Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-10-11
LETTER FROM MONTANA
REpRocK. MoNT.. Oct. 6. 1904

1 NEOhOChs VtON1s, OCt. U, 1Svfs
| DEAR FATHER:-Some time ago you
asked me to write you something
about the industries of this country
and now that 1 have a little time ]
will try and give you the information
that you want,
The first thing that will speak of
is the Craver sheep ranch.
This ranch is owned by man named
Z. B. Craver, and is located in the
Medicine Lodge Valley about twelve
miles from here, and is the biggest
sheep outfit in this part of the
country. He has about twelve thoa-
sand sheep which are divided into five
bands. These sheep are grazed on the
hills where the cattle do not 60 and
the bands are each herded by one man
and two dogs. The. camps are. moved
about once month with pack horse
by man kept for that purpose. This
man also takes in the provisions for
each camp with a pack horse. These
men are called camp tenders. A man
has to be good fighter to make a
camp tender as there is continual
quarreling among the sheep men
about the range.
The next thing l will speak of is
the Shineburger cattle ranch which
is located about one-fourth Of mile
east Of here.
He has about three thousand head
of cattle and about twenty Thousand
acres Of land. He has always raised
number of horses until this year but
last season about six hundred were
gathered and sold and he is going out
of the horse business.
The cattle are summered in the
Centennial valley about thirty miles
southeast Of here and then after the
roundup are brought down here for
the winter where they are placed in
the fields and fed little hay.
Mr.. Shineberger keeps seventy-five
saddle horses to handle these cattle.
The men have camp up in the valley
with foreman in charge and they
stay up there all summer with the
cattle.
1t is quite snap the most or the
time up there but in the Spring when
the poison is growing, it makes them
ride pretty long hours to keep tho
cattle off the high hills.
The first roundup comes off this
month, when the fattest ones will be
driven to the railroad corrals to be
sold. Then the cows and calves will
be brought in and separated and what
noise there will be, when the time.
comes. The bawling lasts about
week, and is ten times worse than the
feg whistle on the Ludington harbor.
Besides feeding these three thousand
cattle through the winter, Mr..
Shineberger bales an Immense amount
of hay. He has three big barns that
hold five hundred tons of baled hay
each. The most Of this goes to Butte
lOI UIlC ClUy UIdOC duu UTlUKS dUOuU
twelve dollars per ton F. o. B. cars at
this station.
Mr.. Shineberger came to this place
forty years ago, poor man, and has
made fortune in the stock business
He has one field back of his house
that contains 1880 acres. 1t is ten
miles long and two miles wide and We
have hunted coyotes all day in that
field with five riders and seven stag
hounds, without riding up to the
fence but once in all day.
Well this is all L can think OF along
this line and you can make out OF it
whatever you wish. | sold the horse
that bought for S27. Monday for $65.
That is not So bad is it? | wish / had
some way to get pony to you folks.
[ could buy nice gentle broke one
here for twenty-five dollars from the
Indians and they have some nice ones
too for that money.
c. K. DECKER.