The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-02-07

a few years. But speaking seriously,
the best hay we can cut on the range
land in wet years is adjacent to old
sheep corrals. However, in spite of
all the antagonism between the cat
tie and sheepmen | am pleased to in
form my brother sheepmen from
neighboring states that we have new
er experienced any open ruptures
such as we hear about breaking out
on the Colorado and Wyoming borders.
About the only thing that has hap
pened down way of note is that
n of our old cattlemen, who has
recently embarked in the sheep bust
ness also, had a little word war with
his cattle foreman and sheep fore
man over which would occupy a
certain water hole for a few days. |
am also glad to inform my brother
sheepmen that all of our cattlemen
are gradually giving up cattle and
going into the sheep business and are
becoming every day wiser and better
citizens.
"Of course during the Doo1n times
the cattlemen, being on the crest of
the wave, had a little the best of the
deal, but the hard winter CT 1886 and
'S7 cleaned up a large number of cat
tie and in some instances all that the
cattlemen had, except their brand and
set of books but the loss in sheep
was not very disastrous and from this
date III sheep industry began to grow
by leaps and bounds and did not re-
ceive any setbacks until the year 1898,
when the financial panic set in. How
ever, it was not all velvet with the
sheepmen in the early stages, as in
the introduction of sheep from Califor-
mia and Oregon they brought along
with them the scab and a good many
OF our sheepmen got what we call
in banking parlance an Irish divi-
dend,' which means that you put in
more than you take out. AS we grew
in numbers we began to supply the
home demand from our own 1ocks
and we soon got the scab eradicated
as our climate is not conducive to
spread the disease, and under u
strict quarantine regulations and vigi-
lance we have been able to confne it
to isolated cases, and this generally
comes from importation of bucks and
sheep from n%eighboring states. After
this trouble was over came a few
years of prosperity, but the panic of
1893, with it's concomitant troubles
left many of u sheepmen without
a brand or a set of books, and those
that were able to stay in the business
did so with a rather slender hold. Our
sheep were decimated very fast, but
up to this time we held third place in
point of numbers among the states
and territories of the Union. Our in
.ustry did not begin to thrive again
the year 1897, when it took an
up turn and we now are holding first
place in sheep and wool production,
numbers being estimated at about
500, 600 and our wool clip about 3d.
900, 900 pounds, and as to quality it
comes nearer supplying the qualities
embraced in Australian wool than
any of the other states or territories.
During the closing out process in
year succeeding the panic many
and corporations acquired large
numbers of sheep ranging from 5000
% 100000 head of sheep to an outfit.
the later class of holders I
nave been counted. and as the cattle
men found their Nemises in the hard
of 1869, I predict that the
arge owners of sheep have found
heirs in the small owner of sheep,
md l begin to see my finish. I have
my position on the range gradu-
lilly eliminated and forced to retreat
lnder the crowding in of the small
holders of sheep, and like the pool
hNAoh L AoSS 6louuolly ldllCH UdCh
% new ranges and trying and trying
fields and I feel that l am now at
about the jumping off place. l think
ny neighbor sheepmen in the same
feel the same as l do. l predict
hat the time is not far distnat when
average holdings of our sheepmen
will be down to about 5000 and less,
will be run on less area than this
number now occupies. With the
up of the water holes and
by means Of land scrip it has
'eduesd the area of our range and
made it impossible for large own
RS of sheep to successfully compete
With the small wners. To success
ully u a large outfit requires a great
of hired men, and it is impos-
;ihlp for them RI 0ivo tho h,c;pocc