Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-10-19
ON THE CATTLE RANGES.
The Bonanza Kings Have Disap-
peared-The Business of
the Present.

From the New York Sun.
On the boundless cattle ranges in the
western part of North Dakota and East
ern Montana the spectacular beef roundups
are and have been in progress since early
summer, and will continue until late in the
fall. All is done with the regularity of
clockwork. System and order are pre-em-
nent. Regular circuits are drawn. A fore
man superintends the whole. Central places
are designated, and here the cowboys drive
the herds where all marketable cattle are
separated and driven to the nearest rail-
way station and shipped, while the defect
i've and unmatured are turned back to the
hills.
How many cattle are in large range
herd? Between 1,5OO and 1000. How many
cattle are on the Western ranges? About
15.0OJ head. Within these figures are his
tory and romance. Here is life in its pri-
meval state. The drawing room man is not
conspicuous by his absence. Here the un-
couth cowboy reyels in his element and
the crack Of the rifle makes sweet music
to his ears. But the glamour is rapidly
herds will soon cease Now all Is concen-
trated life and activity. No longer the
sun rises and sets on hundred scattered
hEAis browsing contentediy upon the plains
TIE desert splendor changes anew and the
Nirgiian cowboys ride on in the panoramic
roundups. Bronzed faces glow and voices
from noon to night The wales are dark
and the hills are light. Around the ap-
pointed mess wagons the exhausted sons
of the saddle eat the supper, smoke the
pipe tell the story and drop OFF to sleep.
The bonanza cattle business Is dying. De
Mores, who was recently murdered in At
rica. tried it to his finite pleasure and IN
finite sorrow. His ranch is the fixed star
in the bonanza geography. There is neither
glory nor proflt nor the natural induce
ments to make 1t success any longer.
Energetic ranchers have been emigrating
and settling for the last ten years in the
fertile creek valleys and watering places.
pre-empting the richest places, fencing on
the best spring ranging grounds for hay.
and otherwise restricting and debarrinS
extensive operations. But the harvest has
been golden and bounteous. For twenty
years the bonanza kings have been un-
molested: they have had their princely
Golfers filled to overfowing; but their kneli
has been sounded and their dream is van
ishing.
Four kings WELD the scepter now, but be-
fore another year passes there may pos
sibly be only one left, Pierre Wibaux,
cattle. The other combinations are known
as the Three Stevens" the 'Ox" and
the '.seven-Bar-seven." Their combined
three are closing out their herds, prepara-
tory to quitting the ranges. The influx of
the small rancher and the sheep farmer
has given them their commercial death
sentence.
Where no heavy life loss occurs an aver
age. profit of about $40 head on steers is
this region it will be a paradise for in
6iYiduaI efforts. Montana and North Da-
kOta are noted for their boreal midness,
and the natural shelter afforded by the
configuration of the Bad Lands makes the
wintering of cattle inexpensive and safe.
What will be the result of the departure
Of these immense interests? Business de-
preston. higher tax and progress tempo
rarily checked But the future will profit
by it. A hundred small ranchers, owning
a hundred each. and cultivating certain
defined territorial sphere, will change a
desolate Sahara to a blooming garden.