The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-06
THE COUNTY HAD A JAG.
THE PARCHKD GROUND DRANK RANK
THE MEN TOOK WHIskEE

THE MEN TOOK WHISKEK.
Thus Was Celebrated the End OF the Three
Ienr.' Drought In New Mexieo-It AIesas
Life to Thousand. OF Dying Cattle, Pros
pcrity and Freedom from Daily Dust
Clouds TO Cnttiemen and Citizeps
APACHE TEJo. N. NJ. July 20.-Threo years
without rain enough to make grass grow had
almost petriiled n solemn expression upon the
faces OF cattlemcn in New Mexico and Arizona,
but their weather beaten visages cracked and
wrnkled audible mcrrimcnt week ago when
tho tickle clouds that had been drifting dryly
across tho sky for month dropped peniten-
tal tears Of rain. Down in Deming. and
doubtless In all other towns within the graz
Ing district. the breaking of the drought was
regarded as a general invitation to come In
and take something. No other invitation
was necessary. except to strangers. and
they received so many that they decided
that Deming was tho most hosptable town
on earth. Cattlemen. rivals In business. met
on the street. the water cascading from their
determined hats and sloshing out OF the
tops OF their boots and silently grasped hands
after which they turned into the nearest sa-
loon. The PUNK Of silver upon the counter
told tho bark ecper to set EN- up, and broad
smile turned upon the crowd was promptly
and correctly Interpreted as an invitation to
everybody to stand in. Before early candle
light Deming was pervaded by a mellow,
genial jag and If any man in Grant county
went to bed cold sober that night he was either
a vigegar blooded pcssimist or out OF whisksy
and long ride from anybody who had any.
And this Is no reflection upon the habits or
morals OF the men of Now Mexico. Old Omar
had not better excuse for filling "the cup that
clears to-day Of past regrets and future fears"
than the cattlemen OF New Mexico had Shen
the utter ruin OF the ranges was averted by tho
frat big rain Of tho year. When tho ranges
wore first stocked. the prairies OF Southwestern
New Mexico were covered with grass knee
Deep and the cattlemen believed the pasturago
ineNhaustiblo. For several years tho rains
were regular and plentiful. and the cattle
waxed fat and multiplied without Affect
ing the value of the ranges. 1t was
free, open range. and everybody who could So
cure n spring or water hole for headquarters
got herd Of cattle and turned them loose
upon Uncle Sans pasture; The big compa-
Of herds belonging to small outfits, put on cat-
tie enough Of their own TO- stock the entire
all prospered we'll enough until the Inevitable
peE,odicat cal. series ,s,; Of dry years began
nat a1d oS Seed & srnss wss
year made deserts Of the prairies. The winds
that had caused no discomfort and had been
Sm sw ssy
bare ground, trampied to Iowder by thousands
% the "s aSa
Of towns. Choked and blinded with dust
h 9m g
irritable by hot, dry winds, the people de-
c!ared that the ,s, climate y. was CHANGING TOR the
yet it was only the, destruction Of the grass
that changed the climate snd Introduced the
mer weather. When the prairies were covered
with a heavy growth Of grass. no doubt the
squat the s rain 't that fell did not run nae of 1to
the draws" SO quickly, and the westerly
winds OF summer were thereby tempered to q
The third year Of drought saw the cattle
Ats, realizing that they had oyerstocked the
range. began thinning out their herds. The
cattle and Ma' large part Of tie eow-punchees
work was pulling out OF the water holes the
sodss % se ia .a b ba nst
struggle out Of the mire after drinSing their
TO the owner OF a small bunch OF cattle tho
percentage of loss was disastrous. and bis only
recourse was to sell the remnant Of his herd at
offered at five and six dollars head by men
who had become discouraged and did not be-
The big outfits. being ABLE to ship cattle out Of
the country. were not reduced to that extrem-
During the past two years at least SO per cent
Of the cattle that we're grazing or starving in
tnlS part OF tho IeTTltOTy nave De0n Bnlpp0Q
either to market or to the ranges Of Colorado
and Wyoming and the irrigated alfalfa fields
of California, and the aggregate Of herds has
been reduced to about what the range will
support properly. 1t is not likely that the
large cattle companies will repeat the mistake
of OverstockinG.
The effect Of tho reduction OF herds was per-
ceptihle even before the recent rains caused
the grass to start upon the baked prairie.
Here mt Apache rejo one OF the ranches OF the
Diamond outfit. there was plenty OF water
or artificial pond outside OF the fences. and
cattle came here for water from every direc-
tion within radius OF twenty miles. The cat
tie from the further pasturage in the Burro
Mountains came In every other day. which
means that they devoted one day to grazing
and the next to going to and returning from
water. From 800 to 1000 cattle and q few
hundred horses have been drinking daily at
Apache TeJo.
In the latter part Of May there WAS q general
here. and all the steers that could be
gathered were shipped to Kansas City and
California. leaving tho bulls. cows. and calves
on the range. light rain in the mountains
started the feed at about the Same time.
the lower prairie has remained bar
ron and dry. the cattle coming here to water
have improved perceptibly during the past
six weeks. and seem quite strong. although
through. n the promise OF a good season.
held out by the copious rain OF last week. be
fulfilled. the herds of New Mexico will be saved,
and one of the m ost important Of The depressed
interests OF the Territory pulled out OF tho
general slough OF despond
And that is why everybody in Grant county
q jag last week.