The Jamesburg record., 1897-01-09
HORSES TO STARVE.
Bicycles and Electricity Have
Made Them Valueless.
A PEST IN WASHINGTON.
They Are Eating Up the Grass and Feed
Needed for Sheep and Cattle.

Nearly 100000 head of horses are likely
to starve to death in Eastern Washing.
ton this winter. says the New York Sun,
and, strange to say, their owners, as
rule, are glad of it. Practically vaIueless
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 are the cause. The utility of the
one and the popularity of the other have
killed the horse market. Instead of being
mans best friend, the horse has become
an actual pest in Eastern Washington.
"A II eating machine" is his latest nick
name, 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 SO the most severe winter the
Northwest has seen-at least since 1861
is thing to be desired. rather than
otherwise, by the great grazing interests
of Eastern Washington and Oregon.
That such a winter is at hand the In
dians, the oldest inhabitant and the
weather prophets all agree.
First. they say, the weather is regu-
lated by cycles of about fifteen years each,
The winter of 1861 was the most severe
ever experienced in the Northwest with
in the memory of man. The winter of
1873 was very severe and then, only six
years later, i'll 1881, came another hard
one, which is considered the exception
that proves the rule. Last year stock.
men and ranchers began preparing for
another severe winter. and now they are
sure it is at hand. 1t commenced last
week, when from six to twelve inches of
snow fell all over the State, though it
seldom SHOWS west of the Cascades. Hay
has gone up, and a further advance is
expected
Large bands OF cattle and sheep which
are usually heried 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 1851 caught Ben Snipes, then
the cattle king of this section, with 80 900
head OF cattle on the range. They died
of starvation, for there were no railroads
then to transport bay. 1t was a lesson to
cattlemen and that is why careful prepa-
rations have been made for this winter.
There are but few stockmen that
handle both horses and cattle who will
not welcome winter that will destroy
the range horses, providing practically
all of them are taken. In 1880 the Cow
Creek and Lower PalOuse ranges. be-
tween Sprague and the Snake river. had
over 100000 head of cattle and some
sheep on them. Then the bunch grass
was knee high over the ranges. This
year 80, 900 head of horses have kept the
grass down so these ranges will barely
support 10000 cattle and 10000 sheep.
Since July they have presented the ap-
pearance of absolute desolation The
horses eat twenty-four hours a day and
have kept the grass completely down.
If ninety per cent. of the total number
are killed off, the ten per cent left will
be worth a much as, if not more, than
the entire lor now. Once killed off they
will never become as numerous agsin. for
no efforts will be made to breed range
horses, as there is no money in the busi-
ness. The number needed for farming
and t he city demand can easily be sup
piled