Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-16
Norm Hard
On Lie StocA.
,,,b Wyoming and Idaho VIII Be Heavy One
g c,,s THAT They WIN Reach One-fhItd, baf
l'~ n,nb,b,s Too Gloomy Vpu-Con and HAY IN
~ .nd- Where The Banks Come In.

70 the snow, the losses would not be so
beavv rs in former seasons from the
fact that most of the sheep were IN
good condition and were not crowded
around the water holes and springs, as
thew could get an the moisture they
wanted from the snow.
BIG LOSSES IN IDAHO.
sheepmen generally are getting wor-
red over the deep snow and continued
cold weather, From Shoshone, lua.,
comes the word that unless g sudden
aid prompt thaw sets In that the losses
will be exceptionally heavy among the
ncckmasters heavier, In fact, thah lhey
have ever been In a bad season.
The sheepmen are reluctant to talk
but Il Is asserted that sheep are dying
at the rate OF from 700 to LOO a day
Of cold and starvation along the Snake
river range which has been covered
with snow for two months Under the
effect Of alternate frost and thaw the
ell tire range is covered with sheet OF
ico with more snow on top which makes
II impossible for the animals to break
through and get feed.
The railroad company has put in
special rate on grain In order to save
the situation. but corn at 81 hundred
IS an item that was not looked for By
the sheepmen.
There are said to be l,6O0OO0 sheep
vintering on this range from Bannock,
Blaine and Fremont counties alone.
ard Just what the outcome viii be Is
hard to estimate.
SAME DIsCoURAGING STORY.
From all over the west comes the
same story. From Nebraska right
through TO Idaho 1t Is the same, All
ranges are deeply covered with semi
frozen snow and the cattle and sheep
ere starving and dying off In thous-
ands. After the last heavy storm even
the sage brush In many places is buri-
ed and the sheep are stalled. Wher"
IL Is possible the fockmasters are feed
ING their flocks. but this Is an expen-
siye operation that eats away the pro-
AIS. Then, too. the sheep that are be-
ing fed on alfalfa hay are, IN number
ow instances, developing the scours III
q fashion that thlns them down ana
carries them OF nearly as fast as II
they were starving. Where the hay
Is being distributed the old story OF the
survival of the fttest Is being enacted
with the weaker animals going to the
wall, or rather snowbank.
Among the stories told Is one by l..
o. Leonard. livestock agent for the
Missouri Pacific. who states that some
cattlemen In the Shoshone district are
shooting their stock in Isolated dis
tricts IN order to put them out OF their
rnlstery and save their hides Out on
the desert on the Nevada line condi-
tlons are said to be about he same, al
though reports are meager from that
Isolated section In some instances
nheepmen are hauling hay TO their
accks on sleds. but as one hockmaster
eaid. "Such a method Is like drinking
milk with cobbler's awl Instead OF
spoon"
In Tooele county such methods are
being employed in order to save the
| checp.
SHARP HAS NO NEWS.
Mr.. ]. C. sharp, a well known Salt
Lake sheep man said this morning that
| ne had received no direct news during
/ Inc present storm from his flocks hut
( he shared with others the belief that
| tho outlook was not reassuring, ana
I ina. there would be some heavy losses
/ IA 10 his own sheep. they were pretty
/ VOL urovided for. He had he sail
| Z COO on hay and 1000 on corn south OF
| Mountainous. Idaho. q fact thatwould
| take good care OF them regardless OF
| the snow and cold. His other Hooks
were where they would not suffer much
ONLY USUAL LOSSES,
Mr.. ]. u. Wood Of the Wood Hagen
harth Cattle company, which owns over
n hundred thousand sheep and many
thousands OF head OF cattle In Idaho,
saws. that thus far they have met
with only the usual small percentage
of lOssee. which are always expected
In spite of the deep SHOWS and the eX-
traordinarlly cold weather the sheep
| and cattle OF this company are IN good
| condition. and Mr.. Wood attributes II
| IN the fact that after his first few
| wears experience IN Q business he
| brought his stock to ranges in winter
| which were protected by timber and
| which had open water In addition to
| that Il Is a rule OF this company TO
| Law in a good stock OF feed every fall
| and 10 keep their sheep and cattle well
| fed which enables them to resist any
unusual hard winter such as the pres
ent has been.
LOSSES ON THE SNAKE.
r. w. Farris. the well known engi-
neer OF Boise, is registered at the
KENYON. Ho says he Is Informed that
| the stockmen In the Snake River valley
around Shoshone and Minidoka are
meeting with considerable losses to
their sheep and cattle this season on
account Of the unusual severity Of the
winter. No definite percentage can be
given but those who neglected TO lay
In feed and whose ranges are unpro-
tected are likely to be considerable
losers before spring comes.