The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-04-17
SWIMMING CATTLE.
How Great Herds Are Made to
Cross Western Rivers
Two Days Sometimes Consumed In Get
ting the Cattle Across - A Task
That Calls for Great Skill in
the COWbOyA,

Many Of the cattle shipped to the
Chicago market are bred in Texas, aud,
having remained there two years, are
driven to Montana and there fed on
the ranges for two more years.
They bring a better market price by
this method, as the short curly grass of
Montana is most nutritious, and that.
combined with the more northern eli
mate, makes better beef. From the
Pan Handle of Texas, where begins the
great range of Farwell & Taylor,
stretching away for two hundred and
twenty-five miles. to their other range
in Montana, sixty miles north of the
Yellowstone, is eleven hundred miles,
and this distance is travelled by the
great herds from May to August. The
route passes through Colorado, Wyo-
ming and Montana, and twelve to if
teen miles are made daily. The driest
portion of the trail is found in Colo
rado. Herds have been driven dis
tance of eighty miles without water
and with the loss of but few; then
when water is reached care must be
taken to prevent overcrowding and
crushing. Three large streams are
swum-the North and South Platte and
the Yellowstone, the most dangerous
of all being the Yellowstone, with its
swift current and uncertain and
changeable bottom.
Usually no greater number than
forty-five hundred are driven in one
herd, and the swimming of one of this
r.. Ill =
task; two days are sometimes con-
sumed, with the constant attention of
fifteen to twenty cowboys, the number
allotted to snch herd. At times the
cattle will readily take to the water,
entering a few at time and following
the spare horses of the cowboys that
are driven ahead. At other times they
turn back or bunch together in the
stream and circle about, thereby en-
dangerIng their lives Then the cow
boy must swim out with his pony and
stop this milling" process. He takes
great risk, and it sometimes happens
that one is drowned. At the Yellow
stone crossing near Miles City, on one
occasion, a cowboy and pony disap-
peared in the water and were never
seen alive; it was thought that he had
forgotten to loosen the saddle-girth,
thus impairing the animals power to
swim. Another was thrown over the
head of his horse and only by great ex-
ertion prevented the animal, which
had turned on its side, from drowning.
Strange as it seems, horses and mules
will attempt suicide by drowning. At
the Yellowstone river, use is made of
several islands, and this year the cross
ings were remarkably successful; the
cattle took to the water readily, swan
easily and landed on the islands.
then, by little urging, made
for the other bank and reached
it about one mile below the starting
point. They presented the appear
ance of large fish-hool, the curve
being near the landing point; two to
five were abreast, there was no crowd
ing, and but a few swan back to the
near bank. Some few mired in the
soft bank, and before extricating
themselves one had lost its life through
over-exertion. In this herd were steers
in the extreme, each COW looking out
for her calf and all believing at the
top of their voices; some turn back and
cause a rush to the rear, and all must
be started again. When the cattle get
in this restless and stubborn mood
about swimming the cowboys sing to
them in a low, plaintive manner,
which has a quieting effect; this is
also done on stormy nights when a
stampede is feared. The cattle swim
much better when the sun is in their
rear, and the crossing is always SO
timed.
1t seems strange that these south
ern-reared cattle can endure the Sc
we're Montana winters, where the ther-
mometer drops to forty and fifty de-
grees below zero; but they do endure
the cold, succumbing, however, to the
spring billiards when they are in the
worst condition to battle with the
storms. Golfers Weekly.