The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-11-21
No More Cattle Shipments From tho
Range Country This Year.
HIGHER PRICES THIS SEASON
Secretary w. G. Preuitt Says That
Montana Stockmen Have Had a
Prosperous Year and Doubled the
Output of Beef Cattle.

closed in Montana, and w. G. Preuitt
secretary of the state board OF stock
commissioners, has directed the va
rious inspectors of the state stationed
at the different markets to forward
their reports as soon as possible.
There may be, now and then, few
carloads of belated cattle shipped
from the state before the end of the
month, but the season may be said to
be closed, says the Helena Independ-
ent.
Secretary Pruitt said today that
on the whole, the season had been
good one for Montana cattlemen.
prices have been higher this year
than last" he said. 1t is difficult to
say what an average price would be
Some few shipments or picked lots
from shipments brought very high
prices, while others were low. Prices
RANGED from $3.50 to s., with occa-
sional lots that wenI above the last
/. figure. I suppose that the averase
high price would be about $500"
At the close of the range season
of 1901 all conditions pointed IT,
liberal marketing of cattle in 1902
from the big grazing territories of
Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas.
Range owners had not shipped out
closely and, in addition to holding
back their young, immature cattle,
such as would naturally have been
to1r Inv bn la
been for corn shortage, large num-
bers of young cattle were taken from
the drouth territories, and put on the
ranges, where there had been plenty
of moisture to secure abundant pas
turage and winter feed. The winter
of 1901-1902 was mild, the vast range
herds came into spring in thrifty con-
dition, grass got a good early start
and the cattle at once began taking
on flesh All nature seemed to favor
the range men and their cattle
ripened earlier than usual. Not only
did the season for marketing range
cattle open earlier than in former
years, but the favorable fall extended
the season beyond it's usual limits.
The opening of the range season.
early in July, found market condi-
tions favorable to higher level of
prices for cattle than have prevailed
in recent years, supplies of corn fed
cattle from the states were in meager
proportion to former years, the 4e-
mand was good and willing to pay
high prices for good grades of beef
says the Chicago Live Stock World
So it was not surprising thai the first
rangers to arrive sold at record
beaking prices and each month of the
season saw all former records for
top prices" put on the shelf.
few cars of grass rangers arrived
as early as June, the first car getting
here on June 16, and scattering loads
OF market feelers" arrived at differ
ent dates between that and July 81,
when the first considerable bunch ar
rived and the season for rangers
could be called fairly on. In 1901
the season did not open until August
5, when top cattle sold at $3.50, and
for a season opener this year the
tops sold at S5.75, or 95 cents higher
than in 1901, and they were the
same brands of cattle.
An unusually favorable spring,
grass getting started and curing early
brought the more forward cattle in
the range herds to early maturity
first killings by the dressed beef men
proved so satisfactory that, with the
early opening of the season, the big
with the beef trade, competition for
the westerns was more brisk than in
the native grade, and good stand
ard of prices was sustained practic
l ally throughout the season.
During August, when top natives
recorded during a summer season, OIL
for that matter, outside of show
times, in a period of 20 years, there
was some disappointment in results
from sales on rangers. Some of the
range men thinking that with tor
J corn fed natives selling at SO pei
| hundred, a higher standard of prices
should have prevailed for range
beeves. However, reference to rec
: ords shows that the top price fol
; rangers in August was $7.15, or $1.4E
above the top for any month of the
season of 1901 and, in fact, higher
than grass range cattle had ever solo
J and the bulk of these cattle for the
month of August sold at about SAFE
to $3.50, or an average of around
i. $1.25 higher than for August last
year. For the same month the bulk
of native steers weighing 1,O5O to
1,200 pounds sold within range oil
: $500 to $3.50, about $1.10 more than
the rangers, but on the prices Of
feeds the natives cost the producer
more than the $1.10 difference, sc
; that whatever advantage there may