The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-29
CRUELTY ON THE RANGE.


ALMA, Dec. % 1903.
To rHs EpIroA: Some of the stockmen
are ripping me up the back on account of
an article in the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF
December Is. concerning cruelty TO ami.
mails. They say that such articles keep
people from coming here in search Of
homes. Now. do not want TO be under
stood that think this county or this state
Is the only place where stock is compelled
to dig snow for living in winter, because
IL Is not. by any means Neither do
think that the truth about such matters I.
likely TO result In injury To the county
There Is no excuse for any one not having
feed for his animals in the 0kanogan
couotry, for there is any amount of wild
grass 10 cut ii he chooses to cut IT, and
most OF the stockmen here have plenty of
feed for their animals. There are, how
ever, thousands of cattle turned on the
ranges In the Western states every fall TO
take their chances. OF course those are
the ones which are the principal sufferers
among cattle. and If any get through
alive, they suffer death a thousand times
The winters in this state never get cold
enough TO freeze sn animal, providing it
has anything 10 eat; but Ii is common
sight 10 see steer with q foot frozen off
and still going around in the spring
Others have their hamslsings frozen, and
still get around a little until warm
weather. when the frozen parts simply
thaw out and break of.
In the winter OF 1890 in this county there
were about 4.0o head of range horses
starved. most Of which we're small cayuse
stock. These horses are of no value 10
any country. and neither are the men who
raise them, but that does not prevent their
suffering. Generally the cayuse raiser
lives in a small log cabin without floor or
window. lie never raises any kind of
crop, and seldom prepares any food for
winter. A great many people do not know
how horses get a. the grass in winter.
Perhaps they think the grass Is not en-
tirely covered by snow. During most win
tiers IL is not. bur = foot of snow covers all
the best grass. How do the horses get at
the erass then when it is all covered
They have 10 dig the snow of with their
feet. and when the snow is hard. as il
sometimes gets, then 10 soon wears their
hoofs sore. Then they cannot dig OAR
ing the winter of $50. ~ Mr.. Williams
ranch on Pine creek. IN this county. a
pair OF team horses came and Mr.. Will
Jams cut some of the dead cattle open with
an az and be saw thar the poor, starving
horses ate the flesh OF the dead cattle, Mr.
Williams had then used sil his feed, so he
kept the horses supplied With dead cattle,
which they ate and lived on I'M
ii. the snow went of in the spring.
/ happened to be present the following
winter and heard the human brute who
owned the two horses tell the way they
20; through the winter eating dead cattle.
lie concluded by saying: But / reckon
they vail go up this winter" lie SAID If
they did he was not 90, anything on theua.
because he had worked them ali summer
on banchgras. and they had earned ham
about S2sl
think If Il were made compulsory in
our public schools to teach humane treat
ment 10 dumb animals great deal o.
cruelty woald Re prevented. J. q. u.