The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1903-10-02
GATTLEMEH Do BETTER HERE.
STATES cATTLEMKE WHO GO TO CANA
DA ARE FRoZE Up.
Some sherman County People May Find
Profit From the Experience Of-Jim -
O'COnneIi, Fresh From the
Northwest Country.

Northwest Country.
Some Of the cattlemen Of Sherman
county, who have done so well 6naR-
cially here, are now seeking still green +
er pastures, and are looking lOOgiDgiy
toward the Canadian country for the
realization of their dresms. Those
who consider the cattle business con-
servativeIy, choose western Kansas in
preference to the distant enchantment
OF the Northwest. Sound talk on the
Canada country, by Jim O'COdnell, of
Kiowa, Kan, comes through the Daily
DroTers' Telegram, published at Kan
sas City:
Jim O'COnnell, a prominent cattle
shipper and trader of KiOws, Kan, is
treking his way back home after spend
ing the summer in Canada, the prom
ised Hblessed land" Of the coming gen.
GRAFTON Of cattIemen. Mr.. O'ConneI
kept in the sun as much as possible
while at the yards recently, in order as
he said, "to get the kinks and cold out
of his back"
II do not wish to knock against Can
ada" said he, "for the country up ther g
is undoubtedly great and has future,
but somehow it isn't the place for a
States cowman who is used to having
his spine somewhere near comfortably
warm at least half the year. The grass
in Alberta, where l was all summer, is
something immense. None of the
western states in the United States can
begin to show anything to compare
with it, and the way it ripens cattle is
a caution. I saw steers leave the
Northwest territory for Liverpool that
could scarcely be told from a corn fed
Kansas native. Water is plentiful in
the extreme-slmost too plentiful in
fact. The summer range in Canada is
simply great, that's all there is to it.
"What they need up there, however,
is climate. They don't have any such
thing; it's too cold to go by that name.
Lord, the cowman Of Alberta has just
about eight full months Of winter and
every one of them is cold enough to
stand for a whole winter in the States.
The Texas cattle that were shipped in
May cold spell and I understand from
80 to rs per cent Of them were lost.
Texas steers that were brought up a
year ago, however, came through the
winter IN better shape. About the
worst experience that any cattlemen
b re had with Alberta in the way Of
losses, has been that Of the Manitoba
shippers. Last year many native Man
itoba steers were taken into Alberta
for grazing The Manitoba steer is
somewhat akin to the dogie and in his
native heath is better cared for than
the average ranger, being handled
largely in stalls. When those Mantle
ba dogies struck the plains Of Alberta
therefore, they were up against the
real thing and the losses that resulted
we're enormous. You see that Texas
cattle that are taken north had pre-
viousIy acquired the art Of rustling FOL
themselves, but not so thsse stall grown
animals from eastern Canada, for they
hunted out all the sheltered spots and
calmly waited until they froze to death
and it wasn't long wsN either. One
drove of 200 Manitoba dogies all plung
ed down an old mine shaft and Wert
killed. I'd like to see 8 Texas steel
doing anything as rash as that.
HOne great drawback to that part o
Canada as s grazing section is tn
prevalence Of heel flies. This is wha
catches the cattlemen coming and 60
ing. In the cold months the heel file
do not make their appearance, bu
neither does grass. Just as soon as
warm day OF so rolls round, however
the heel flies swarm out and land Of
the COWS. They annoy the cattle eN
cessively and should be classed q
among the big detrimeuts to the csttl
business Of that country.
Another thing that is holding A
berts back as a cattle country is tn
lack OF q good makret. About all the
have at present is Liverpool, and as on
Alberta coEmsn informed me the 9th
er day, Liverpool is no market RICH
now, it is HI The cOwmen Of tn
Northwest depiore exceedingly thi
lack OF q market and are hopeful c
drawing packers into that countr.
Until it is opened up better with raj
road facilities, however, do not Sc
how they can bank much on this. Ne
erthsless they viii tell you every ono
in q while that Armour aud Swift WI
soon begin to open mp operations
the Northwest, now that they Bav
prettyW honeycOmOed the States