Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-30


and elk which roamed the valley and
plains haa been an object lesson not
est to a class of shrewd, business
turned fellows who figured that the
country which could support these
huge creatures by the million ought
to make an excellent range for the
growing stick. Cattle and sheep from
the worn out ranges Of the east and
south were brought in, and within a
couple of years the rolIicking steer be-
came nearly as numerous as han been
his predecessor, the buffalo. The
fame Of this as a stock-growing region
was heralded far and wide. 1t has
grown in favor ever since. It's vast
ranges send beef cattle to every prin-
cipal market of the world ana the
claim is made that from Miles City
more are shipped than from any
point upon the American continent.
In this county of Custer there is listed
for taxation about 800, 900 head of cat
tie, and [ am informed by good au-
thority that the assessor succeeds in
listing only about rs per cent. Of the
whole, which would bring the total to
more than 100000 in this county
alone 1t is the greatest cattle producer
of any county in the west, as we'll as
the greatest in the number Of sheep. Il
is by no means unusual here for
single individual to own from 5000 to
10000 head of cattle, while the great
stock corporations often own from
20, 900 to $4,000 head.
This range country proper extends
about 200 miles from east to west and
the entire width of the state from north
to south. It consists Of a vast system
Of hills and ridges-the loot hill sys-
tenn of the Rockies. These hills, par
ticularly the eastern portion Of them,
are, by reason of their peculiar forma-
ton and strangely weirl appearance
known to many as the bad lands. They
are doubtless of volcanic origin, and
within the bowels of many of them
| smouldering fires still feed upon the
veins of Ignite coal which encircle
| them like spiral folds of black ribbon.
| In the gulohes and couless between
| these gigantic hills luXuriant feed is
! found in abundance, and water is
! always plentiful in the rivers and
small creeks which traverse the en-
| tire region. Over these immense
tracks of country the cattle roam at
will, each animal bearing the brand
OF it's owner This brand is registered
at the county seat. The presumption
of law in this country is that every
owner of stock has his proper brand
upon every animal he owns. If an
animal without brand is found roam
ng at large-a maverick '-such an
imal becomes the property of the per-
son finding it, unless the original
owner can produce unmistakable proof
f his right to the property. Twice
ach year occurs the general roundup
in the spring when the calves
are branded and in the fall
when the steers fit for beef
are separated from the herds and
shipped to market. The fall round
UP is now in progress in this portion
of Montana. These round-ups are
slow and tedious affairs, and to at
tempt a detailed description of one
would be a task wearisome alike to
reader and writer. Briefly, it is
something like this: 1t must be borne
in mind that the land upon which
these cattle range is unoccupied land,
owned generally by the government
and the railroad company, and is I'M
| fenced. The herds of one owner mix
with those of another, often wander
ing from 100 to 200 miles from home.
The owner OF each herd employs cow
boys, cooks, teamsters, horses,
wagons, ETC., just in proportion to the
size Of his herd. This is technically
known as IAN outfit A scope of
country many miles in extent, and
known as a roundup district, is en-
| circled by cowboys, who drive all
stock they may meet toward the center
Of the district. There each owner
claims his proper stock, separates his
! beef cattle or brands his calves, and
! again turns them loose upon the
range. Each owner also has repre-
sentative present at all other district
round-ups within radius OF zoo or 300
miles whose duty is to search out,
brand or ship any cattle owned by
his principal. No attention is paid to
this class Of stock through the winter
months, which are much milder than
those OF any state lying east of the
Mississippi and north Of the Ohio.
| There are no fall rains and the grass,
! cured by natures process, makes an
excellent article of hay upon which
! the animals forage until the spring
rains start the grass anew. Last
| winter was an unusually severe one
even as last summer was an excep-
! tionally dry one, yet the loss of range
stock has been surprisingly small.
| There is a decided tendency of late
years toward the buying of the land
and its occupation by men who con-
! duct the business on a smaller but
safer scale. These men buy it Of the
railroad company or secure it fram
the government, fence it with wire,
raise hay if they need it and build
comfortable shelters for their stock.
Such stock men avoid the expenses Of
roundups and their losses from I'M
favorable weather and the ravages of
wild beasts are reduced to the mini
mum. There is an abundance of ex-
cellent grazing land to be had from
the government by complying with its
conditions, or it may be had bought
from the railroad oornnonr OF fro1,,