Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-20
Exodu., of the Texas Variety to
the Ranges Of the North
Country
THEY THRIVE IN SUMMER
cattlemen Find That Southern Cattle
Do Better In the Cooler Climate to
the North and Are Quickly Put in
Shape For the Market BY Feeding
on tho Ranges.


wo. DIS fair nor convention excursion
trains take precedence over the long
strings of palace stock cars rushing
from south to north this month, that
the largest shipment of Texas cattle
in the history of the west may be de-
posted on the range country, west of
the Missouri river.
Within thirty days 100 such trains
will have psssed thru Sioux City, and
from 10000 to 100000 southern cattle
will be partaking of the most luxur-
lant range grasses which many years
have produced. Next year at this time
these same cattle will be sent to the
markets OF the world to swell the
profits OF the beef trust, and mayhap
to make glad the stock grower, who
has, in many instances, staked his last
cent on the venture.
This stupendous movement of cattle
means SO much to the railroads, both
now and later, that they are sidetrack-
ing their fast express trains that the
long-horned, believing Southern ers"
may SPSSoily lGdCll lIicIE uGSllIldtlOll n.
Quick work means life to hundreds of
these animals. for they are naturally
FESTIVE, and their sharp horns frequent
ly gouge a fellow prisoner seriously or
fatally. Secretary of Agriculture Will
son has added expense and annoyance
to this years shipments by insisting
upon the enforcement of the law that
cattle shall be unloaded for feed and
water at least every twenty-eight
hours Hence the railroads and ship
pers have every incentive to hurry.
That the Texas steer" will shortly
appear sans the spreading horns which
have published his identity in every
land, is promised by the report from
the south that the calves are being de-
horned. This will increase their mar
ket value about 81 per head, and make
them eligible for the export trade, for
no animals with horns are taken by
the exporter, who knows the danger at
tending theiI. shipment across the un-
even seas. Horns have come under
the ban, which means that the 10000
900 calves born yearly are to bring
their owners at the time of slaughter
some $2O,O00,0OO Of additional profit.
II has ldhcIl lllG CdIllSIIlSIl VI CIlc
north long years to solve the riddle
of the Texas steer When they first
went for him ten years ago they
brought his mother and sister along
and determined that the northern
ranges should be peopled direct by
these hardy cattle. Losses which
bankrupted many a ranger resulted,
for the calves persisted by the thou
sands in the binding billiards, the
chilling rains and varying tempera-
lures which swept the treeless prairies.
Here the profits dwindled. Year after
year only brought failure, until the
wise ones began to study the problem
from natural hypothesis. They de-
cided that the calves should find a
welcome in the sunny south and that q
year or two of wild, rugged life should
be theirs before they should be trans
planted to the northern ranges. This
was the solution, and each year the
business grows enormously, until the
CRASHED steer crowds everything else
out Of the market in the summer time.
Thi is made possible by the peculiar
ly succulent character of the buffalo
grass which covers the wide sweep OF
country peopled by butcher stuff.
They grow fat on this as the feed -lot
cattle thrive ON corn and other stated
rations.
The southern rangeman is prosper
ing by this new development of the
cattle industry. He was formerly
content TO accept 81 to $40 for his
yearlings and 2-year-olds, but now he
insists on an advance of about $40
per head all around. The northern
rancher is enabled to stand this in
crease only because of the cheapness
of the forage in the trans missouri
territory
The railroads have this year greatly
helped the business by making a fiat
rate of 500 per car from Amarillo,
Tex, to South Dakota and $127.50
from Eel Paso. Tex. This is about one
third Of the regular tariffs. Under
favorable circumstances the southern
cattle are raised from their 300 to 600
pounds to SOC and LOO, making the
gain per head a good $40 to SIS.
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