The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-04
HORSES IN THE NoRTHWE ST.
Vast Droves of the Animals for Which
There Is No Market.
(srom the New York Hsrald.)


(From the New York HERALD
1875, 900 for which no practical use can be
found. Stockmen of the Northwest are
today considering what disposition can
be made of this immense mum Der of AMI
malls. This great herd roams the prairies
Of Montana, North Dakota, Washington
and northarn Idaho. They are grazing
upon grass that is required for the sus-
tenanoe of cattle and sheep, and are
practically worthless for any purpose.
The cause ofsthis serious condition ID due
to the bicycle and to street car systems
operated by electricity and by cable, the
use of which within the last few years
has so largely donesaway with the en-
ploymens of horses. In some OF the dis
rriots named the horses are increasing SO
rapidly in numbers that they are c5ually
providing livestock, used for supplying
the IL eat markets of the country, off
ranges where they find grass on which to
subsist.
The men who own this vast humble OF
horses, ranging as they do over such a
large expanse of territory, can devise no
means of relief, and they are practically
helpless. Excellent horses, unbroken.
can be bought for from SIS to SIS head,
but even at this low figure no buyers can
be found, while the hofses, too valua bic
10 be destroyed, and at the same time
too expensive to keep alive, continue to
multiply.
As q result of the liberal policy adopt
cd BY the Northern Pacific AMI other rail
road com pauies of the Northwest, after
measures were adopted by the govern
men. TO circupsoribe and keep the In
dians Within certain bounds, the great
ranges at one time occupied by elk,
buffalo, dear and antelope were quickly
taken up by capitalists who, having
beard Of tho fame of this region as hunt
ing grounds, established ranches there
and began sraising stock on large
scale. Hundreds OF thousands of dollars
we're invested In cattle and large herds
of stock boughs in Texas, Arizonas and
other statues and territories in the South
west and driven 10 the rich ranges in
northern Idaho, North Dakota, Washing
son and Montana to fatten on the nutri-
tious bunch grass which grows so luzur1-
antiy there. Immense fortunes we're
made in this way and cattle skinRs were
mum bersd by the score. Many capital
iste invested In sheep and raised wool,
but the rapid increase in the herds and
changes In the tariff laws so affected
pxicee that 1T Was found that the. invest
meut no longer paid.
AutongEthese st0ckmen were many who
raised large herds of horses. either sepa-
rately or In conjunction with cattle.
when the Northern Pacific railroad was
completed much greater accessl bll1ty to
she horse markets of the East was posi-
bls. So encouraging was the Investment
in horses that many owners Increased
their. herds to as high az 10, 600 or l2.OOO
head.
Atuention was given Ito raising finer
grades of horses and abandoning the
hslf-treed and broncho grades. Large
jrau2ht horses, atone time. found ready
sale In the eaatern United States and in
Europe. IL was also thought that there
would be an excellent market for horses
in large cities, where street-caf com
panies use these animals for motive
power. For q number of years there was
much profit in raising stock for street,
car use, but when electricity and the
cable system were adopted the profits in
instead of there being gains, there was
constant loss.
I'm portations of fine breeding stock
from Kentucky and eastern states. as
well as from England and Scotland,
were made, but 1t was found that the
horse industry was on the decrease. Ship
nents to eastern and middle western
states over one srailroad alone dropped
from 10, 600 head yearly to 1000. To such
an extent did the market depreciats that
instead of making monsy horse owners
found that they stood a good chance Of
goira into bankruptcy.
This surrlus of 125, 600 horses consists
noXSalone of bronchos or cattle horses.
but In 1t may be found such stock as
Of which. however, are unbroken.
Among them are the descendants. of some
very isigh-prioed stations. One rancher
rear Waila Wslla, Wash, has 1900 horses
on his range, all of whieh are finely bred
Taeseshe "a willing to sell at $40 per head
'big and little, " as the saying is among
cabale men, which fneans colts as we'll as
tire grown animal. he can find no pur-
chaser for hia stock.
ti1eae stuck meu is: "What can be done
to ridgbhe ranges of this immense num-
bes OF hagses, in sorder that pasturaRe
may bs provided for the large herds of
caGsie and sheep?'' For cattle of this
description an Famount of pasturage ia
rsc sired which person other than a
stookman or one oonversant with the sit
uation cannon imagine. Of course there
is no feeding in that part OF the country
for cattle during winter, for they range
out of doors daring the entire year !;
therefore they must depend for food en-
tirely upon the bunch and other grass
which grows on the prairies and In the
mountains.
In 1895 an experiment was made with
a view of providing way out Of the
trouble. A plant was established at
Portland, Ore, for the purpose of slaugh-
tering horses and canning the meat for
export to France. The plant was oper-
ated for less than year, however, for it
did not succeed. Horsemen then sought
to induce beef alaughtering, packing and
rendering establishments in the United
States to take horses for slsuRhtering
purposes. but the attempt failed. The
packing house owners absolutely declined
to add horse slaugbtering and canning
to their beef Strengthening industry, on
the ground that If it became generally
known that they were canning horse
meat, the sale of their canned beef would
be materially affected, if not entirely de-
stroyed.