The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-11-23
a Great WdSt6

Great WdSt6
pepIor.bIs Loss Of Money In Gus
ter County, Idaho.
Custer county has an area of
2,951.13O acres. and, out of this.
the National Forest Reserve have
l, ZIG, 78O acres. After deducting
the Forest Reserve, it leaves
1,174, $50 acres, and there is about
100000 acres surveyed lands,
leaving over 100000 acres for
sheep pasture and wild animals.
The records OF the Forest Res
erve Office, in ChalIis, show less
than 1000 head of cattle and less
than 10000 head of sheep graz
ing on this vast domain. For
the sake of argument, we will
say that the surveyed land prac
tically represents the occupied
lands of the county, and that the
100000 acres unsurveyed lands
outside the Forest Reserve, or a
total of 2,576, 76O acres represent
the open land of the county on
which sheep and cattle can Craze
during Z months of the year.
The larger part of the unsurvey-
ed land is not available for rev.
enue, except from the produc-
ton of meat product which is. in
constant demand at good prices.
We want to show the people of
Custer county the enormous
waste that is taking place right
here within her own borders, and
a waste that can never be recov-
cred. This vast area of land
grows grass suitable to make
meat, if used during the grass
growing season, and if not so
used, this grass dies and goes to
! waste, nor can you ever get it to
use again, for it is as useless as
common dirt for feed. Unmined
ore is not wasted for it is there
to mine in ten, twenty or thirty
) years from now. The same is
true of the timber growth. Un-
used grass is absolute waste. 1t
is estimated that from IS to Is
acres is sufficient to grow each
head of cattle, and about from 3
: to acres for each head of sheep.
We will deduct the area that 60,
600 head of sheep require from
!. above available range and we
get 2,276, 78O for the 1000 head
of cattle. 1t is estimated that TO
allow for bad land that 40 acres
of land ought to be ample for
every head of cattle or q total
range of 100, 900 acres. Deduct
ing this from above 2, 276, $50 and
we have 2.116, 78O acres of range
that goes to waste each year
I The above conditions continue.
!, the above wasted range, figuring
: 40 acres to each head of cattle,
will feed and grow nearly 5000
head more than now shown, and
rs each head of cattle will put
n on $40 worth of meat each graz
/. ing season, you can see that this
. is over a half million dollars
q gone to waste never to be recov.
cred, for the unused grass this
y season can never be utilized
8 again. These figures are stag
d gering to the sane mind. Why
. should the ranch men and bust
ness men of this county stand
- for such enormous losses ? Each
n years loss would build a railroad
Il from here to Boise. Some may
o say that it would be impossible
to winter the additional number
of cattle. True. But there il
nothing to prevent the purchase
of cattle in the Spring and grazt
.r tnem during the grass seasor
and then ship out or sell in tn,
late Fall. BY this way you have
saved the Half Million Dollar,
- for Custer county and increased
Of the wealth, and made Custer
to county take another first pre-
e MUM. We will assist all legiti
IL mate efforts to change this stat
3 of affairs. We would like to SEE
ne Custer county citizens occupy
the place they are entitled to il
Re Re the progress of the State of Ida
no. This vast waste should b<
As stopped. Every citizen of thi
&c county who send their none.
Al outside of the county for som
other community to profit by, ar
is lending their support to thi
= enormous waste, that is taking
" place annually. Let US keep ou
CHI money at home, and when yo1
is have no use for it we will be il
ne shape to assist the home peopl
m to cover these mountains wit
o. additional cattle, thereby increas
ing the wealth of Custer count