Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-09-04
SURPLUS Of !. Uses
WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH ,hHn
HANGE ANIMALS.
Number L Estimated mt From 10000
to loo,ooo--ProbIem for the
Railroads.

question which has been aeitatins
the breeders OF horses in Montana
Idaho. Washington and Oregon is ewha,
shall we do with our surplus?n In con
versation with prominent railroad NAV
yesterday it was learned that there ar.
from $1,000 to 100000 suplus horses IL
Montana, Washington and Oregon ant
there seems to be no market for horse.
Oh any Kind. Formerly, before the in
PRODUCTION of electricity and bicycles IL
the large cities, there was a constant de.
mand for horses for street car and car.
riage purposes, but now they are useless
except to denude the ranges OF feed. II
anyone can suggest some way by which
market can be found, the railway COM
panies will assist to their utmost in
transporting them.
The Chicago Times of the LIST inst. SAYS
There are today 125,OOO good norses
roaming around the prairies of North
Dakota, Montana, northern Idaho ana
Washington They are eating the grass
that properly belongs belongs to cattle
and sheep, and in the absence of a mar
ket, are practically worthless. In some
districts these horses are multiplying
rapidly, and actually crowding other
live stock off the ranges.
Many of those who cast their lot with
these settlers of the vast plains were low
ers of horses, who, when the Northera
Pacific railroad was completed. were
given transportation to the horse mar
kets of the east.
Several increased their herds into
thousands of head, some as high as sew
en-, eight and even 10000. The grades inn
proved rapidly, several horsemen deyot-
ing their attention to breeding large
draught horses, disposing of them in
the eastern states and in Europe. A few
concluded that horses for the street car
market would be a more profitable class
to raise, and for a short time they SEEM
ed to prosper, but this market vanished
when the horse car was supplanted by
the electric ar and cable devices Up to
this time importations of fine breeding
stock had been made from Kentucky and
other eastern states; large importations
were also made from England and Scot
land, but the horse industry was soon ON
the wane, and shipments to the eastern
and middle western states over one rail-
road dropped from 10000 head per annum
to about 1000, and the market deprecated
from prices that netted fair profit to
a basis causing actual loss to the nrodpc-
ers. In the meantime, improved macbin-
cry and electricity had taken the nla,.
Of horse power: and then cama ma str.
that broke the camels pack--the bicycle
and what was left of horse markat
soon vanished into thin air.
Today there Is n snrnlus ~ ,oora -.
l25. 90 head of thase ranga-raisa5 49,.
In western North Dakota Nronta
northern Idaho ana wasbi,ston r,,..,
,nhrol,an .na ,,.,4.,, ess
eating off the ranges. and in The ahsanoa
Of a market are next 70 wortb,ess r,b,rl,
Of the grass food necessary 70 sunnort
his vast army, stalking the nrairia ~
he detriment of cattle sba-n ana othsr
interests.
To the detriment Of tbis interast on.
hing may be said; that among This large
number of animals the bronco, or cattle
horse, predominates, although MANY high
pred animals may be found In tha sam.
such. for instance as m.
Coach and Clydesdale horses. 90 mar cent
however, being unbroken.
One rancher near Walla walla wash
lad about 5000 horses on his range ana
would have been glad to sell the entirs
punch at $40 a head. He maintained that
hey were of a better class than those
If his ne!ghbors, being the descand,nts
If some high priced stations which h.
lad purchased when the Industry was at
is zenith.
The question is daily being asked
What can we do to rid the rangas oe
hese horses and make room for cattle
md Sheep" but it is n difficult probles
o solve.
Canning Not N succes..
A plant was established in 1875 at port
and for the purpose of slauebter,ng a
hare of these animals at least ana can
ling their meat for market in PARIS hut
Ifter operating a part of the wear the a.
was closed Jnterastas
lorsemen then took the question nm with
he large beef Strengthening nac,xing ana
establishments IN the Iarga cit-
es, but without success: the former alb
declined to add horse slaugbter-