The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-02-09
GREAT HORSE RANGE
BIGGEST IN THE COUNTRY IN
STATE OF WASHINGTON.
Eleven Thousand Improved Animals
Roam the Immense Range
and Require No
FeoUlng.


Stretching for 200 miles on the north
side of the Columbia river, from point
opposite The Daiiog, ore. away toward
the Big Bend, III Washir gton, lies the
largest exclusive horse range in the
United States. In tAis great expanse OF
variegated hills, prairies and sand dunes,
upland plateau ana river buns, range
the holdings of the Switzlers, John
and Jade" numbering l1,O00 head OF
horses, says the Cnicaeo Chronicle.
For the last 90 years tiis expanse OF
country has been the range of the Switz-
lers, formerly William, John and Jade.
In 1888 William dieu aLd the two ether
brothers continued in partnership for
several years, when they diyioed, and
each now conducts mis- own interests.
Jade Switzier lives at Expansion,
Klickitat county, wash, IL miles be-
low the town oi Umatilla on the north
side of the Columbia. John Swltzler
lives on Switzlers island in the Co.
lumbla river, near the town of Umatilla.
Jade Switzler owns 1900 head of
horses and john owns 1000 head, the
range for both these immense herds pe-
ing in the territory from The Dalles to
the Big Bend.
At the highest tide Ct the Switzler
holdings, before William Switzler died,
head of horses. This was said to be the
largest herd of horses ever owned by one
company in the United States. The
Switzler brand an IS" on the hip, was
known from the Atlantic to the Pacific
ocean, as they shipped and drove horses
to every known marnet In the United
States.
In the early history of the Switzler
horse industry the holdings were cay
uses-small hardy, incorrigible pinto
and buckskin mustangs-the hardest
brand of equines that ever trailed be-
hind the cattle herds from the Pacific
coast to Cheyenne in the early days
or that followed an indian trail over
the precipitous mountains of the inland
empire.
But the cayuses are now entirely
weeded out. The Switzlers sold 1000
head of these mustangs to the Linnton
cannery atthe contract price of three dol
lars head, delivered, Since that clean
up the class of horses raised on this
immense range has been greatly i'm
proved, Large draught stations have
been crossed with the wiry, nervous
western mares, and the result is a grade
of horses weighing from 1000 to 1,2OO
pounds, that are fit for any ordinary
service, and bring the highest price in
every market. About 600 stations are
kept.
On this 200 miles of range II 900 head
of wild horses reign monarch of all
they survey. The Columbia and Yakima
rivers are their. watering places, they
run over parts of three large counties.
and there are colts on the ranges two
and three years old without brands, and
that were perhaps never seen by one of
the Switzler herders.
Roundup corrals are built about ten
miles apart over this great range, and
the so men employed in the roundup
gather and brand the colts in the fall.
The two brothers own about 200 head of
trained saddle horses-a large drove OF
horses In itself.
None Of this great herd is ever fed a
particle of feed during the winter sea-
son, the sandhills and rolling prairies
affording sufficient nutritious feed the
year round.
Settlers are crowding the vast raE ge.
Watering places are being fenced up.
and slowly the great expanse is narrow
ing down, but there yet remains an en-
pire in extent. ~
Horse stealing is more or less preva-
lent In the Switzler range, the very mag
nitude of the business making 1t i'm
possible to guard against renegades from
the outside, who slip in and appropri-
ate what they can safely take away.
q a q