El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-12

Where will the United States gel
its beef supply in a few years from
now, if the farmer continues his en-
croachment upon the ranchman2 THIS
is a serious question that faces She
economist of today and calls for a So
luton
Farmer May Solve Problem.
Many declare that the farmer Will
begin raising beef in a small way
to take care of local needs and COLI
sumption; that he can do it, by giving
care to his herds and properly feeding
them in winter, in such a way as 20
furnish the country even more beef at
a smaller price than the big cattle
man ever could do, because of the
terrible losses and the undue waste on
big ranches where the stock had but
little attention and a SO percent loss
was not unusual This, many believe.
will be the solution of the beef prob
lem: if it is not, there is a big eco
nomic question before the American
people in this onward march of the
farmer and the disappearance of the
cattleman.
Here is an, example, taken from a
paper at Silver City, New Mexico,
which is merely one Of scores that are
seen every week throughout the greet
western empire once the cattle king
dom of the world showing the effect
of the new western movement of soil
tillers:
"A directors meeting of the Nelson
CATTLE company was. held in the Sill
yer City National bank. John Mex.
Thompson will continue to act as the
company manager and expects to close
UP the affairs Of the company, which
will go out of business because Of the
overcrowded condition of the country
that was heretofore free for a cattle
range; it is now settled up with far =
ers The company's Lone mountain
ranches were disposed of to the Chino
Copper company, which will settle
farmers upon them to- raise supplies
for the mines; the Thompson BroS
purchased the Burro mountain ranches
and viii put them on the market for
homeseekers, and the horses Of the
company are TO be shipped east and
sold"
The CattIeman's Waterloo.
A similar item can be read every
week in any state west of the Mis-
souri, It may be worded differently,
but it tells of big cattle company
going out of business and of the lands
passing into the hands of farmers G
those who would prepare them for the
farmer.
Only two weeks ago. an item in a
Montana paper told of a great ranch
company that had just sold its belo 1e-
ings TO a corporation that would cut
it into small farms to be cultivated
under the new dry farming methods
In Wyoming, the papers Of Chey-
enne and Sheridan and other towns
are burdened with column after col
urnn of ho1nesteaders' final notices,
where the space was once occupied
with the advertisements OF the brands
of the big ranches. Idaho is bringing
in beef in refrigerator cars for fe ID
ing the families of the farmers who
have moved in and taken up the
ranches; Washington. Oregon, Utah, !
Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona
are doing the same thing. There are
many cattle in all these states but
the figures will not total what they
were 10 years ago by so percent, and
the range area is gradually growing
smaller and smaller as the energetic
state Officials in charge of the imrn'-
grafton bureaus Of the different grow
ing states see their efforts crowned
with success as train after trai i
switches out emigrant car after emil |
grant car the smoke curling from a |
stovepipe sticking from a window, .ui |
a dozen or so children, poking their |
noses from the big double door on the /
side, mingle their laughter with the |
neigh Of the horse or the moo Of the |
family COW, inside with the furniture |
and the dog-for an emigrant car. the |
prairie schooner of today, is not the |
covered wagon of Is or 20 years ago, !
but is a box car of some railroad, with /
a window in one side or maybe a win /
dow in each side. Into this car the |
whole family chambers after loading |
all their household. farmyard AID