Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1908-04-30
ERA OF cowMEN FAST. PAss,Ne,
Old Timers Gracefully Yield Field &c
Small Ranchman.

Gill us'i Injecting OF lne western South
Dakota Stockgrowers' association at
Rapid City. just past, new epoch in
stock meetings has commenced. 1t
required not the keen observer to
note the change in conditions and the
passing OF the old era made famous
by the old time cowmen The under
current was patent 1t was the adj
vent of the new settler, the former
land leaser from Iowa, Nebraska and
other Western states who has started
life anew in South Dakota and has
taken his place in the convention of
stockmen. pushing back the cowmen
who for many years have dictated the
policies of each succeeding conven-
ton.
Within the year the stamping
ground of the plainsman of South Da-
kota has become the home Of thou
sands Of small ranchers; the wide
range of the past is broken up into
hundreds Of homesteads where agri~
culture comes first and the cattle
business for the time being at least,
next. And these newcomers had
their representatives there during the
meet, mingling with the old timer;
worming from him bit by bit the
knowledge that only experience has
taught, and slowly but surely usurp-
Ing the place of the pioneer stockman
in the councils Of the association.
The changed conditions were greet
ed by the cowman with a grace as
easy as the manner of the cavalier.
The wide ranges Of the past have
gone forever; the thousands of cattle
that once roamed In big herds; the
South Dakota prairies farther than
the eye could stretch, are thing of
the past Dotted everywhere are the
lines OF railroads. smaller but better
kept herds already are commenced,
and the big cattlemen, shedding a
tear for the old days are silently
adapting themselves to the environ
ments brought about liz the new and
rapidly settling state,
An illustration was the friendly at
tempt OF number OF other towns to
secure for next year the meeting of
the stockmen. AS one man the old
timers lined up for Rapid City. Back
in 1892, when the present association
was formed. they expressed their SEN
timent in favor of Rapid City by in
cooperating in the bylaws the clause
that all meetings be held there. For
sixteen years the meets there have
been successful When the represent
tatives OF other towns brought up the
discussion of the ACCESSIBILITY of let
ting the others share the meet, the
feelings of the cowmen cropped out.
They are best shown in the words of
Tom Sweeney, pioneer cattleman of
Rapid City who replied What!
Take our stock1neet? We saw the
birth of the association. nursed and
Graded it in its infancy, and we
won't see it go from it's only home in
its last few years It dies with us.
So Rapid City keeps the stockmeet.
Throughout the meeting this feeling
was uppermost Quivers shake the
voice OF the strong-lunged cow:nan
who has seen his day. but his heart
goes out with a sigh for memory's
sake, to the little rancher who has
taken his place, and with the same
sturdy grip of the hand as of old the
pioneer Of the plains is about to lay
down his work and say to the small
rancher, THE field is yours, but beat
my record if you can For with the
passing of the range and his sense of
activity there is inevitably coming the
passing of the old fashioned stock
meet with all its boisterous good ma
ture and fellowship that can never be
equaled 1t may take five years, it
might be longer, but its doom is writ
ten
The breaking up of the range will
have a marked effect on South Da-
kota stock shipments. Such compa-
mics as the Franklin Cattle company,
the White River Cattle company, the
Holcolm interests, are gone. Where
in years past they have shipped an
nually many thousand head to market,
the small ranches must now make up
the deficiency. Instead Of ten ship
ments of 10000 each there now must
be 100 shipments of 1000 head each.
This will take years, but it will come
In time. The nucleus for these herds
already is being laid. The railroads
are planning more shipping points,
the government more inspectors, the
rancher more purchases. This year
will see necessarily small shipment,
but with each succeeding year it will
be larger.
Hugh Chittick, live stock agent for
the Milwaukee railroad, and himself
one of the old guard stockmen, de.
clares that the cattle from now on
viii be better, will bring higher prices
at market, and the loss during the
winter will be greatly decreased on
account of the larger crops and closer
attention the small ranches can sive.
Robert v. Carr, the cowboy poet Of
the Black Hills, rounded up the dele
gates at the convention and the visit
ing cattlemen for the Chicago Union
stock yards and distributed several
hundred copies Of his Cowboy
7 ,,;or,, breozy hits of Western life,