The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-02
ARE GOOD
Montana Horses Continue to Be in
Demand East.

| L#aa.. ~. tL -OS~ r .
Russell v. Davis, one of the prom
inent stock dealers of St. Paul, has ar
rived at Great Falls and will spend
the summer in that city, buying for
the eastern market. He is particular
ly anxious to secure horses of the
proper kind, as he says the demand
for such in the east is good. He was
interviewed by a Tribune reporter as
to the horse market at present and
regarding the prospects for the future.
Here is what he said:
Montana stOckmen, a few years
ago, could not get rid of their horses.
There were many of them who were
trying to sell at prices which are so
low now they are not dreamed of.
Il will tell you of m instance. l
was here in 1895, for the first time.
We had al order for 500 head of
horses to engage on work on the Mis-
sissippi river and the class we wanted
we found in Montana. I came here
to buy them and had so many offers
of yer better than I wanted that I
was forced to keep to my Dom in the
Park hotel to keep away from those
who wanted to sell. l secured what l
wanted at the ridiculously low .p..'ce
of SIT a head and only selected from
three herds.
Some of the men who wanted to
sell to me then were unable to get rid
Of their holdings and were simply fore
ed to keep them on the ranges. They
complained of their luck, and it did
seem hard. for they needed the mon
ey. But what good luck it really was
to them that they could not find a
buyer! They have made thousands
of dollars by holding and will make
more.
do l think the horses will sell for
more in the future than they do at the
present time? Well, l am in the
horse business, but I will answer you
yes. l think that another year will
see the price of horses advanced.
There are many thousands Of horses
being sent out of this country at the
present time. The South African
shipments are to be continued. The
west is where all the extra supply is
and it is fast becoming settled up.
The thousands of homeseekers who
are coming here are not bringing their
stock with them. So it is in Canada,
and the demand for horses is better
at the present time than it has ever
been in the history Of this country be-
fore.
Nov the supply is not so great as
it was a few years ago. When horses
were at the bottom of the market
there vas no effort to breed. The
herds were allowed to run down, and
while there is still a good supply of
cayuses, this is not the class Of ami
mails demanded. There is no supply,
to- speak Of, in Oregon. Washington
lis shipping farm horses into that
state and practically the best that are
left in the northwest r in Montana.
"There have been just rs many
shipped out of this state as any of
the others, but there was more to he
gin with, of the better class, and when
this stock runs dry I do not know
where the supply is coming from
Then you will see better prices than
even the extravagant n that are
being paid now.
There can be little doubt that there
will be a market demand for, good
horses in the United States. to say
nothing about the foreign demand. for
many years to come, and therefore
the wise stockman of Montana will
set about to again build up his herd,
and the sooner he does it, the better
it will be-"