Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-12-12
new ERA ON
The RANGE.
This Year Fifty Million Steers
In the United States Should
RejOiGefOr Coming Changes

Chicago, Dec. liz Maybe those
range steers bawling out ll.iere ia The
feed lots would just hate all this
warmth and light and band music, 4
draWled al Texas ranchman at the
4 live stock show. He waved his hand
inclusively about the amphitheatar.
Beef critters from the range always
have got a bum deal, ever since We
began getting in this expensive breed
ing stock. Plenty of snow and north
wind for them in wint er hauled for
hours in crowded cars without water
only to get knocked in the head with
out q smell OF high life like this" Out
In the cold and tho snow, there were.
$4,000 tired steers waiting their turn
up the runway to the slaughter room.
Seemingly no Thanksgiving, Christ
mas Or New Years, brings to range
cattle canse for rejoicing.
s, And vet. If they did hut know it,
the millions Of suffering steers upon;
the range have cause for a grand Gel
ebration this year. for at last they
have found q friend. Alarmed at the
frightful loss and suffering during the
severe winters the United States GOV.
eminent has interviewed on behalf OF
the Ill used cattle and is moving a.
thousand governmental wheels to
bring about better conditions for the
live stock which form such 4 large
item in Americas annual bill Of fare.
Bound up with the governments
tardy action is the story Of the dis
coverys OF an $4,000. 600 teak In the
nations wealth Of a. lesson learned
from Canada and Of conditions on tlls
range that beggar belief.
For years reports hare poured In
to the Department OF Agriculture OF
the suffering and wholesale deaths OF
cattle left to winter on the range with
NO ether food than the grass that she
snow did not cover and no shelter
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 figures
are available 2.s87 ,027 cattle died
from all causes, over hair Of them sue
cumbing from exposure. Over 1000
600 sheep died from exposure and
another million from other causes.
Hundreds OF thousands sheep and
steers are left to their own devices
every winter when snow and lee
cover the grass Of the plains (the
only fodder for cattlel and after fran
tic futile efforts made by the cattle
70 penetrate the crusts Of ice, with
lips and noses torn to the bone and
blood freezing in their veins, they
mtltsly surrender to their fate.
his is awful, were it unavoidable.
bnt. according to the report, 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 q large percentage of
the stock may be lost if the winter
be severe one. and that il there is
no expenditure for food, the cattle
being made to subsist on the grass
OF the plains, even a heavy loss OF
cattle by cold and starvation may be
sustained and still leave profit to the
cattle raiser.
The financial loss incurred each
year In this way is estimated at no
less than 524,o00, 900. Thousand Of
frozen caTcasses can Be seen any
spring, lying In snow drifts OF lean
ing against the endless fences of the
railroad right OF way.
Now the free range is no more. 81
Yet the range methods persist. No
fodder or shelter is provided in
majority of cases and the average
3r:ancher expects to find a. loss Of So
70 l5 percent Of his stock at the end
of severe winter.
The full sig niffcanee to the wealth.
of the country OF this reckless waste
ct animal life IS only disclosed By i
careful sxanination Of recent govern
ment figures Of the value Of cattle.
The story they tell is startling.
On January 1, 1907. there wire ST !.
565, 731 cattle iii the United states.
exclusive OF milch cows. This was
the largest number in the history Of
the country This value Of these cat
tie was estimated at 1891, SRI 1893. III
spite OF the size of this figure it il
more than s25,oOo,oo less than the
total value in 1901, when there we're
six million less cattle. In other words
the hardships and losses due to the
range winter have not only retarded
the growth Of the number OF cattle id