Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-01
Marshall County Furnishes
Story Likened Unto West
ern Plains
DRIFT WITH SNOW AND DIE
Forty Out of Sixty Head of Steers Be.
longing to James. McManus, of St.
Anthony, Perish - Twenty six Dead
Taken From One Ravine = Loss
Nearly $4,000.

| A story of cattle suffering and dying
was repeated on smaller scale in this
county during the blizzard of Friday,
| when James McManus, a well-known
farmer living one mile west of St An
thony, lost forty out of sixty head OF
steers, valued at the time of death at
$4,000. Had the animals lived to have
been finished they would have brought
on the market at least $4,000.
{ The steers, all feeders. were quar-
tered in a ninetyacre stalk field. MI.
McManus and his wife are spending
the winter at Turlock, Cal. and the
stock on their farm had been left In
charge of Ray and Edmond koeppel
! When the storm broke the two young
men started out to round up the cattle
and drive them to shelter.
I! Break Fence and Escape.
| \ In the very worst of the storm Friday
morning the koeppel brothers started
out to save the cattle. Facing the storm
was almost a superhuman effort. but
! for four or five hours the young men
/ worked in an effort that proved futile.
/ The cattle had found a break in the
/ fence, presumably caused by the high
wind, and were drifting with the storm.
Animals Become Panic Stricken.
I Several times did the herders get
small punches of the steers rounded up
and faced toward shelter, but each time
the animals, beloowing and stamped
ing, turned from the face of the north
west wind, and went with the storm.
and away from safety After exhaust
ing every particle of strength in them
I the brothers returned home, unable 10
do more, and themselves more dead
than alive from exposure.
/ Twenty-Six Dead in One Bunch.
i Saturday, after the storm cleared. a
searching party went out to see II any
of the cattle had escaped death. TWen-
ty-six head were found in one bunch,
| living frozen in the creek. All mao
either drowned in the water and slush
! Of the Big Minerva, into which they
! had stumbled in their mad flight or
! had perished from exposure. others, IN
! singles and pairs, We're found at differ
emit points where, after becoming eS-
hausted, the steers lay down to die.
Fourteen head were found alive near
| August Schapers Farm, four miles
| southeast of the McManus place. 1t was
said Saturday night that it was not be-
| lieved half of this number would sur
vive owing to shock from exposure.
/ AS communication with ST Anthony
! from this city has been cut off since the
(, storm, it was not possible today to
ascertain how many of the SURVIVORS
did die, or how many more OF the
| twenty head that were still missing on
Saturday had been accounted for, eth
| er dead or alive.
Steers Were Fins Lot.
| The McManus herd WAS a prime lot
Of stuff, all weighing close to 1000
pounds, and all in the finest possible
condition. At the least calculation they
were worth $50 per head. so Mr.. NC
Manus' loss will be at least $4,000. and
probably more, as the actual loss Will
doubtless be more than the forty head.
Experts on stock, who knew the NC
Manus herd, said that by the time the
steers would have been finished they
would be worth around 500 per head.