The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-05-29
SUBSTITUTE FOR BEEF
Kansas Stockmen Offer Nut
ton as the Best.
GROWTH OF BUSINESS
Demand for Meat Has Been
on Increase Lately

The New York Evening Post prints
The following dispatch from Russell, Kan
sas:
Some modern philosophers contend that
tho best way to avoid high prices for
beef is to eat something else. The sheep
men OF the far west are Of the opinion
that the best substitute is mutton; and,
Judging from the rapidity with which
their possessions are growing, and the
Increased demand for the saleable ami
mails of the flocks, other persons must
have the same feeling. The development
sf the sheep-raisng business in the west
Ia the last five years has been marvellous.
The focks which were formerly found
mostly on the bunburnt plains OF Texas
and New Mexico. the pine-dotted
mountain slopes of Wyoming and Mon
tana, or in the least valuable regions of
the plains region, have been scattered
over a much wider territory. The farm
ers OF the west, as they divided up their
lands into smaller holdings. found that
sheep were a very profitable addition 10
the Iarm Small fiocks have become num-
erous, and the feeders who once devoted
all their attention 10 cattle have discov-
cred that there is an equal profit and less
risk in fattening sheep.
The matter OF managing sheep on the
western ranges yaries greatly in different
parts of the country, and with different
sneepmen. Inu some readily accessible
localities large ana eommodious sheep
wagons follow the bands of sheep from
ptzce 70 place, and in these wagons the
herlsrs carry the'r necessary utensils.
food. clothing. ard beds The usual form
o. sh4ep wagon contains c-okstove. con-
venient arranE-alents fog sc .pjar and a
supply of medicine. These wagons are
hauled by two or four horses. aceor-ing 10
the condition of the roads. In stin mora
accessible places. one wagon may be re- (
quired to furnish service for d number 7
OF herders, who sleep in tents at night :
near the sheep. In such conditions each
herder establishes camp in some local I
fly convenient 10 water, fuel, and grass.
protected by ledges or trees from storm. /
The old-time herders, with their lone
some, al-summer trips into territory re
mote from civilization. are passing away,
and the business is becoming a much |
more commonplace one. There are still
"dead-lines'' in some localities, over which
the sheep must not Craze, and farmers
have government protection in pro-
vision in some sections of a titled field, or
homestead. These provisions are based
on the wellknown destructveness of the
vast herds of sheep. who. in their close
cropping of the grass, leave the sod ILL
fitted for cattle pasture. while of course,
q growing crop would be destroyed.
There is another element of the frontier
stockmans life that is being modified-the
feud between cattlemen and sheepmen
The time was when frequent battles oc-
CURED. when cattle herders and shep-
hers tried to destroy the lives and prop
erty of each other when dynamite sent
hundreds of innocent sheep 10 death and
when cattle were stampeded down dan
gerous cliffs TO destruction. But this bat
tie for the range is being adjusted on
business basis. The sheepmen and cattle
men are buying or leasing their pastures.
fencing them when possible. or at least
possessing some kind of a boundary line
that is fixed by legal title. The open
range is passing away and where il ex-
lists, mostly in the mountain foothills,
IL is used with only occasional conflict
The sheep commissioner of Wyoming
says that very little trouble exists in that
state and shat sheepmen and cattlemen
are even learning to use the same range
in 'companiorabie good nature.
Montana is taking position as the great
est sheep state in the Union. This spring
IT will ship out nearly ~ $4,000 pounds of
wool. vet the first sheep were brought to
the state only twenty-five years ago
Great Falls and Billings are rivals for the
honor of being the largest wool shipping
points in the world. Single companies
sell 250,0o POUNDS oil wool at a season
Some Of the best-bred hocks yield ten
pounds to the sheep. though the average
is not much above three pounds on the
common range sheep
Machine shearing is common. and II is
Interesting To see the long lines Of work
ers with their clippers run by rubber
tubes. obtaining power from a shaft above
their heads taking off the fieeces. Shear 4
ers who can ta4e off more than leo feeces 4
day are common. and they receive eight
cents a fleece. The rapid growth of the
business has been due largely TO the in
creased price of wool though the larger 4
demand for mutton has also had its effect.
The wool buyers begin early in the (
spring on the great ranches of Texas vis- (
ftinS the shipping stations and exanin- l
Ing the wool as it is tramped into great !
sacks, bales OF 500 pounds each Going I
northward with the advancing season they
take in California and Oregon, with ex- 4
cursions to Wyoming and Oregon. then Z
end late in the spring or early in sum
mer in northern Montana The remainder
OF the time is spent in the eastern mar
kets
In the Arkansas valley OF Colorado the
sheepmen are making millions by raising
lambs for the early spring market The
dainty spring lamb with its mint sauce Z
dressing, that comes 10 the table so de-
lightful dish pays the farmer a large
profit Where ordinary mutton may bring
his FIVE cents a pound he can get eight
10 ten for the lamb. The sugar-beet mills
are also helping the feeders Of that sec =
ton. as sheep are fattened on he puln I
secured at the mills Ii has proved a great )
while the great alfalfa fields are
also great aids TO the production Of NUT 5
ton
Altogether. the sheepmen OF the west q
are having their innings. and II beef
teriaIiy 10 their wealth in the next-year
With thorough organization and modern :
OF fiocks for both wool and /
mutton they can hardly fail.
A MODERN REQUEST.