The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-08
THE CATTLE KINGS.
ONCE A GREAT POWER IN THE WEST,
THEY ARE NOW DISPLACED.

Gmall Stock Raisers Have Driven Out tho
Larger Ones-Big Ranges and Water
Holes Fenced In How tho I,onanza
Cattle Outfits Made Enormous Profits,
The great cattle ranges of western
North Dakota and Montana, where for
nearly go years, tho bonanza cattle out
fits have held complete sway, and where
cattle have roamed the vast prairies ut
will, like the buffalo quarter of u cen
fury ago, arc passing out of existence.
Tho deathlnell of tho largo cattle
companies has been sounded by tho in
numcrablo settlers who have taken I'D
vacant government land III the great
grazing region, built "shantics'' in tho
vicinity of every natural spring and
water hole. fenced in thousands of acres
of grazing land and driven the immense
herds of tho bonanza cuttlemen from
place to place, until there is no place
left for them to go. All tho years that
tho vast prairies of the west have re-
manned unsettled have been worth mil
lions to the cattle princes Hundreds of
thousands OF cattle have been imported,
exceed SIG Il head for the 2-year-old
steers allowed to roam mt will for two
years, ut an average animal cost not to
exceed So, and then sold i'll the market
mt Chicago for an average price of S45
to $50. Tho free ranges offered by tho
millions OF acres of unsurvcyed and I'M
occupied government land have been
turned into millions of dollars i'll cold
cash by the cattle kings, but the lido of
immigration to the west has sealed
their fate and they arc ready to GO
For 20 years nearly vast region ly-
ing along the western part of North Da-
kota and tho eastern strip of Montana
measuring 100 miles i'll width and 100
miles i'll length has been entirely given
up to the interests of the cattle kings
Thousands of head of cattle have been
grazed year after year, countless train
loads of bccvos have been shipped to
market and millions Of dollars have
gone into the pockets of tho cattlcmcn
Pierre Wiebaux, tho Montana stock
man, said to be the largest single owner
of cattle i'll the United States, has num-
bcrcd his total possessions of cattle at
$4,000 head. Tho Berry Boicc Cattle
company has owned and graZcd each
year not fewer than so, 600 head, and
there arc numerous companies that have
essayed TO keep on the ranges all annual
total of from $1,000 to 1000 head
The vastncsS of tho business of these
cattle companies may be estimated from
the fact that the annual shipments for
the past few years have been from 5000
Il Of 1,, 1.,,
panics. The annual profits of the larger
companies, after dcducting the original
cost of the cattle and the cost of their
maintenance upon the ranges, arc from
SO, goo to $3.50, 000-all that from the
free ranges Of the government, given
without taxation or any return what
ever
To understand the situation that las
existed up to tho present time it must
be remembered that this broad region
which has been given up to the interests
OF the cattle growers has not been in
tersccted by fence, disturbed with IL
plow or graced with il field of grain IN
TO lew short years ago-nothing for
miles but short nutritious grass, which
cured Oh the prairie, as clover in a stack,
and served equally we'll for food in dead
OF winter rs i'll the heat of summer
Forth upon this vast area every snring
have hcon poured streams Of gaunt i'll
shaped, long horned and lean ribbed
southern cattle. Left to roam ut will,
they have thriven and waxcd fat, until
i'll two years they have become slcel;
and fat aud comedy to the eye During
all that period they havo been as free
and untrammclcd rs were ever tho buff
falo. But at tho close of the maturing
period they have been rounded up,
driven TO railroad stock shipping pens
and loaded upon the cars for ii trip to
market. Their places are taken by fresh
importafions from the south And so,
year after year, have tho processes been
repeated, until the profits that were
known to have accrued from the bust
hess have tempted thousands of small
holders of cattle TO settle III this region
and engage i'll the beef business on Il
smaller scale.
The presence Of these smaller opera.
tors Is the inevitable doom Of the cattle
kings. Their vast herds arc 10 longer
allowed to roam tho ranges unGisturb-
cd. The small rancllnon Lave built
fences and incloscd the water holes.
The prairics have been made to yield to
the moving machine. and the former
free grass has come to he cut and stack
ed as hay, until the ranges in many
places arc bare of feed for the herds of
the larger companies. These conditions
are responsible for the closing out OF
the cattle princes. There is no longer
room for their thousands of bccvcs Elf.
teen thousand cattle, the property of