70 TAKE tNe C6Lti0 DeiOL0 next
spring, as they say, and not unwlsely, that
the anRe are not in measure to support
any more cattle through the winter. They
hold to their Offers and figures for next
spring, however, showing that hops has
still = smiling aspect for them.
Much depends on tho character of the
winter. What ii Is to be the weather bu-
yeau has not yet decided and it is TOO early
to consult the auguvies Of the goose-bone
theory, The weather In this Worlds fair
year of drouths. heats, cyclones, water
spouss. train robberies. railroad holooausts,
womsn's fair meetings seems to have been
inverted by the seismic commissions that
upheaved ever thing else. A late sptinu. q
long drouth. torrid heat, prolonged mid
summer. an early fall with early frost. 50
many contradictory conditions make fore
casting din1euls and consequently the
meteorological doctors disagree. Not bat
that il everything had been normal they
would have disagreed all the ssme-bus that
is DEPRESSION. A late slHlng, a late winter,
saya one sage. An early fall an early and
cold winter. says another. 80 all we can do
- to take our choice and hope for the best.
We are SO used to seeing weather pre-
dlctions proved by their converse that we
have become meteorological agnostics. We
hope for the best and trust the fates won't
pile on as q severe winter on top of all the
other agonies of this quatro centennial
ycdI. IL "O Hbse b Udu winter Gler0 Will be
undoubtedly. May We be spared this
trouble.
The demand for cattle is improving and
will continue to improve. Purchasers of
and feeders who have been kept
out Of the market by the self Protecting j
policy Of the banks are beginning to find D
money and pu tnasts are being already ,
The export trade has opened W, J
Fine cattle will bling fine prices. but there
Ia not much of that quality on tho markets, !
other native or western. Western range
battle, through the operation Of natural .
oauses already indicated, are not equal
IN quality to what they have been in
years, therefore. fancy prices are
not to be expected, but fair figures, TAX.
ing quality into conside. alton. will be
got from now on. As We have said hereto
fore. unless We are handicapped by a hard
cattlemen will still come out of the
of this crushing and fatsful wear
better than those engaged In most other
We wish sincerely az mnch
eould be said for the flock masters. While
there 10 an Improvement in tho sheep mar
kst and that imp ovement is likely to con.
ssnue and increase, the losses they have
suffered alreadY are SO great that there Is
little p obablllty OF their reeoupiug them
selves this yea.