The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-08-20
FEW SADDLE HORSES LEFT.
Y. s. and British Army Demands Has
Almost Exhausted the Supniv.


Almost Exhausted the Supply.
Montana ranges are now well
nigh depleted of the available saddle
horses. A few years ago almost every
farmer and stockgrower in the state
had from three to 100 horses on his
ranch which would make good saddle
animals, but owing to the excessive
demand, within the past two years,
for horses suitable for cavalry pur-
poses. the supply is now almost ex.
hausted.
1t would be impossible to ascertain
the exact number of saddle horses
which have been taken from the state
within the past three years. Some
have been driven into neighboring
states, where fairly good market
was secured, many others have been
shipped to eastern markets, where
they were auctioned of or sold in
bands of two or three by their owners
at very nice pronr. still others have
been bought by the United States
government for service in Cuba. the
Philippines and China, but the great
est number have been bought by the
agents of the British government, to
be used by the red coats fighting IN
South Africa. It has been a year last
May since the British horse buyers
first invaded Montana, and since that
time close buyers, and men who can
Judge the staying qualities Of an ami
NAL to nicely, have been constantly
busy buying every saddle horse they
| cOuid ind and secure suitable terms
on.
The prices paid on these animals,
while not as great as many suppose,
have been good, considering the quail
ty of Tile stock purchased. It has been
demonstrated by experience that the
Montana cayuse can stand the hard
army service much better than the
horses of greater weight, and the
buyers have been paying from SIS to
$40 per head for these animals taken
from the same bands, by the way,
which large owners hesitated to feed
during the hard winters of a few
years ago. It was about six years
ago the coming winter when horse
flesh reached the low water mark in
Montana. During that winter there
were many owners who considered
their large bands of "cayuses" a La
bility rather than an asset, and many
were allowed to hustle for themselves
on the bleak ranges, or starve, as they
saw fit.
Robert II. Walsh, who for the past
two years has been representing the
firm Of Moncrieff & Walsh, the we'll
known horse buyers Of Sheridan,
Wyo.. in this state, buying up ali the
saddle horses he considers will be &C.
cepted by the British army officers,
which are stationed at their ranch,
1tated last night that he considered
that there had been in the neighbor-
hood of from $4,000 to $4,000 horses
shipped from this state since he has
ueen in Montana.
"Of course / do not mean to say
that we have bought that many hors-
es. for there have been many other
buyers here, but we have taken at
least half that NUMBER" said Mr..
Walsh at the Helena last night.
There are but few available saddle
horses left in this state now, but
have number of men at different
stock centers breaking horses, and
expect to get several carloads in this
way.
Il am buying these horses for my
self and Mr.. Moncrieff, and we enter
into contracts with the direct agents
of the British government to furnish
them with so many horses at our
rancn at Sheridan each month. buy
the horses in Montana, taking only
those which l consider will pass mus
ter oy the inspectors at the ranch, and
ship them in carload lots. When they
arrive at the ranch they are kept
until enough are secured to compose
trainload, wnen they are turned over
to -.le army man, who ships them to
New Orleans. from where they are
taken directly to South Africa.
"The most OF the horses which I
get from this state buy by contract,
arranging with reliable local horse
buyers at the principal points in the
state to furnish me as many suitable
horses as they think they can, and
when they have completed their con-
tract l go and look over the bands
they have selected and accept all that
will be available for army use."
Mr. Walsh was only in the city for
the night, being on his way from
Great Falls to Avon, where he will
purchase band of horses today. He
expects to be in Helena for the pur-