Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-06-03
A TRIP INTO
THE COUNTRY
An Argus Representative Makes Per-
sonal investigation Of Stock
and Range Conditions.
THE PROSPECTS ARE PROMISING
Warm Weather and Green Grass Coun-
teracting Effects Of Storm
Shearing in Progress.

An Argus representative returned
yesterday from a trip through the
st~ockgrowing sections on the head
waters of Flatwillow and the different
branches of Mcdonald creek, and
gives a very encouraging report re.
garding the general range conditions.
On the south fork of Mcdonald
creek the late storm came down heav-
lily, but. fortunately, stockmen were
well prepared and but small losses
resulted. The Mcdonald Creek Sheep
company was compelled to feed dur
ing the latter part of the blizzard. but
through the energy OF Manager Wey-
dert and the other employees, the COM
pany did not lose to exceed Is per
cent. of the crop of spring lambs and
n very small number of sheep. The
owners OF horses and cattle on this
fork of the creek did not suffer any
losses to speak of.
On Sure Enough creea the storm
struck John Sellers at the busiest time
III ldllDluk, anu NHllt HIS lONStS are
somewhat heavier than the Mcdonald
Creek company, still he thinks they
will scarcely reach 90 per cent. Mr..
Sellers fed every pound OF hay on his
ranches during the last two days of
the storm. Referring to the storm, he
said TO the Argus man: II knew il
couldn't last forever, but il came as
ear to II as anything | ever saw"
AT the Cruise ranches on F1atwiIlow.
sheep were fed all during the storm
and the losses were very light. In
this section there was less snow than
on Mcdonald creek. Shearing was
begun at the Cruise shearing sheds on
May 2Sth and the sheep will be NOV
ed to the summer ranges as fast as
shorn.
On the north fork of Mcdonald creek
George Ayers was probably the heav-
lest loser from the storm, but his
losses will not be fully known until
the new crop of lambs is marked.
Robert Sullenger and w. B. Sulleng-
er both escaped with light losses. At
the Willard ranch the loss about
equaled that at the Ayers ranch. but at
both these ranches a large number
of lambs have dropped since the
storm. AL. ~Sullenger reports compar-
atively no loss among range cattle
and horses in this section.
Grass is excellent on all parts of
the range visited by the Argus man.
and all kinds of stock are in splendid
condition. having evidently fully re-
covered from the effects Of the bliz-
zard.
George Ayers has just completed
an e~ighty-ive foot we'll On his ranch
on the Chippewa fork of Mcdonald
creek. in which he has a fine flow of
water. The well was sunk by Joseph
Norman, of Lewistown. and wheu the
drill was Withdrawn sixty-five feet of
water was in the wen. On the south
fork Of Mcdonald creek the farmers
are putting in large crops of grain this
season, and much new land is being
cultivated.
Thomas Casey. Charles Rich and
j. j. Finn all have suwn large crops of
grain, and on the divide between this
creek aud Spring creek A. r. Frame
and j. A. Singley. the latter a recent
arrival from Nebraska. have broken
a large number of acres on their re-
spective ranches and are busy seed
ing.
Shearing will soon be general in
the vicinity Of Grass Range and a
number Of shearers are waiting there
for the season TO begin. w. B. Sui
lenger will begin shearing his band to-
day.
The general impression among the
stockmen is that the storm was a
benefit to every stock owner. as, while
il entailed a loss TO some, still it was
absolutely necessary that the ranges
in the sections mentioned receive a
heavy fall of moisture as all vegeta-
ton was suffering badly from the
drought.