Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1902-10-02

the settlers dog are mainly respon'
sible. Twas literally forced to. leave
my old grazing ground near Wibaux,
Mont, owing to inability to make
cattle fat there, and there is nothing tc
be made by sending cattle to market
that are not fat Last year l was un.
able to ship any fat ones and the Long
rs" cattle shipped, barely made de-
cent interest on the money invested,
not to speak of the risk. This is the
problem that constantly faces the
northwestern grazer, and the risk is
appalling.
'Any big outfit that desires to keep
in business must control it's pastures, -
continued Mr.. Wibaux. 81 have a
valuable ranch property at Wibaux ly-
ing idle because we could not Craze in
that locality. Now am negotiating
with the Northern Pacific for 10000
acres of land along Beaver creek, north
of Wibaux. If this can be secured l
will be able to continue in the grazing
business, but otherwise it is a case of
fall out of the procession. Eastern
people have no idea of the revolution
now going on in Montana. All the
land east of Wibaux to the Missouri
has gone into private hands. A year
ago it could have been bought at 81 so
to s.. so per acre; lately sales up to $50
ID,
have made 100000 or more by specu-
lation in this land within a few
months. And the future is hard to
predict. Settlers will occupy the
whole country within few years.
They will not only crowd out the big
outfits, but will grow more cattle in
, market with their stock before we dis
appear. They will have an advan-
tage over us in that they will be able
to market their stuff over longer sea-
son. We are always at the mercy OF
the killers, to large extent, during
the spring season and they invariably
knock dollar a hundred or more of
cattle that we are compelled to ship
and cannot help ourselves. With the
small operator of the future it will be
different and that is one reason why
the big outfit will not be able to COM
pete with him.
Talking about present conditions on
the northwestern range, Mr.. Wibaux
said:
EAST of the longitude of Miles City
there is good grass and plenty OF
water; west of that, dry weather and
grasshorpers have played havoc with
the range, compelling stockmen to shir
cattle they would otherwise have win.
tered. In the eastern section there
will be good range and as soon as
snow falls and cattle can get on it,
they will do we'll, but at present they
are not thriving because of the dis
tances they have to travel for water
and the fact that sheepmen are holding
down the water holes. AS a rule the
southern cattle that went in last spring
have done well, but the whole range is
sadly overstocked and hard winter
would cause heavy losses. Many
sheep have gone in and eastern Mon.
tana is rapidly becoming sheep rails.
ing country"
Mr.. Wibaux says the heavy part Of
the marketward movement of Cattle
from Montana is over.
"We began. shipping three weeks
earlier than usual re said, cane
the height of the season has passed
OF course there are good many cat
tie to come yet, but no more rushes
Montana cattlemen have taxed the
carrying capacity of railroads all sea
son.
Last April, when on his way to Eu.
rope, Mr.. Wibaux called on his old
ranch comrade, President Roosevelt,
by request of the latter, and story
was put in circulation that the presi
dent consulted with him on the ques.
ton of leasing the pnblic domain.
Mr.. Wibaux refused to confirm or con.
tradict this, but said he favors leas.
ing bill, although he does not believe
congress will tackle the puzzle.
Asked about the prospect of Ger.
many removing it's existing embargo
on American meats, he stated that
when in Europe recently the Geman
newspapers teemed with popular com.