The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-22
Ono Of tho P~rottiest Montana
Ranges Almost Entirely
Cleared Of Herds.
Already the Milk River Section 10 Going
Like the Rest to the
Nanohevs.

For . few ysass past the oattlsnen OF the
Dakotas have been following the example
Of tho former cattle kings Of Kansas and
Nebraska, and arc closing out their big
herds, says the River Press. To-day there
arc really no large outfits In the latter two
states. for the reason that the flow Of emf
grafton westward has taken up all the
water. has broken tho range and. and made
u impossible TO keep large herds. From
now on the conditions OF tho east will nd
Just themselves to Kansas and Nebraska,
and farm raised cattle in small bands must
bs the rule. In South Dakota tho large
herds are fast disappearing. and for the
same reason. Last week the last Of the big
cattle outfits in tho Black Hills region OF
that state. the Keystone Land Il Cattle
COMPANY, disposed Of their herd OF 5000
head Of range cattle. and in that section Of
the state big herds are . thing Of the past.
The herd passed, into the hands Of 4
company which p furnishing the beef
for tho Pins Ridge Indian agency and
will BE- used to supply the terms Of their
contract. South Dakota was 70 merly q
splendid range for the carrying on of the
cattle industry. bat the influx Of settlers
was SO great and 10 rapid that the business
on q large scale could not be properly CAR
ried on. All the desifnble ranch locations
were taken up, the remainder Is being fast
located by people who must have homes,
and the small osttlsmsn and farmers will
soon have complete possession of the very
a question Of a few years whom Montana
must fall in line with tho more eastern
states. OF oil the northwestern states
Montana IL the greatest in tho production.
of range cattle. and In the number of big
companies ranging herds. During the
carly sos all n'Montans was a para
disc for the oattlsmen; but the increase In
population from 30, 900 inhabitants in 1880.
TO 1872. 1863 in 1890. has encroachsd upon the
COW counties, and driven many owners to
During that decade Meagher county
doubled in population. and as . conse-
quence, the ,,retty valley of the Musssl-
shell. ten years ago ono of the best of
ranges. had been almost entirely cleared Of
cattle to make room for the settler. And
while there were last year more cattle In
Aontann than in any previous year, II can
be attributed to the fact that until of late
Montana land was not 90 rapidly taken up
a. at present, while cattle multiplied; also.
that tho great MILK river AMI other ranges
were not until recently available.
Already the Milk river section ID going
like the rest. 1t 10 being rapidly settled up
by rancheis. and with the improved sys.
TENS of irrigation that settlement will be
made more raridly. Then. too, nearly all
tho large drives from other states are
dumped on the Milk river md Bear Paw
ranges. until already come from cattlemen
the complaint that these sections are over
crowded, n that tho drives should cease.
1t seems inevitable that tho time must
eventually come in Montana whom the cat
tie industry must DO carried on as Il now 10
in the smaller eaetern states of indiana,
Illinois and Missouri. whore farm-raised
cattle are furnished, and each OF which
states have to-day more beef cattle than
Montana.