Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1900-06-13
YAVAPAI RANCHERs.


 tor:
 Since our last letter your rambler has rambled over the northwestern portion of Yavapai county. including William son valley. Big Bug and Little Chino valleys and the Walnut creek section and has seen much to entertain him, and has in turn been hospitably enter tained by the cattlemen and others. True. the country k rough mighty rough. rocks. hills mountains and what not. but for all that il is a fine COW country. The feed is pronounced better this spring than for several years past. and cattle are in good fix. The winter was mild one and cat tie did not suffer much loss in flesh With summer rains the range is stocked comparatively light now. and il will have an opportunity 10 recuper- ate. and in time it may be restored to it's original condition when cattle walked in grass belly deep.
 A couple of enterpriSins young fel- lows were in Prescott one day this week to look into the matter of start ing tannery for the purpose of tan ming horse hides The country being over-run with worthless horses. they believe the ranchers would be able to kill and skin thousands of mustangs for the sale of their hides. This dis position of hides would at least pay for inc trouble of shooting and skinning the wild horses. and the benefit of hay ing them off the range wOud be great. Cattlemen know the damage done by the worthless horse herds. not only in eating off the grass. but in leading the saddle horses away, breeding other equally worthless horses and in other ways work daily harm to the range The tannery proposition ought to meet with favor. and then in connection with this We would suggest the use of the flesh as food for hogs. The car caSseS of the worthless horses running at large today in Arizona would fatten hogs enough to supply the abattoirs of Kansas City for years We verify be lieve that a hog ranch and tannery would be the solution to the horse question throughout the southwest.
 The cattle herds in Yavapai county have suffered during the past several years at the hands of rustlers 10 an extent sufficient to discourage some cattlemen. Among this class are the Brown brothers who range in the Stoddard section. Their herd has dwindled down to a small one and they now propose either leaving the country or quitting entirely. They nave in view q Texas range where they may run cattle in the future. W. T. Brown. one of the owners. is engag- ed in the tin and hardware business in Prescott. while the other brother and owner is engaged in business of some sort in California The cattle now are under the management of the Monroe boys. excellent cattlemen. who under stand their business, but they cannot make the range produce grass. espe- ciaIly when the fiocks of sheep have left their mark This latter cause, to- gether with the development of cattle stealing. have been the cause of many cattlemen making change in their occupation. and they cannot be blamed very much for desiring to make change from a business which was once very profitable to the owner. but now is more profitable to the other fel- low who is handy with the rope and The ring.
 Northern Arizona is sadly in need of a member on the live stock sanitary board For many yearS-or since the retirement from the board of Hon. iiUgo Richards. the northern section has lad no representation. While Mir Barnes was on the board his property. residence and business sympathies were all in New Mexico. and little did iie do toward benehtine conditions in the northern counties Yavapai county should by all means have an able mem- Der on the board. and the cattlemen should keep at the matter continuously until success rewarded their efforts.
 Robert Blair who lives north of | Prescott some miles. has decided that all eattlemen should read the Stock man. and to that end has sent in his l subscription. Mir Blair's ranch is call ] ed tiie Burnt Ranch because it was destroyed many years ago by Indians ! who fired it. Regardless of the fact mat thieves have stolen enough of his cattle to make several men well-to-do. | Mir. Blair still ranks as one of the | leading cattlemen of the country. and iS public spirited man.
 The rodeo in the head waters of the Verde will begin on June l. Thos. R. ! King and his nephew and namesake | were in Prescott on Monday to fill up the chuck wagon for the occasion. In i a few days your rambler hopes to be among the boys who will sample the contents of that wagon on the Verde. | We shall soon head in that direction and We will surely take in the rodeo- about meal time
 There is an abundance of alfalfa, grain. hay. sorghum and other cattle foods raised on the thrifty little farms on Walnut creek. It all finds ready demand and the pity only is that the little level stretches are not larger and water more abundant to enable the farming operations to he extended.
 Cattle buyers who may want good cattle can find them around about Jun iper- The cattlemen are just about waiting for a buyer to show up. They have a good grade of cattle in that To- .aIir1- and ,r,- ono 1,-1,. ,,-,,,+. ,,++to