Bisbee daily review., 1907-12-15


began getting in this expensive breed
ing stock. Plenty of snow and north
wind for them in winteF-hauled for
hours in crowded cars without water
only 10 get knocked on the head
without smell of high life like this. ?
Out in the cold and snow there were
$4,000 tired steers waiting their turn
up the runway to the slaughter room.
seemingly no THANKSGIVING or CIrIsU-
mas or New Years brings TO the mill
lions of range cattle cause for re-
loicing
ANY yet, if they did but know it, the
millions Of suffering steers upon the
range have cause for a grand celebra-
ton this year, for at last they have
found a friend. Alarmed at the
frightful loss and suffering during Sc
we're winters the United States gov
ernmeut has interviewed on behalf of
the Infused cattle. and is moving a
thousand governmental wheels to
bring about better conditions for toe
livestock which form such a large
item in Americas annual bill Of fare.
Bouhd up with the governments
tardy action is the story of the dis
covery of $S0e, 100000 leak in the
nations wealth, Of a lesson learned
from Canada and of conditions on the
range that beggar belief.
For years reports have poured in
to the Department of Agriculture OF
the suffering and wholesale deaths Of
cattle left to winter on the range
with no other food than the grass THAI
that the snow did not cover and no
sheiter-but many new line fences.
Each year the report was worse and
finally, not long ago, the Department
sent an agent to investigate, and to
suggest possible remedies.
The situation he found was fright
full. in the last year for which fig
ures are available 2,6S7,027 cattle
died from all causes, over half of
them succumbing from exposure. Over
,000, 600 sheep died from exposure
and another million from other
causes. Hundreds of thousands of
sheep and steers are left to their own
devices every winter, when snow and
only fodder for the eattle) and after
frantic, futile efforts made by the
matte to penetrate the crusts of ice,
with lips and noses torn to the bone
and blood freezing in their veins, they
mutely surrender to their fate.
LIS 10 awful II
but, according to the rejort. the most
awful part of it seems to be that no
attempt is made to provide food. wa
ter and shelter for the stock, it being
calculated that a large percentage
of the stock may be lost if the winter
be a severe one, and that if there is
no expenditure for food, the cattle
being made to subsist on the grass of
-,1o hnayy,- nf +
tie by cold and starvation may be
the cattle raiser.
TIE financial loss incurred each
year in this way is estimated at no
less than $4,000 600 Thousands OF
frozen carcasses can be seen any
spring. lying in snow drifts or leaning
against tie endless fences of the rail
road right OF way,
Now the free range" is no more.
Yet the range methods persist. No
fodder or shelter is provided in a ma
jority of cases and the average ranch
CT expects~tQ find a loss Of 80 to
IS per cent OF his stock at the end
of severe winter.
The full significance of the wealth
of the country Of this reckless waste
Vi dAIkltdl hit - OAllg NLoIAOSEN ~ q
careful examination of recent gov
eminent figures of the value of cat
tie. The story they tell is startling
On January /, 1907, there were ST.
565, 731 cattle in the United States,
exclusive of mich cows. This was
the largest number in the history Oh
the country The value Of these cat
tie MAS estimated at 1881. 557 1893. in
- - - l.
more than $4,000, 900 less than the
total value in 1901, when there were
six million less cattle. In other
words tae hardships and losses due
to the range winters have not only
retarded the growth of the number OF
cattle in the country but they have
also caused a marked deterioration in
the quality OF the survivors.
On the basis of the government Zig
ures the averge value Of the cattle .,
the country on January 1, 1901, was
trifle under $4,000 apiece. Six
years later, on January /, 1907, after
| the ranges had been fenced in and
grazed out, the average value was a
little over $1,000 or a depreciation oil
nearly fifty per cent. AS was seen
this loss is absolute as well as rela
tive and the country's cattle are moi
worth today the price d the smaller
herds Of six years ago. On the basis
OF the 1901 values the farmers and
stockmen OF the country ought d. iii.
moment to be richer than they are
D. $500 .000, 600 Clearly it is 10 &c
ncIe Sam 10 find ONE mean: OF
putting a stop t. ;nis enormous d.
| probation.
The Department of Agriculture has
opened its campaign by trying to in
duce stockmen to provide food and
shelter, by showing them the profit
! to he made in that way In the mex
place it is urging them to rest theiI
overgrazed lands, and to promote bet
ter grass growth by heseeding of pas
lures. The stockmen themselves are
asking FOR some kind of Legislation
which will enable them to lease anC
improve sections Of the public iant
so that they will be capable of taking
care OF the large herds now grazing
on them. Lastly, the best solution o
/ the difficulty lies in cutting down III
herds and grading up the stock, SC
l that when the stockmen can no ionge
| grow beef he will be in position Il
dispose of high class feeding cattle
which he win aim to sell as yearling
or 2-yearolds to Eastern feeders
/ All these points are brought out II
the recent report Of j. s. Cotton, VIII
IS assistant in range investigation fo
the governments Bureau OF Plant In
dustry. The hearty cooperation o.
the livestock men is required befors
any great results can be put to wha
is now blot on the country's indus