The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-08
LARGELY ONE OF LOCALITY
Some Sections Highly Favored Above
others-GIoomy Reports
from South Dakota.

on the range at this time would tax
the capacity of an expert. That there
have been some losses, almost every
one who has either sheep or cattle run-
ming at large is willing to concede,
but NO two can agree on the percent
age of these losses. Those who are
inclined to take a p~essimistic view OF
the situation contend that they will
reach a high figure, while the more
Dptimistically minded insist that they
will reach no more than the usual
average.
In Eastern Montana.
From the extreme eastern part of
the state come reports that are dis
c%ouraging. The weather there through
out the entire winter has been much
more severe than in this locality and
consequently it is admitted that the
losses will be greater. Glendive an
unc the timely arrival of a Chi
AAOOMs WAkSA PuI LA AG0 oPPSo loASO
last Thursday night and resulted in
almost a total disappearance of the
deep SNOW that covered the range.
Persons arriving there from the sheep
region to the north of that place said
that the flockmasters would certainly
find their holdings decimated to a
considerable extent. The deep snow
and the sudden changes from billiards.
ITO chinooks and then extremely cold
weather have reduced the vitality of
ssheep to a point where they refused to
eat and huddled together in bands for
warmth. If no more cold weather in
stervened between now and the time
for a permanent breakup, it was stated
the remaining f1ocks would pull
through.
Custer county also has sent out
some reports anything but cheerful.
Many cattle are said to have persisted
there and by some who profess to
know whereof they. speak the losses
are placed as high as 20 per cent.
Cattle drifted badly during the last
storms and many left the range on
the north side of the Yellowstone and
made their appearance on the river
and beyond. The scarcity of feed,
continued storms and great depth of
snow caused them to become weak
and they were in poor condition to
Withstand a long siege of cold wealth
or. Recently riders left Miles City
and turned many of the strays back
onto their range, but it appears they
wandered south again and appeared
further east, where many are said to
have been killed last week by trains,
they having managed to get onto the
Northern Pacific tracks and huddled
up in draws to escape the fury of the
storm.
On the Black Hills Range.
Reports from the range of the Black
Hills are far gloomy than any
sent u from this state. From Stur
gis, Belle Fourche and some of the
other centers of the cattle industry
there comes the news of heavy losses
particularly by the larger concerns
The cattle drifted from their range!
and were driven into the settlements
where they could obtain neither fee(
nor water. There they remained TO
days and gradually became so veal
that when effort was made to drive
them back to where they could secur,
feed many were unable to travel. TIL,
deep snow that covered the range TO-
weeks was still further increased las
week by the fall of almost two feet
Thereby adding to the gravity of tn,
situation confronting the herdsmen.
The smaller outfits are reported a.
not losing anything. They have thei
cattle confined within winter pastur
age, besides they have hay to feed il
case of emergencies.
AS viewed by many familiar witt
the conditions prevailing on what wa
formerly the great range country o
western South Dakota, the presen
winter will have witnessed about tn
last of the large outfits. The heav,
Hoses sustained will have a tendenc,
to break up the open range system
The limits are narrowed by fences an,
conditions are bad and because tn
Increase in settlers are yearly becom
ing worse for those dependent upol
the open range for winter feed TO
their stock.
\ As has been previously published il
these columns, one OF the largest out
dts IN that region, the Franklin Cattl,
0-IS 49, E>u