The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-17
FEARS THAT scAB MAY BECOME
EPIDEMIC.
GENUINE ALARM is FELT
Discovery Of Badly Affected Flock in
Northern Part Of the
County.

From Tuesdays Daily Gazette.
For the first time since the sheep
industry Of the county has assumed
anything like it's present colossal pro-
portions are the f1ockmasters mani
Testing alarm at the likelihood of an
epidemic of scab.
While a few sparodic cases of the
disease have occurred at various
times, they have always been conin-
ed to the flocks in which they original
ed and because of the prompt meas
ures taken to prevent contagion no
fears were entertained as to- the prob
ability of widespread disaster. Now,
however, genuine alarm exists and
even some of the most conservative
are expressing it as their belief that
unless something unusual occurs to
prevent it, many thousands Of the
sheep of Yellowstone, Custer and
Dawson counties will be found to have
the disease.
1t all comes about through the care
lessness of n man, OR a couple of
men in the handling of an affected
flock. John Heide is the man who
is held primarily responsible for the
threatened epidemic and the sheep
which are supposed to have infected
the ranges were brought by him from
Wyoming last spring. After he cross
ed the line, into Carbon county, he
dipped the flock under the supervision
of a deputy inspector called Corson.
The sheep were held several days
and, so it is alleged, were then releas-
ed by the deputy and driven across
the country onto the Musselshell.
The band numbered about $500 and
since then has been allowed to range
almost at will, the other flockmasters
saying that Eeide has apparently nc
regular grazing ground. At all events
they are known to have come in con
tact with the flocks of Sam Church,
and others, beside grazing on ground
over which many thousand sheep
have been trailed. According to esti-
mates it is believed that no fewer
than 10000 sheep have been exposed
to the contagion through this way
alone. About $4,000 head belonging to
]. B. Long have been grazed and wat
cred on the range f%requented by the
Heide sheep.
1t was not until last Saturday that
the real condition Of affairs became
known. On that day Heide telephon-
ed to Mr.. Church that their sheep
had become mixed and that as there
was scab in his flock he, Mr.. Church,
would probably better do something.
Further inquiry was made and word
was sent to DR.. Knowles, state veteri-
marian, to come down and make an in
vestigation.
The doctor arrived this morning
and soon learned enough to convince
him that conditions were even worse
than he had supposed. This afternoon
he left for Blazed Tree, where the
Heide sheep are said to be, and will
inaugurate the usual quarantine. To
The Gazette he said that while he did
not know all the particulars, he was
confident that the situation was n
of the utmost gravity and that it
would require much time, labor and
expense to eradicate the disease.
In speaking of the action of the dep
uty inspector in releasing the affected
sheep DR.. Knowles said Corson had
cverstepped his authority and that If
the fact could be proved against him
it would probably go hard with him.
The deputy had had no power to raise
the quarantine established by him at
the time of the dipping, as the law
specifically provided a mode of pro-
ceedure in such cases.