The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-03-15
Along the Rio Grande.

.rlo Rio Granie Valley might be
,1,aaei unto the valley of the shadow
- 5aath. Where a few years ago
so,.auds of head of cattle, horses,
haon and goat; grazed on luxuriant
~ rYtritious grasses is now a floor of
',r1 and alkali. Buzzards and wolves
amo ali shat is left in animal like, ex-
~,nt > few de,titute and starving lam
ME-. Ia vegetation nothing is seen
nyrcnt the great green cactus, with its
w. iddinc thorns, which secure it
arain-t an attack of even sheep and
,roa--. In Starr, Iapata and portions
r. Encinal, Hidalgo, Cameron, DIM
n,o, Maverick and Duval Counties in
,be eytrcme southwestern portion of
fine state the direst want prevails.
IN starr County the situation is
doplorabic apd the ruin and desolation
NOR widespread than in the adjoining
c~,untie-. Int in sections of each the
same awful and gruesome state of af-
f.irs is manifest. Until four years ago
mi, section was one apparently most
'ayored by nature. Vegetation was
rsnk in Growth. The mild, salubrious
liimata lent IA charm to life, and all
va, prosperity and happiness. Cattle
and sheep thrived and fattened on the
Wild grasses. and with little effort in
tIe wav of cultivation the hushandman
carncred enough to supply all needs.
In fine more favored localities, where
snrinos were numerous, little villages
had been established and a large popu-
alton wa contentedly living, deriving
il, income from the vast stock and
sheep industries. All this has been
transio' md. The scene shifted and
the white. bleaching bones of animals
covering the ground for miles and
mile, is all the eye now meets. No
CROP, have been raised or harvested
for four consecutive years. Even the
springs have dried up. The scene
presented is that of a vast desert,
with nothing t. relieve the monotony.
4 sad state of Affairs.
70 increase the want and misery,
hunger has attacked mankind as well
a, the dumb animals. and many have
died praying for bread. For a time the
paor ,ubsi-tcd on roots and prickly
pears, adding hall putrid flesh stripped
from dead animals which the buzzards
had not completely devoured. The
little Mexican children are naked. and
the older ones without clothes t. cover
their b dies. Taking Starr County as
an example. fully 30 per cent. OF all
i've stoc1 La, persisted. a year ago
there we're IN that county $4,000 horses.
ji,doo cattle. 5.00) sheep, and 20. coo
goat,. Today there a.ae not all told in
the county more than 10000 head of
fourlooted animals. Wealthy men are
bankrupt and absolutely starving.
What is true of Starr County applies to
portions OF other counties. The better
to give some idea of the distressing
state OF affair, some of the losses sus-
tanned by ranchmen are: +. Cara last
August owned 800 sheep, 100 cattle
and ~ horse: he has 2 horses, 10
sheen and | COW left. f. Gonzales,
10 ,heep; has ~ lett, all other stock
dead. G. Gomez, 200 sheep, 600 cattle,
~ hor.o.: 90 sheep eft, cattle and
horses ali dead. c. and p. ranch, 1905
sheep; 800 left. f. =. ranch, 1.590
sheep: all dead. Peterson Brothers,
1000 cattle and horses; about $50 left.
This ,i.t might be extended indefinite
y bOt t'lAE W II uiISO W SllOW JIG SOl1-
dition o. the country.
50 grave has the situation become
that a. hopes have been abandoned.
The Cnawing pangs OF hunger r be.
IN let by all alive, and ore are fall
ing victims to starvation. The drain
upon the more fortunate has been SC
steady that they cannot longer help
one another, and they have appealed
to the charity OF the world for contri.
buttons of money, clothing, or pro-
visions of any kind. AS far as the
livestock industry is concerned, the
agony is over. as the animals bones
now strew the once green pastures. II
becomes necessary to feed the living,
ana remove them to other lOcalitie,
where they can begin the battle of life
ANEW. Mass meetings have been held
al SOM Of the nearby towns, anC
preparations are now going on to re
tnvn tha -vFo,a