Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-30
CATTLE DODGE BILLIARDS..
Texas Sters Learn Methods of Self-
Preservation In Ne
brASka.

For the past ten years an occasional
small. bunch of steers have been brought
into Nebraska from Texas as feeders, only
to perish in the first storm in which there
was Il heavy fall of snow. This was due
TO two cause.-the failure of the thick
skinned imported stock to Withstand the
rigorous climate and the inability of the
newcomers 10 secure sufficient nutriment
while the range was covered with several
inches of hard snow.
A Nebraska steer has no trouble in Sc
curing all the feed he wants in spite of the
snow. as long as there Is grass on the
range. If n sleet or rain has fallen on top
OF the snow and formed a hard crust, the
animal merely plants his front feet firmly
and breaks the surface and then finds liv-
ing an easy matter. Again. the native cat
tie. when Il blizzard approaches. seek safe
" behind natural wind breaks, or in the
over the range of Nebraska.
Inc imported cattle never seemed to pos
sess the instinct necessary TO detect the
approach of a Nebraska blizzard. hence
were never prepared for its approach, and
usually stampeded before the bowling tor
nado until the storm has either spent its
force or the whole heard has been swallowed
I'D in some river bed or other abrupt de-
preston in the prairie with pr.cipitaus
sides which it had suddenly run into while
trying tc escape the blizzard. This usually
meant the total loss of the herd. for if the
stock did not perish it was so badly scat
tered that it was never recovered.
This wear. however, greater numbers of
Texas cattle Were brought into the stare
than ever before. Probably 200. 900 cattle
Were sent into the state from inc Snurr-
ern ranges Instead. however. of turning
these great herds loose on the range. 10
be scattered and left 10 perish in the first
blizzard. they were mixed with an equal
number of native stock.
The stock grazed together we'll and when
the great blizzard of December Ia swept
over the state ii found the Texas herds
seeking shelter along with the native cat
tie. As far as the reports received indi-
cate there was not a Single STAMPEDE OF
any consequence, as the breaking of the
storm found all the imported stock care
fully protected in the ~ravines. where grass
was plentiful and where they might re-
main for weeks without starvation
This undoubtedly solves n. question OF Sill
m4mportance to the Western cattle in
dustrT. AS n Texas steer . years old can
be placed on the range of Northwestern
Nebraska for about so in the fail and dis
posed OF as beef cattle the following Sprirr
for from s53 TO $40 per head. with little more
THAN the feed afforded by the range the
Immense profit in the business can be read
ily understood. ~
After the great blizzard of last wse, sew
eral small lunches of cattle were fo,,nd
dead in the extreme western part Of tho
state along the South Dakota un.- I'm Nc
breaks of the river to the west of HAY
Springs r bunch OF forty steers were found
frozen together. They had been caught in
n hlind draw which did not afford sufficient
protection from the terrible wind and he.
ing unable to face tho hurricane in reach
ing more protected ground persisted Tho
mercury was 20 below zero that nigh.
None or the vast numbers of sheen hG,n~
fed in the state persisted.
The range is in fine shane for all s,oo.
10 20 through the winter.