Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-11-28
TEXAS CATTLE DIE ON PLAINS
1000, 900 Head of Live Stock Starv-
ing in Pan Handle Region.

Two million head of cattle in
western Texas are SO near starvation
, they can't be moved.
A section of the state covering as
much territory as all of Germany is
baked as hard as board floor and
| is without sign of vegetation.
The cattle loss already is $780,
100000 and that of farmers, cotton
raisers AID sheep, goat and horse
raisers equally as much. All the
sheep in western Texas are dead.
A plague of rats has swept the de-
vastated territory, eating up every
vestige of cactus, even the prickly
pear variety.
Professor Charles Mccarthy, spe-
cial representative of the food ad-
ministration, made public these facts
/ regarding the seriousness Of the
drought situation upon his return
yesterday from Texas, where he had
been to set in motion all state and
government machinery to cope with
the disaster.
1.-THE whole situation is a result
of our mistake in the past in doing
business" he declared. Il found that
with 100000 cattle starving, 80
per cent of the cotton seed cake and
roughage Of the state was under con-
tract to be shipped out. 1t has all
been enlarged now and by heroic
work we may be able to save three
fourths Of the dying cattle"
Mr.. Mccarthy announced that q
commission headed by Governor Hob
bic will at once petition Congress for
revolving fund" of $5O,00O,O
to be used as loans for feed, which
1t is hoped, will be sufficient to take
care Of the situation until March, be-
fore which time relief cannot come.
This will be used to feed the cattle
until the rains come and also to re-
seed the stricken area which has been
visited by record breaking drought
lasting seven months.
Already as a war measure Mr.. Nc
earthly has obtained priority order
for $4,000 freight cars to be sent in
to the district as we'll as al embargo
on all cotton seed cake and roughage
in the state.
Cotton seed cake amounting to
100000 tons ready for shipment to
European neutrals has been com
maldeered. 10000 tons lying on the
docks. at Galveston ready for ship
ment to Denmark being included in
the latter.
Four hundred car loads of the cake
were reported on its way into the dis
trict last night and the water supply
is being augmented by the boring of
water holes throughout the range
country.
"The situation is almost appalling
when one understands that the q
100000 starving cattle would be
sufficient to feed an American army
of 100000 men in France for two
years." Professor Mccarthy said
'The scene cannot be pictured. On the
ranges the cattle are staggering
around, mere racks of skin and
bones.
| About $4,000 have been taken
out to Oklahoma, Kansas and other
states, but the rest are too weak to
go. How many have already died
can only be conjectured. The coun-
try is as bare as hard board floor,
with every vestige of vegetation
gone.
THE farmers have quit cold
starved out, and il it hadn't been for
the seven army environments in the
state at which they have obtained
work they would be leaving. 1t is up
to the nation to stave off this deser-
ton of the panhandle region. The
stricken territory includes not only
western Texas but parts of New
i Ausn