The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-05
CATTLE IN H WEST.
HOW THE BIG CATTLE OWNERS IN
TERESTS ARE PROTECTED.

AZ Olu a0O Easy 1uOuSn dangerous way
of Getting . H~x Tia, Is Rarely Fol-
lowed Nowadays-rhe Arrangement OF
Brands and the Roundup.
It is a common matter of wonderment
among eastern folk and others unfamil-
lar with the great west and its ways
how the many herds of cattle that roam
over the immense stretches of unfenced
prairie and hill pasture are kept track
of by their respective owners. and how a
stockman can possess himself of his wan
dering property, assert his ownership
and realize on it when he wishes to. OF
course the cowboys ride the ranges and
endeavor to keep the herd within the
bounds Of their employers property.
and they succeed in the main. But
where pasture lots are 10, 90 or even so
OF more miles square and unfenced nat
urally a good many cattle get astrav.
wander into other ranges and mix with
other herds.
Inn was when a couple or more adj
venturous young men could start life in
the west or southwest with no capital or
outfit but a horse apiece and a branding
iron. and IN a year or 50 be worth ii good
sized fortune in cattle. but a strong pub
lie sentiment workinc through the agen-
cy of hcmpen rope i, = IA stop to this kind
of industry. Cattle thieves hardly exist
today, and SO excel at "A system has been
perfected among cattle owners that now
adays "a maj need not lose a single steer
if he is careful about his branding.
Every owner has a different brand,
and the number IF brands in any one
cattle state runs upinto the tens of thou
sands They are most of them of ex-
ceedingly quaint design. and the adver-
Using columns OF the western country
newspaper often look much like mumm
scrolls covered with Egyptian hero
glyphicS becarse of the numerous cuts
Of cattle brands pictured for the infor-
nation of the ranchers. Sometimes a
rancher despairs of inventins a new
brand, and then he uses an old one.
placing it on a different part of the ami
NAL from that where the owner of the
original one brands his animals. The
brand Is the owners title deed to the
steer, and it is respected.
An association is formed among the
cattle owners in each far western state
TO deal with estrays. Oftentines this
business is looked after by a state board
OF commissioners appointed by the gov
ernor. The various brands used by the
owners are registered. with minute ac-
curacy of design. position and other par
ticulars, at the Office of the secretary Of
the association or commission. When
the roundup Is made on each ranch and
aI1 rnn ..atf1a ,raYIaprl tl-tl,. - /
ment, there are always a great many es-
trays-cattle that have wandered from
other r~anges-among the herd. Some
times there may be strange cattle from
half a dozen or IA dozen different herds.
Instead Of notifying the owner to
come over and get his beasts the es-
trays are either shipped to Chicago. Kan
sas City or wherever the market may be
along with the regular herd or are sent
TO a designated center, where all estrays
may be gathered together at the round.
up season. IN the latter case. when a
sufficient number have been collected,
the ''estray lerd'i is slipped to market
Men are APPOINTED at the stockyards hx
the association or the governor to in
spect the herds As they arrive and to
look after tier sale. The estrays are
sold III the regular way. an, the money
is usually sent direct BIZ L. sispector at
the market TO the owners Of the brands
worn by the cattle SO sold. This Official
makes it his business to keep track Of all
the ~stocklncit, and the money realized on
an estray rarely fails to reach the owner
Of tie steer.
The amount Of money realized at mar
ket on estrays and RENTED to the own
ers through the associations rum from
kl0o, 900 to 5000, coo III every season for
each of the several big cattle raising
Ia 1891, for instance, the number
IF estrays from Montana sold in st. Paul
and Chicago was 10. 10, and some $3.50
300 was. realized on tNir sale and re-
through the association 10 the
owners.
The fence question is an old and per
one, and many and sanguinary
have been the wars III Texas and other
cattle states between fencers and fence
II has been jndicially decide
even that a man must not fence in hIs
and under some circumstance. The
around d 30-mile square lot is AFT
TO be in the way Of travellers, and when
the mail goes that way the fence has
declared illegal. But often stock
men don't want to fence. The western
stockman who raises cattle on the IN
prairie knows nothing Of the
narassmeut that affiicts the suburban
whose chickens will fly over the
neighbor's fences-New York Sun. ,
New Type Of Girl.
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