The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-08-12
FOR MONTANA
CATTLE MEN
Millions to be Paid by Eastern Firms
Next Four Months.
HEAVY SHIPMENTS THIS YEAR.
There Is No Apparent Possibility That
Any Montana Cattle Will Go at Low
Priees-Aeents of the Livestock
Houses at Chicago Busy.

Ten million dollars is the estimate
to be paid within the next four months |
to the cattle growers of Montana by
the great firms east of the Mississippi.
Every indication points to heavier
shipment of cattle from the state
than for several years past, and the
prevalent high prices will cause the
owners to ship out every animal that
can be marketed at profit. There
is no apparent possibility that any
Montana cattle will go at low prices;
all fit for beef will be eagerly taken,
and the prospects of great grain crops
in the feeding section make it GER
tain that there will be a great de-
mand from the farmers of Montana
cattle that may be profitably fed and
fattened for market next spring and
summer There are practically no
cattle ON feed in the middle west and
as years of experience have proved
the wisdom of selling grain on the
hoof, the farmers of the corn region
are looking to Montana for the ma
chinery to convert their corn into
gold
To large extent, the Montana cat
tlemen have prepared to supply great
numbers of cattle for the markets of
the east. Tens of thousands of cattle
have been brought into the state this
year from Colorado, Nevada, Utah,
Oregon, Idaho and Texas There have
probably been greater importations of
southern cattle than in any previous
year since the Northern Pacific reach
ed the Yellowstone, and while there
have been expressed fears that the
ranges would become overcrowded
only one large holder of cattle has
given utterance to such views, and
his beliefs are not general
ly entertained. Comparatively few
of the cattle shipped into the state
this year will be marketed this fall,
but they have been brought to the
ranges of Montana to supply the de-
mand of the next few years, the own
ers planning to ship this fall every
animal that may be deemed fit for
the shambles.
This year, for the first time in
northern Montana, cattle are to be
fed and fattened for spring shipping
Alfalfa, timothy and blue joint, raised
xrith iY La I,
fences, where few years ago cattle
roamed at will and paved away the
snow to reach bunch grass, will be
fed, and when the green grass comes,
the cattle will be ready for the sham
bles. There is every reason to be-
lieve there will be great profit in this
feeding, which is to be done near Har-
lem, and If it prove successful, there
will soon be winter feeding of vast
herds of cattle in the Milk river val
ley and elsewhere in northern Mon
tana.
The range cattle business started
in the Sun River valley, into which
the first. band, 700 head, was brought,
in 1871, by Ford and Dunno The fol-
lowing year, o. H. and d. H. Churchill
brought 500 head. Until the North
ern Pacific entered the state in 1880,
cattle were driven from this section
to Granger, on the Union Pacific, $50
miles; or to Pine Bluff, on the Union
Pacific, 700 miles; or to Bismarck, on
the Northern Pacific, 679 miles; or to
Fargo, on the Northern Pacific, 500
miles. IL drives in those days
started from the Sun River valley and
on account of the presence of Indians
were very dangerous. In 1878 the
classified in that way in Chicago
They had been driven from tho Sun
River and Judith valleys to B'o~sarck
and thence shipped by rail. The re-
turns were so satisfactory that, de
spite the risk and loss, all began tc
ship in that way.
In 1882, the first shipment was
made from a Montana point-Bill
ings. Flowerree & Lowry shipped
80 carloads of steers from their Sun
River range from that station. In
st. Paul two steers were sold fol-
500 each and in Chicago the ship
ment brought $84.52 per head, averag
ing 1,445 pounds. Prior to that time
the best beef steers had been selling
for $50 and the news of the Billings
shipment attracted to Montana cat
tlemen from all parts of the United
States and many from England. The
buffaloes began to disappear and the
cattle nerds to increase. Transac
lions involving more than half a mill
ion dollars were frequently reported
and by 1856, there were 663,716 heat
in the territory. There was grea
loss in the winter of 1857, but wher
the Great Northern opened the north
ern ranges, in 1888, a revival begaI
and there are now over 1000, 900 head
in the state.
The ranges in the southern part o