The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-19
4 GIGANTIC BUSINESS.
Some Facts and Figures Relatives to Cat
tie Shipments frem Montana.


cording to the whims. fancies or hard
bought experience of the owners. is in
one respect supervised and regulated as
rigidly as are the subjects of the emper
on Of Russia. The point where this
supervision begins is when the owner
turns his steers head toward the mar
ket. whether local or foreign. Just a.
COMA the owner singles out an animal
for the ultimate fate Of the slaughter
house. that animal comes within the Oh
scrvation and control of the Montana
S~tockgrOwcrs association. and from the
loading pen on the prairie to the dcliv-
cry at Chicago or wherever else the un-
fortuuate's destination ma he. he is a
marked steer, and his movement are as
closely and accurately watched a. any
ticket OF leave man.
For tins purpose the association
maintains a corps Of inspectors. one Of
whom is present al every loading Of cat
tie on any Of the lines Of road leading
out Of the state. or any local market Of
i"Al +AA ~ ~ "-'iAh "i'l'
range cattle are turned owe for slaugh
ter. The inspectors are adopts in the
science of reading brands, and whose
learned conversation about lazy Is"
and flying rs" and quarter circle KS
aud circle bars" and j mule shoes
and the eleven thousand other hero
glyphics that are used Ia denote owner
ship Of live stock on the range, is inter
~estlns. Il not Ineligible. Frank Land
ders. who was for some years tn assDci
alton inspector at The Minnesota trans
fer. was not only an adept at reading
brands" but an artist in reproducing
them on paper, and as his duty required
him ~ keep a record Of all 'strays" that
went through his hands. and his artistic
taste prompted him to do it right. the
result was that Franks book Of STRAY
brands" was a production worthy Of ex
hibitIon alongside any Of the abelisks Of
ancient Egypt. and, to the general pub
lie, it conveyed about as much infor-
nation, but To the accomplished brand
reader a glance served To single out
each brand from the rest on the page,
and instantly locate 1t on the portion 81
the steers anatomy which the owners
fancy had chosen for a background for
their many cases -bIotchy and distig
uring brand. This it is, to be learned,
and II is not every VA who knows chap
ter and verse % this strange book. But
this j. only one adjunct to the work Of
the association that We started to talk
about. Az the beef herd Is rounded up
on the range and driven toward the
creased by the packing up here and
there Of a stragglerwho liking company.
Joins the herd and from that time on be
comes a stray At the loading point
the inspectors eagle eye detects him and
his fellows il any there be. and at once
reports To Secy Preuiit at Helena and
10 the inspector al st. Paul that John
Smiths shipment from Miles City on
the Dist inst. contains strays-number
brands and owners described. This re-.
port Is verified or otherwise as the case
may be, at ST. Paul and reports made to
Helena and Chicago. At Chicago when
the cattle are sold. il il transpires that
the shipper shipped the .strays" by re-
quest Of owners, the proceeds are paid
to him and he settles with the owners.
but if the shipment of ''strays' Is acci.
dental. then a return is made TO Secy.
PreuItt Of the Association. Of the value
OF each STRAY" at the average value of
the shipment he was a part Of, and the
proceeds paid To the owners Of the brand
by the secretary. In the majority OF
cases, the 'strays" reported by the in
pectors are not "strays" in reality, but
odds and ends, included in shipments by
request Of owners. and not ~infrequently.
the turn off of small owners who do not
mature enough beeves to make a ship
ment Of their own. In any case how
ever the system of inspection and reports
above described. simplify the transac-
ton, and renderslit impossible for mis-
takes or contentious to arise. and which
under any less complete system would
be the cause Of endless litigation and
bad feeling. The Office OF the secretary
the association, where all the strings
in. and where such a vast amount
of detail business is handled, is at Helena.
The secretary, w. Green Preuitt. is a
quiet, middle aged gentleman, who looks
at you over his spectacles as you come
in. and courteously makes you at home,
and il you are seeking information,
places the entire resources Of the Office
at your command. One or more assist
ants, according to the season, enable him
to keep matters up to date" and il at
any time he is not able to give you what
ID desired, it 10 because it has not yet
him. Thus it 10 that the gigan-