The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-06
A PEST OF 100000 HORSES.
WARRINGTON HlNCHERS HOPE
THEY I'll STARVE wow.

IhEI WILD S1dHVD "V"s
Ths Horses Have Been Made vaiueiess
ny the bicycle and Electricity, and Arc
Eating Up the Grnss Needed for Sheep
aud Cattie-A Hard Winter Coming.
TACOMA, WASH, Dec. b.-Nearly 100000
head Of horses are likely to starve to death In
eastern Washington this winter. and, strange to
say. their owners as a rule are glad Of II. Prac-
tically yalueless are these horses. This fall
whole bands Of them have been sold at the rate
of from 81 to So apiece. Electricity and the BIZ
cycle arc the cause. The utility OF the one and
the popularity OF the other havs killed the horse
market. Instead Of being mans best friend, the
horse has become nm actual pest in eastern
Washington. A eating machine" Ia his latest
nickname, and his death by starvation is de-
sired that feed may be preserved for great bands
of cattle and sheep yet valuable to man.
And 90 the most severe winter the Northwest
has seen-at least since %1s61-is q thing to DO
desired, rather than otherwise, by the great
grazing interests of eastern Washington and
Oregon. That such q winter is at hand the
Indians, the oldest inhabitant and the weather
prophets all agree.
First, they say, tho weather is regulated by
cycles Of about fifteen years each. The winter
of 1851 was the most severe ever experienced
in the Northwest within the memory of man.
The winter OF 1875 was very severe. and then,
| only Blk ythIb Y ~ u Soho = Aeao
one. which Is considered the exception that
proves the rule. Last year stockmen and
ranchers began preparing for another severe
winter, and now they are sure II Is at hand. 1t
commenced last week. when from ak to twelve
inches OF snow fell all over the State, though
II seldom SHOWS west Of the Cascades, and in
eastern Washington snow is never looked for
until the holidays. Hay has gone up, and n
further advance Is expected.
- --l. 80 ..l Al.- h 800
usually herded nearly all winter are now under
shelter consuming hay. The horse alone is left
to roam the trackless plains of the semi-arid belt
and die. The winter of 1881 caught Ben Snipes.
then the cattle king of this section. with 10000
head OF cattle on the range. They died of starv-
alton for there were no railroads then to trans
port hay. 1t was n lesson to cattlemen, and
that Is why careful preparations have been
made for this winter.
Regarding the proposed DETERMINATION OF the
range horses, E. +. Benson OF the Northern Pa
clfc land department, who has made a special
study OF the situation. says:
Hot winds, squirrels. and grasshoppers are
bad. but the horse pest IS becoming still worse
In eastern Washington. particularly the cRyuse
variety. Horses have become SO cheap that
many bands are running loose without being
branded or cared for in the least. There being
no demand. they have multiplied rapidly, and
are now eating bunch grass that should other
wise support thousands of cattle and sheep,
which bring In revenue. These horses are not
worth 81 apiece. There is absolutely no mar
ket for them. Up to three years ago we
were shipping horses East in large num-
bers- Electricity and bicycles have killed
the market This year Traffic Manager
Han OF the Northern Pacific has made
vigorous Efforts 70 find u market for horses In
the East. Horses very cheap have been offered
to glue factories and rendering establishments
OF various kinds. They do not want them. A
coast for shipment to France. whore horse meat
Is in demand, but these shipments mako no
stroyins the RANGES twelve months in the year.
There are over 100. 900 head In eastern Washing
ton. and they arc destroying ranges that would
support 100000 head OF cattle. The situation
is appalling. from the cattieman's stand point.
There are but few stockmen that handle
winter that will destroy the range horses, pro-
Wiling practically all OF them are taken. will
In 1880 the Cow Creek and Lower Pa!ouse
ranges. between Sprague and the Snake River,
on them Then the bunch grass was knee high
over the renRes. This year 10000 head Of
Viii 1GT1s s. rely s sapp ths E l6. 500 6Os sa,. se t asd 1866 1866
sheep. Since July they have presented the APP
pearanoe Of absolute desolation. The horses
eat twenty-four hours q day and have kept the
grass completely down.
n taxes are paid on these horses. The hard
Owners will take out their good horses and care
for them. II 90 per cent. OF the total number
as much as, II not more than. the entire lot now.
Once killed OH. they will never become as nu-
breed range horses. there being no money In the
business, The number needed for farming. and
the city demand can easily be supplied"
On one or two small ranges. where horses have
not been feeding during the summer for lack OF
water. the bunch grass is high. sticking out OF
the the horse; expected sussS raa TO Survive WV se re hor m9' ea %,
paw through three feet. of snow to reach the
hi n ornaa mi thu a 90 nE,,aN l. N~r-al
After that the most vigorous paving gives but
poor results. SO numerous have the horses be-
years past. The range animals are in very poor
condition and many have already starved.
Not since 1881 have tho Arctic owls been SO
numerous on Puget Sound. Within a week q
shot between Tacoma and SPOKANE. The In.
dams and others say their coming means a re-
we're winter and heavy SHOWS. A severe and
early Arctic winter drives them south.
longer and hotter in eastern Washington than
says. People there believe that one extreme
follows another. and accordingly Increased their
hay supply. Mr.. Benson says further.
For Ave or six years the squirrel pest has
caused great trouble. spokane county alone
squtrrels. They are the bane Of wheat growers,
especially along the edge; where the wheat belt
G msrse sh iss :ob shs Ssm mn y region mn, T p1 Is be:
grazing district or semi-arid land, where there
Is usually no snow to drown them out. A hard
winter. with heavy snow, will drown them out
In the spring. practically discriminating the
squlrrels. That WAS the effect OF the winter of
1881, and tho squirrels caused no more trouble
until 1885 and 1887.
NOT since 1880 have tho grasshoppers
swarned over eastern Washington as they did
last summer. Though practically unknown
there, this year they became a Inenacs. East of
the Coluin oia River ind north OF the Snhks
they took tho second cutting of the alfalfa crop,
and In, many small orchards they cleaned of
every leaf. destroying the fruit crop. They
damaged the bunch grass ranges in places. We
believe they VIII be exterminated this winter
again, as in 1881.
" Last summer too, q little haFd-shelled black
beetle, smaller than the potato bug, appeared
and did considerable damage. These bugs de-
stroyed the potato crop OF Washington and
Montana In the summer OF 1880, but never APP
peared again until this year.
Heavy SHOWS Will have the effect OF go In
creasing the moisture all over tho arid and
semi-arid belts that hot winds, which some
times iniuro the wheat crop, Will not reappear
for five or six years at least-not until the mid
die OF the next fifteen-year cycle. with rs Il