The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-25
CONDITION OF RANGES
Northern Montana Cattlemen
Anxiously Watching It.
A PROMISING CHINOOK
Discouraging Advices Have Been Re-
ceived From the Extreme Eastern
Part of the State-On the
Other Ranges.

! Great Falls, Dec. 24.-Cattle men who
make Great Falls their winter homes,
are watching range conditions very
closely. and in some instances very
anxiously. Up TO the present week the
range in most of Northern Montana has
been bad. The chinook which has pre-
vailed for the past few days is promis-
ing. and If continued, may reach east of
Havre, and do much good, but it usual
1y takes week for it to be felt in any
degree.
Prior to the chinook advices from the
extreme eastern part CT the state were
very discouraging. Heavy SHOWS and
much cold weather followed by partial
melting, had crusted the snow and
made it hard work for the cattle to get
through to the grass beneath, and in
consequence the animals We're getting
thin. AS chinooks are rare things there,
or at best of but slight power, the pros
pect was forbiddng. Throughout the
Woody island range. 40 miles northeast
of Harlem, large areas of ice covered
the range and live stock was suffering
badly. The presence of considerable
brush and forest growth along the
many small tributaries of the Missouri
would assist by af1ording shelter, but a
the same time would also be somewhat
detrimental in gathering and holding
snow Cattle would be likely TO gather
there and gradually weaken there for
lack of feed.
At Chinook there was comparatively
little snow, and cattle We're doing fairly
We'll. The Bear Paw pool which is one
OF the largest of the companies in Mon
tana, reported that their cattle were all
right. and no danger was anticipated.
The Milk river country to the west was
also in fair shape, although the snow
was deep and the weather of extreme
severity.
: The chinook wind has been getting in
Its work on the Shonkin range, and the
cattle there are all right. Before the
coming OF the chinook the range was in
good condition with plenty of food and
but little snow and now it must be
nearly bare, and the cattle safe for sew
eral weeks. 1t is also likely that the
chinook is helping the Sweetgrass coun-
try, as it usually strikes there before it
is felt here. Before this, however. the
range to the east and north of the hills
was very bad, while to the west and
south it was only passable.
The intervening territory is somewhat
confused, but Il is to be noted that
Teton county stockmen are and have
been buying hay regularly, and the in
ference is naturally that cattle have
been suffering there. 1t was reported
earlier in the week that the range to the
north of the Marias was exceedingly
bad while TO the south of that stream
there was an improvement. The feed
ing of hay in the latter region may be
accounted for by the existence of nu-
merous small ranches having a few
head Of cattle each which are closely
herded and fed from time to time as the
weather dictates. The prevailing price
for hay there is 50 per ton. The snow
about Choteau was nearly all gone
when heavy rain came up accompa-
MED by strong wind from the north
west. The wind changed to the north
and the rain froZe as it fell, covering
everything with a heavy coating of ice
and also freezing the ground soidly.
This was directly followed by a light
fall of snow, making conditions almost
the worst possible for cattle. The tenn
perature ran down to is below zero.
sheep and cattle have made their
mouths raw by eating the icy and
frozen grass, and unless this chinook
brings immediate relief, there will be
heavy loss. The reports from that
country are the worst which have been
received at this office.
There is one consolation in the situa-
ton. Throughout the past season there
has been a marked change in the stock
raising business. The feature of the
year has been the selling of stock in
duced by two causes-frst the dissolu-
ton and retirement of many of the
largest companies. These have learned
that the day of large profits from i'm
mense bands of cattle ranging over
thousands of miles of country has