The Washington times., 1901-07-08


stockInen's ard Ranchers' Protec-
tive Association. and Opponents
Ordered to Keen at n Distance
CHEYENNE. Wyo., July 7.-If the
PROPHECIES of Governor Richards prove tc
he true. cattle raising in Wyoming, as
an industry Of its present enormous eN-
tent, viii soon have become eliminated
1t is only a question Of survival OF the
nttest wyoming is a better country for
sheep than for cattle, and the cattiemen
are beginning to realize the fact The
question Of the disputes between the two
interests will be settled by the course of
time.
The range war is, from the statement OF
State and Government officials. a war of
individuals. The impr3cticability Of forces
of any important number ciashing pre-
vents anything like an internecine con-
fict. requiring the calling out of State or
Government troops. So wide are the
ranges and so separated by distance are
the sheep men from the cattle men that
when conflict does occur il can be par
ticipated in only by a very small number
of combatants. and usually II will be but
a fight between two individuals.
The present, however. is the crucial pc
riod. On the one hand the cattlemen are
engaged in their annual round-ups and
the sheep men are gathered in their
camps. engaged in making the wool clip
Should the circles OF the round-ups cross
e sheep camp a conflict Of serious proper
tions might occur. The general conci-
tions. however. favor a cessation, for
time at least. of the hostilities. The dead
line. which was established in the Sweet
water district several weeks ago by the
cattlenrya. has been recognized by the
sheep men. and is now being maintained
by mutual consent. As long as this un-
Outstanding exists any organized raids
OF battles of the opposing interests are
not likely to occur.
Within the past few days a dead line
has been established on the north and
south forks of the Shoshone River by
the StocSmen's and Ranchers' Protective
Association, an organization Of cattle
men. Flock masters are warned to keep
on the safe side Of the dead line, but as
it is believed they will follow the eX-
ample OF the sheep men of the Sweet
water district. and accept the ultimatum,
no difficulties are anticipated for the
present.
The Western ranges are linitless in eX-
tent When a rancher turns out his cat
tie IN the fall, each bearing the brand
registered by himself with the proper
State officers, he may expect to find the
cattle in the spring within ten miles of
his own ranch, but he is more likely to
find them 100 or POO miles away. Round
ing up must therefore be conducted upon
a systematic basis. The following is the
method OF procedure: Central points for
the gathering of the cattle are agreed
upon by the Tanchmen. Cowboys are told
of to make circle of the ranges over
areas Of eight to fifteen miles. These cow
boys drive in all the cattle found on the
hills, in the canyons. or by the sides of
streams, TO a common centre, from which
point another division of cowboys drive
the gathered herd to the next centring
point This process is kept up until the
herds frequently aggregate in number
several hundred Thousand head.
The cutting OUT is the separation of
the cattle into punches bearing similar
brands. Thus If a herd passes in the vi
cinity of some particular ranch, time and
labor is saved by that ranchman sending
his cowboys among the herd to pick out
and drive TO his private corrals the cat
tie belonging 10 him.
The cowboys work in relays, using day
and night shifts. The day shift skurries
over the prairies, picking up the cattle
and driving them 10 the vicinity of the
camp, which has been established by the
night shift and the camp hands. The
night shift then, in two-hoUr watches,
keeps the herd intact until the morning,
preventing any effort Of the cattle TO
stampede. and in the early evening, If
the locality is favorable, performing
some cutting out.
Each roundup party has its camp out
ft in charge Of corps Of drivers and
cooks, who move the camp each day to
the point agreed upon for the succeeding
night. b
tie drivers come up with the herd they
have collected during the day, their
meals are ready, their tents up and every
thing is arranged for the evenings sports
and the night rest
At the sheep camps but little difference
is to be found from the methods in the
East, except IN the enormous size OF the
focks in the Western ranges. Fifty
thousand sheep TO be clipped is not an
uncommon number, and this work re-
Quires large force Of men COrralS are
made from rails or wire fencing. in
which the great body OF sheep can be
retained and smaller corrals are con-
sIructed adjacent, in which few hun
dred sheep can be handled at a time
In these smaller curIals the wool IS gen
orally clipped, but a few ranchers have
large pens constructed, into which the
sheep can be driven singly and in pairs
The wool during the past two years
has been sent to towns where storage
ware houses have been established The
largest Of these is at Casper, where
last year q 90 600 pounds Of wool were
stored. This has but lately been shipped
70 the Eastern markets This year, how
ever a new scheme is being tried, wool
auction sales being held. The sale at
Cheyenne closed a week ago, over 10g1,
600 pounds Of wool being purchased at
prices ranging from 10 10 121z cents per
pound.
on July q a meeting will be held at New
Castle WyO.. 10 form another storage
warehouse association, the building TO be
The enormous extent to which the wool
industry has grown in Wyoming may
be gathered from the fact that hve years
ago . sheep was almost an unknown ami
NAL on the ranges, while last year the
wool clip aggregated over Z5,bsj,Og0 pounds
This wears clip Will range from 3, ,JJJ. go
20 30 600 90 pounds.
II can thus be seen that a combination
rf the sheep interests win have immense
rover in the State and IL is this COM
binstion, already practically complete,
which Is driving the cattlemen TO seek
ranges other than those OF Wyoming. The
sheen owners were themselves formerly
cattsernen but finding a greater profit
in sheep raising they have disposed Of
their cattle TO a large extent and put the
money into sheep.
Among the largest sheep owners. not
onIy In wyoming, but in the entire West
are Governor Richards United States
Marshal Hadsel and United States Sen
ator Warren, whose possessions OF sheep
are really enormous.
a NEW STEAMSHIP DEAL.
The Alaska Line May Soon Change