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

Wra RIO GIan,e \allcy = NC
r,...1 INTO the valley of the shadow
..a.h. Where a few years ago
.,.snd. of head of cattle, horses,
.r and gopt grazed on luXuriant
,.-ritiou, 2rasse, is now a floor of
",,i and alkali. Buzzards and wolves
., ii, ;hat /, left in animal. like. eX-
".,. . few de titute and st?rving fam
MA. la vegetation nothing is seen
oy..,.. the great green cactus. with its
- it-inn thOrns. which cur it
o.la;a-, an attack of even sheep and
rrat. in starr, Iapata and portions
= Earnal. Eiidalgo. Cam ron, Dim
mot. Maverick and Duval Counties in
IN. from. southwestern portion Of
T.. :, .'r the direst want prevails.
I'm start. County the situation is more
,-ep.a..hic aud the ruin and desolation
qo. widespread than in the adjoining
c%.u,tia-. Lat in sections of each the
same awfui and gruesOmc state Of af-
fairs i. manifest. tntil four years ago
nj. ction vas one apparently most
.aro.,l by nature. Vegetation was
rank .l nIflN III. ~ llllbs L IlouS
iioat, .cnt Il charm to life. and all
w,. PROSPERITY and happiness. Cattle
sn3 shroD thrivcd and fattcned on the
Mild grasses. and with little effort in
+enav of cultivation the sandman
rarnoryd enough to supply all needs.
In Tho more favored localities, where
sm.in1- were numerous. little villages
had b.cu established and a large popu-
's.ion wa, c|ontentedly living, deriving
/, Income from the vast stock and
sheep industries. All this has been
tran-io m q. The scene shifted and
the Hlite. bleaching bones of animals
covering the ground for miles and
rie, is all the eye now meets. No
CROP nave been raised or harvested
for toGI' consecutive years. Even the
sHriqr- have dried up. The scene
prc,.utcd is that of a vast desert,
wi.a ~ hing II relieve the monolony.
: sad state of Affairs.
TO increase the want and misery,
hnru,r ha- attacked mankind as well
Il, tie Dumb animals. and many have
died lraving tor bread. For a time the
r.or -ah-i-.cd on roots and prickly
Ioal~. adding hali putrid flesh stripped
.flL A4Nt' silAIl!ldE : WIN iIlt bAtLLGIuN
hat MT completely dcvourcd. The
lI.t.y Mexican children are naked. and
the Older ones without clothes t, cover
their b ui--. Taking starr County as
an rsa...ne. fully 90 per cent. OF all
lY. -',,s las persisted. a year ago
t4.tc WCgc inthAt county 1000 horses.
5,.r0 attic. $500 sheep, and %. 800
.oat,. II day there re not all told in
tn ,sWty more than 1000 head of
tour .u,tc3 animals. Wealthy men are
balHruI { and absolutely starving.
What .- tu' Of starr County applies to
poa'lon- Of other counties. The better
to give some idea of the distressing
ia u of affair some of the losses sus-
tanned hE Ianchmen are: i. Cara last
Nl-ust owned 800 sheep, 100 cattle
and - horse. he has > hor,cs. 10
sh. en- and / COW left. +. Gonzales,
l-o -Aerp: las - left. all other stock
dead. G.. con 81, 2,.0l sheep, 600 cattle.
lo' hor,4; ~ sheep eft, cattle and
horses 81. dead. {. and L. ranch, 1909
sheep: $50 left. +. p. ranch, l.520
snoep all dcad. Peterson Brothers,
2,op' ca't'c and horses: about $50 left.
This 1T might be extended Indefinite
y. bur tn.- vii suffice to show the con-
ditlon o Tic country.
$50 gave has tie situation become
ta4t a.. lOpcs have been abandoned.
The gaaWing pangs OF hunger are be-
IN lett BY all alive. and score are fall
ING Victims to starvation. The drain
upon the more f%Irtunate has been 80
81 lady that they cannot longer help
on another, and they have appealed
totte 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 etrew the once green pastures. 1t
BET o mes necessary t. feed the living,
and remove them to other localities
Where they a begin the battle Of life
an'W, Mass meetings have been hold
a. some Of the nearby towns, and
preparation, are now going on to re-
lleye the u ierers.