The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-12-01
CONDITION OF
THE STOCK
M. e. Minor a Prominent Stockman
Interviewed.
LAST SEASON A GOOD ONE
This Year Everything Was Against
the Stockman-Despite the Ere.
quent Rains Grass Did Not Grow
Consequently Cattle Failed Gen.
orally.

Great Falls. Nov 27-President NJ.
E. Minor, well known through Mon
tana as being one of the most prom
inent stOckmen of the state, state
stock commissioner and chairman Of
the executive committee of the North
| Montana Roundup association which
was organized about eight years ago
| for the suppression of stock depreda-
tons in speaking of the stock con-
ditiOns and Of the past season. said:
| For the past twenty-five years
have been in the stock business and
| desire to be quoted on the present
outlook. Through all of the viciss-
tudes of the early times, have never
before been confronted with as dis
| heartening conditions as those of the
past season. At first in the early
days we had to cope with the depre-
dations of Indians which were not re-
stricted to reservations. At that
time the wolves were not so bad be-
cause of the fact that they derived
| their sustenance from the buffalo and
did not bother our herds, but with
the extinction of the buffalo. which
practically took place in 80. they
turned their attention to the cattle
In spite of the bounty laws passed, in
spite of the individual efforts of the
stOckmen on the different ranges of
the state and in spite of the large
sums of money expended for the ex-
termination of the wolves we have
not been able to keep the loss from
that source down to a point where
! we are able to ~~- the proper profit
| out of the business
"The bounty law which Is In Oper-
alton is better than no bounty law
but it is not sufficient to encourage
wolfers who do not now keep the
wolves down to their rate of increase
Last season was the apex of good
prices and conditions and at that
time I ventured the opinion that it
would never be repeated in the cattle
business in the west. The ranges
were exceptionally good and the cat
tie attained a condition Of develop
ment and weight never made before
on all of the ranges of the state and
our Montana grade steers realized
prices upon the market that had
| never before been reached except by
the best corn fed steers of the states
"This year every condition was
against the stockmen from the be-
ginning. The winter, while not Of
particular vigor. was so long drawn
out that the cattle became worn out
| by it and this unfortunate condition
| eliminated in what was known as
| the May storm, which was the worst
| in its character that had ever hap
pened in the history of the business.
ne first reports of the loss were af-
| terWard said to be exaggerated and
the newspapers tried to minimize it.
but | know from personal Observa-
| ton over a wide scope of country
embracing several distinct ranges
that the stockmen should mark down
their herds so per cent for that cause
alone.
ct is doubtful whether the calf
! crop anywhere reached so per cent
of that of last year. A great deal of
the loss was caused by cattle drift
| ing against the barb wire fences.
| The cattle would get into coulees dur
| ing the storm and follow them down
| until they would meet with ObstTuc-
| tions like fences, where they would
| pile up and perish. In two instances
| was so strongly impressed with the
number of dead cattle thus piled up
| that ! dismounted and counted them.
! In one pile there were seventy, and
| in another I counted 1875. The cOndl-
tons otherwise proved the present
season most discouraging to stock
| men.
| "Despite the wetness of the season.
grass did not make much growth and
seemed deficient in quality. In con-
sequence the cattle did not fatten as
in previous years. Although my own
shipments were light. they extended
over a period of about two months
and my beeves averaged 1875 pounds
less per head than those OF any pre-
vious season.
| "As to the regular market prices
obtained everyone knows them and
they speak for themselves. A repe-
tition of the years experience would
put one-haf of the stockmen Of the
| state out Of business.
while we always regard the presi.
Dental year as an off year during
which prices will come down because
Of politically disturbed conditions, II
is my opinion that unless financial
crash takes place next year the
stockmen can feel confident of receiv
ing somewhat better prices"