The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-19
PACKERS APPARENTLY MOVE ON
NEW TACK.
MAY RAISE OWN CATTLE
Owner of Large Ranch Receives Offer
That Is Regarded as
Suspicious.

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On last Sundays westbound North
| Coast Limited was M. ]. Donohue,
formerly one of the confidential en-
ployes OF the late Marcus DAILY and
also largely interested with the dead
mining magnate in many of the lat
ter's private enterprises. At the time
the Anaconda company sold to the
Amalgamated Mr.. Donohue sold his
interests to the same concern and
retired a wealthy man At present
he is the controlling stakeholder in
the Western National bank of San
Francisco and also retains a large
amount OF stock in the Amalgamated
company.
Through failure to collect a loan
that the DAILY bank at Anaconda made
on a ranch neal White Sulphur
Springs Mr.. Donohue became the own
er Of $4,000 acres OF land in Meagher
county and through it's accession Sc
cured control OF about that much more,
SONGlullCAL ldllu. ~ OCOONOu -
ranch, which formerly had been given
over to the production of sheep, with
! Hereford cattle and 10Y OWNS several
thousand head IT that strain, all high
| grades, which are continually increas-
ing, as among the herd are several
hundred COWS and a proportionate
number OF bulls.
While the train was at the station
Mr.. Donohue made a statement to
The Gazette that may interest the To-
cal cattlemen, as it gave a hint OF
something apparently going on that
may enter into their future %caucula-
tions. He said that while not posi-
tive. vet he was certain that the ''beef
trust" had come to the conclusion
that there was more than mere talk
in the proposition advanced by the
National Livestock Growers associa-
ton relative to a combination of cat
tlegrowers for the purpose of enter
ing into the packing business and was
preparing to head off such a move.
A few days before, while at Chicago,
Mr.. Donohue said, he had been ap-
preached by a man whom he knew to
be close to the Armours, with an offer
for the purchase of his ranch and
cattle. The man claimed that he want
ed to buy the land for the purpose OF
-, -, -, +LN b,,cinaCc Of roicino
cattle, saying he had examined it and
believed it to be n OF the best
ranches for that particular purpose
in the state. To show his earnestness
the nan offered Mr.. Donohue a large
amount, considerably owe 100000,
for the land and improvements, the
cattle to be paid for in addition. Mr..
Donohue declined the offer.
In relating the circumstance Mr..
Donohue said he knew the man was
not possessed of the money himself
and doubted his ability to raise it.
Knowing the position he occupied
with the Armours he was satisfied
ludI IIC HILL was llCi Oly oCClAS a.
agent for them, and had used the pre-
tense OF wanting to engage in stock
raising for the purpose of %concealing
the identity of the men who wanted
the property. Other matters that he
learned convinced him that he mem
bers of the merger" were preparing
to raise their own cattle and become
independent of the ranchers and stock
growers of the west, having become
alarmed at the PROSPECT of a combina-
tion with the unlimited capital that
such a concern would have were the
advice of the national association
officers followed and a new trust
formed, such as is contemplated by
Mr.. Springer.