The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-23

ing brands advertised: E. w. Casey,
Sloping Bottom ranch, Badger Cattie
Co. Little Missouri Horse Co., w. NJ
Thomson e. Co, Lemoyne Cattle Co,
| Soho Cattle Co., Chimney Butte ranch,
| Bullion Creek ranch, N. r, Ref: Gar
Co., Spring Creek ranch, Berry Bolce
Cattle Co., e. G. Paddock, Custer Trail
ranch. Towers & Gudgell. Bad Lands
Cattle Co., Neimmela ranch. AS the
| foregoing were about all the early day
ranches it is presumed they were all
| stocked by 1882. The question now
arises. from whence came b cattle!
The same copy of The Cow Boy tens
us that during the year the N. +. "a
shipped to the ranges in western Da-
kota, and Montana from Iowa, Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota 100000 head OF
yearlings and ~2-year-olds; many OF
which number must have been on ths
ranges when the severe Wlnter OF
1867 came and were from stock long
domest.cated. It's true that animals
of nearly all kinds soon adapt them
selves to changed condition.: the
change cannot be made in a day.
Mr.. Follis tells me that in the year
1886 the Berry Boice Cattle Co. plac-
ed on the ranges, late in the season.
5000 head Of Texas cattle OF which
80 per cent died; while Of 1000 head
which had wintered here the loss was
not great.
The w. N. Thompson Co. placed
500 head Of Minnesota yearlings on
the range late in the fall of which the
loss was almost total,
J. w. Follis says that he came to
the county in the spring Of "a and the
first cattle roundup took place that
year starting from what was then call
ed Mingusville; that J. w. Goodall
had charge of the roundup and that
the riders did not know the trails and
creeks but had to find them the best
they could.
In the year 1886 everything. looked
favorable for the stock business; the
ranchers were we'll organized; the
ranges we'll stocked; the help efficient
and the country well known. The
ity. had been in operation two years
killing from 5000 to 5000 head per
year The owners were at their homes
in the east and only visited their
ranches during the roundup season,
and this they made q picnic.
1t must be understood that no pro-
visions were ever made for the feed
ing Of any cattle. -
The. following from The Cow Boy Of
Dec. 80, SO. may interest some Of the
old timers: --.
S1lL1 - tlluS udS was d SCI
The thermometer registered % de-
grees below and a strong wind as
near a blizzard as the Bad Lands will
allow made it as uncomfortable a day
to be out Is any we have seen here
in three years" $50.
There is no Disgusting the fact
that the outlook for the cattle BUSH
ness has never been SO poor in this
part Of the country at this season Of
the year, as at present. The long hot
summer fairly parched the grass in it's
first growth, leaving the poorest win
ter feed that there has ever been
here. AS a consequence Of poor feed,
cattle are in no more than fair con-
dition, perhaps poorer than they have
ever yet been at this season in the
Bad Lands. During the thaw Of two
weeks ago., the top OF the ground was
saturated with moisture and in every
depression there was standing water.
This is now not only frozen solid but
is covered under a blanket of snow
at least five inches deep on the level"
During the month Of January the
weather was extremely cold; the mer-
curry seldom rising above zero and
most of the time as much as forty
below. Snow fell almost daily and
when 1t was not showing it was blow
ing a gale covering with snow all the
small hills which were as a rule bare.
Range stock commenced drifting into
town looking for feed and in a short
time there was a dead animal along
side of every building; this giving
a warning Of what was taking place
on the range.
News Of the conditions were sent
east and in the spring, early, the own
erS commenced to arrive at Medora to
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