The herald., 1898-04-28
IN MOHAvE COUNTRY
CATTLE AND MINING MAKING
THINGS HUM
The Range Is Bad and the Cattle Are
Poor but the Prices Are Way
Up-Mining

HACKBERRY, Ariz., April 26.-The cat
tie business here was never so good save
last year in ten or twelve years, and the
owners are jubilant over this change In
their affairs. The range Is bad or below
the average, and consequently the cattle
are poor, but even so, the rise in prices
cover up this deficiency, making the
wallets of their owners strut with wealth.
Thousands of head have been shipped
to Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado, bought
for the purpose Of restocking old ranges,
and fattening them a couple of years for
eastern markets, when they will reap a
gilt-edged reward for this trouble.
Thousands more will be shipped in May
and June, which will leave the ranges still
we'll stocked and with a surplus for next
years market. There are a good many
big owners down this valley and they pro-
tect the smaller cattle owner from any
possibility of failure in meeting all of his
obligations during dull years, as the
smaller men are neighbors in more ways
than one, which cements union of COM
mercial interest, securing everyone with
q compact of friendship unmistakable to
cattle buyer.
The Kansas stock broker is missing the
annual big shipments from this section,
owing to this change in policy, which led
to the bidding of these big stock range in
vestors on cattle in gross. This Is better for
the stock raiser, however, as 1t was expen-
sive to ship individual bands Of cattle, both
in freight and loss of "killed and crushed
on the route. Then, too this road has be-
come more stringent in the pass law, maxi
ing it hard if not impossible to get trans
portation for themselves. AS 1t is they sell
direct and handle them only so far as the
local stock yard.
blackberry has a wide range of cattle and
through her market more cattle in han
died than any place on the system. The
scarcity of water has made poor range
and If there is no rain in six weeks more
there will be grave fears of suffering
among the range cattle, which will cut the
market short next spring. There is good
reserve left over this year, but that de-
pends upon the condition of grass whether
they will be ready for market. There has
been only two rains this year-one in jan
uary and one in March, or the first of April,
The Chino valley is a tributary to Hack
berry and lies sixty miles east. 1t is a vast
expanse of pasture land, that, when visited
with an occasional rain, produces the finest
springs lying close to the foothills that
give cattle plenty of water. Since the last
rain fine crop has been put up and in ten
days more will not be unlike the Shenan-
doah valley in point of beauty.
The fruit crop has been injured this
spring from late frost and but little fruit
will be shipped from this section, which
up to this season has been plentiful enough
30 Itch, OF md xr,ttI
abundance. OF course the watermelon
over-abundance.
The mining interest in Mojave county is
far ahead of any previous year and it is
thought to be at the beginning of new
era that will out rival any part of the west
in development and rich products. =
A great amount of capital has become
interested, buying fine properties, putting
in machinery, etc., for the future output
of mineral. There have been great many
new gold discoveries in the last year, and
now every old prospector Is In quest of
some hidden treasure that they know
of and ere long will astound the world by
discovering.
Placer properties few years since were
not considered as paying-or as prolific as
the quartz properties, hence the small and
unsatisfactory "inds." But since the
"Temple barr was found by Mr.. Nc
Kasson, some five years ago, as we'll as
other claims adjoining, there have been a
number of wonderful placer properties To-
Gated on the Virgin and Colorado rivers.
Mojave mining men have unmistakable
evidence of wonderful wealth in their
prospects, but unlike many districts that
are known to be rich, they sell at modest
figures, satisfied that they can duplicate
the same in the same locality.
Handsome copper properties are being
constantly discovered on and near the Col
orado and further down, near the Grand
Canyon, which will be very rich produc-
ing section as soon as the needed capital
can be procured. The same grade of ore is
found there and in great bodies as is found
at Jerome, the bonanza copper camp of the
west.
While the world is excited over the great
discoveries in Alaska and risks life and
limb to reach the Mecca, some expert mine
investors declare the property here while
inferior in grade, perhaps, is more legiti-
mate In dividends for the output of capital
labor, etc., and the salubrious climate
more than compensates for the difference
in profit to the prospector.
L. L. WYATTS.
cNuTrnrDn DrCrnnvoHr