The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-04-03
STOCK LOSSES ARE
MUCH EXAGGERATED
w. T. LaFoIlette, After Careful
Investigation, Makes This
Statement.
WINTER NOT a HARD ONE
Interviews With Stocl<men Living West
of River Serve to Contradict Sem
sationai Stories of Severe
Losses.

Chamberlain, S. D., April 1.-For
several weeks local newspapers in CEN
tral South Dakota and correspondents
10 the daily newspapers have been
writing all sorts of reports concerning
the loss of live stock on the ranges
between the Missouri river and the
would lead people to think that in To-
callties the loss was 80 or so per cent,
and in some instances total
For the past two weeks this writer
has taken the trouble to interview live
stock producers of cattle, sheep and
horses with the purposes of getting the
facts concerning the losses between
Bad river on the north and the Nebras-
ka state line, where thousands of head
of cattle and sheep have ranged win
ter and summer for the past eight or
ten years.
In December there was a heavy fall
of snow from Pierre south to the Ne
braska state line extending west rom
the Missouri river fifty miles and about
the same distance east. Farther west
in the state the snow fall at no time
exceeded eight inches until the foot
hills of the Black Hills We're reached,
and there it was much deeper and re-
manned on the ground until very re-
Gently. Experienced cattle and sheen
men whose stock was ranging fifty and
seventy miles west of the Missouri
river when the snow fell in December
begun to make arrangements for get
ting their cattle and sheep to their
ranches, Where they had more or less
hay, which they had cut the last season
and prior years. If there was not hay
ana iced enough at the ranches to win
ter the cows and young cattle they
Would cut out one, two, three or five
hundred head and drive them east of
the river into the farming districts of
the state, where they purchased feed
to winter them. It is a safe estimate
TO state that $4,000 head of range cattle
We're wintered among the farmers of
BTule county alone, While others were
shipped to the eastern part of the state
II Iowa.
Average Loss 8 to Per Cent.
1t is true that the loss on the Da-
kota ranges yearly among the cattle
vary from to & per cent, and in some
instances among new beginners it will
exceed that, but those who produce
ana handle northern cattle usually
nave nominal loss. Among the reli-
able men who have successfully han
oled range cattle west OF Chamberlain
in the White and Bad river districts
TINS writer quotes the statements of a
few for public information. Harry
Ham, Of the successful Ham firm of
1ather and two sons, who own several
thousand head, makes this statement:
We have been in the cattle business
here for fifteen years. Starting with
small bunch in southern Lyman
county, and 1 am sure our loss is lighter
lhe past winter than it was six years
ago. We have fed the young stock and
cows in our bunch the past three
months, but our and 4-year-old steers
nave run on the range, and the past
1our weeks we have been riding al
,he time and have seen hundreds OF
mead of ours that look as well as they
dld q year ago. 1 do not believe oul
loss Will be greater than per cent
on the entire bunch. do know of one
or two men who brought in young
Texas cattle late last summer and hat
no feed for them and their loss will bt
heavy. One man will probably lose hall
his bunch"
Henry Brodly who owns severa
hundred head Of cattle and about ZOO
read Of sheep that range near hi!
ranch 100 miles west of Chamberlain
SAID: Il had a letter from my partner
at the ranch short time ago and HI
says if we have a dry April our los
Will be no heavier this year than an!
other year. 1 do not believe our los
VIII exceed or per cent, and the eX
perlenced cattlemen in that section o
the range do not expect more thai
their usual loss.
Lost Two Head Out of 270.
f. P. Ganaway OF the firm Of Germ 6
EanaWay, who own about 800 head o
cattle, said: I'VE have 270 head Of cat
tie at our White river ranch and thu
far we nave lost only two head. w
nave wintered $40 head in Brule count.
with only loss of six head. We hav
about 100 head Of 3-year-old steers tha
nave run on the range all winter ant
from the best reports we get our los
there is not more than 5 or per cent
Major r. H. Somers. Indian agent a
Lower Brule, said: Myself, brother
and cousins have several hundred hea
OF cattle that range south of Whit
river in Lyman and Gregory countle
and from the best infornla ton ca
get our loss all around wont exceed
or 6 per cent
Martin Johnson, a conservative an
successful sheep man, whose ranch
eighty miles west of this city, says
I own several thousand head of shee
and my loss is lighter this year tha
several other winters. The cattle me
IN our section Of the country will no
nave s per cent loss, but on the Rose
bud reservation, where the snow wa
much deeper, 1 should not be surprise
If some men lose as much as 20 or
per cent
Major S. Winter of the firm of Winte
d Kaufman, says: "Out of our bunc
OF several hundred head Of cattle d
not think our loss viii be 10 per cent
While some other mems losses will
less than that. However. I know {
one or two men with small bunche!
who have haG no range experience, tha
VIII lose 40 or SO per cent. of thel
doggy's that were brought into thl
country late last season"
New Men Are the Losers.
c. M. Lockwood, who is fntereste
with his son in 300 head of cattle nortf
west of>Chamberfain of thirty miles, say.