Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1905-06-06
Montana StOCkmen Have Decided
to Use Crude Oil for Dipping
Cattle This Spring.
CONCESSIONS By THE RAILROAD
The Railroads Have Notified Stock
men That They Will Garry Oil
at Reduced Rates.

Montana stockmen are very mucl
interested in the matter of complying
with the quarantine regulations re-
Gently issued 10y the state board O
stock commissioners and are making
the necessary preparations to carr,
them into effect. Some of the round
up associations are constructing din
ping plants at convenient points anc
are now considering the desirabilit,
Of using crude oil or lime and sulphur
Tor dipping purposes. The latter, it /.
understood, will be used by some O
the Valley county outfits. but other.
regard Beaumont oil as the more de
slrable dope" as but one dipping is
required, whereas with lime and sui.
phur 1t is necessary to give a second
dipping after an interval of ten davs,
The Marias Roundup association.
one OF the largest outfits in northern
Montana, will probably use Beaumont
oil in its cattle dipping operations. A
local stOckman who is member of
the association informs the River
Press, says that paper, that the Gulf
Refining company OF Houston, Texas.
handles the brand of oil known as
"Iickicid," and which is recommend
ed by government experts for dipping
purposes, as it contains small per-
centage of sulphur. The price quoted
on this oil I. 0. b. tank cars at Port
Arthur, Texas, is 55 cents per barrel
OF AZ gallons, tank car containing
about 5000 gallons. There would be
no economy in shipping the oil in bar,
rels, as the latter would cost three
times as much as the oil they would
contain. Eight Thousand gallons of
Oil, at the price quoted, would cost
about Sl05 f. 0. b. tank car at Port
Arthur, Texas.
AS to freight rates from Port Arth-
ur to northern Montana points, the
Oil company says the regular rate is
Sl.6O per 100 pounds, with an addition
al charge of SlO5 for the return of the
empty tank car. Correspondence
with railroad companies elicits the
information that the regular rate,
Port Arthur to Gallata, is Sl.5st. OF
this amount the railroads hauling the
product to Sioux City, Iowa, receive
o54 cents per 100 pounds, while the
northwestern road handling the bust
ness charges Sl.03 per 100 pounds.
The distance from Port Arthur to
Sioux City is about 1000 miles: from
Sioux City to Galata is about I.l6O
miles. The railroad people make no
mention Of charge for returning the
empty tank car.
AS the oil weighs IA pounds to the
gallon. shipment of 5000 gallons
will amount to nearly 10000 pounds.
At the regular rate Of 1885, cents
from Port Arthur to Galata, the
shipment would he about 1910. In
the account of an oil dipping expert
ment in Valley county reported re-
Gently in the River Press, the freight
Oh 5000 gallons Of oil was given as
SoS3.50, which is considerably less
than the regular rate now in force.
In response to applications by local
the Great Northern rail
road has agreed to handle oil for dip
ping purposes, if shipped via Sioux
City, Ia, at the rate of one per cent
per ton per mile. As the distance
from Sioux City to Galata is about
/ 1850 miles, this makes rate of 5s
cents per loo pounds between these
two points: and the regular rate of
o2l cents from Port Arthur to Sioux
5lty gives through rate Of Sl13i
per 100 pounds. A shipment of 5000
5allons or GO,OO0 pounds at this rate. /
figures out $6sl. This rate applies
only to cases in which application is
made. 1t is not known at this writ
Ing whether tank cars of smaller ca
pacity than 5000 gallons are i'm use
Tor this.purpose, which is matter of I
interest to those who would not need
50 large quantity of dip. 1t is un-
ierstood that each animal takes about
| gallons of oil out of the vat when it
S dipped.
The high freight rate on oil is an
unpleasant surprise to northern Mon
ana stockmen, as they regard it as
product that can be handled at very
little risk or trouble. Compared with