The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-11-02
INDIAN CATTLE
SALE AT Fl. HALL.
Few Bidders Present
Cattle Sold at 1910
to Sc per cwt.

to So per cwt. -
The annual sale Of Indian cattle
was held at Ft. Hall Indian agency
on Monday afternoon, but not many
bidders were present. A good many
local cattlemen and some farmers
attended the sale, but there were
only q few bidders. The prices
ranged from $3.50 for cows to $500
for good three year old steers. The
best of the cows brought $3.50 and
several lots of steers went at $3.50
to $5.70, the last selling at $500.
e. M. Kennedy Of Blackfoot
bought three or four punches, Swig-
gerts Brothers Of Pocatello bought
some and A. p. Jones OF Los Angeles
and J. o. Morgan and Hyrum Green
of Blackfoot bought some. One or
two foreign buyers were there, but
did not buy.
The cattle were in good condition,
some Of them ready for slaughter.
and none of them thin. Most of
them were dehorned Herefords and
all of them had come right of Of
good feed in Ft. Hall bottoms. They
had been handled quietly and driven
over from the upper end Of the bot
toms that day. They were to be
weighed on the day following the
sale, and were kept at the stock
yards without feed or water Monday
night, so they would be moderately
shrunk before weighing.
At the time the sale began, half a
dozen pens had couple Of carloads
each, and other punches of cattle
were being held out on the range
ready to drive in. About seventy
five Indian cowboys and smaller
number of white men were in charge
of the cattle or visiting at the sale.
A little group Of Indian women and
maidens were present at the sale
and a few white women. The day
was cold and the crowd began to
dwindle before the sale was finished.
Some of the comments made by
the stockmen at the sale were that
the Indian cattle are handled
rougher in the roundups than those
raised by white men usually are, and
that this is an obstacle in feeding
them. When anybody enters the
feed yard or field, 1t disturbs them
and they do not gain flesh like the
gentler stock that are kept on the
range in summer, but on the ranch
or farm every winter. These seem
more at home and do not start up
and show agitation or nervousness
when people appear. The Indian
cattle spend the winters in the open
bottoms and seem to feel quite out
of their element when placed in a
field or yard, and are said to ap-
proach the feed timidly as II 1t did
not belong to them or as II they con-
sidered 1t dangerous to take it.
Under such strain they do not gain
weight rapidly like the animals that
feel. at home in any feed lot or field.
Experienced feeders say it is well
to keep all. cattle quiet to get the
best gains. Some Of them say that
to put any cattle into a. yard and
have strangers coming and going
among them disturbs, them even II
they are accustomed to people. They
say that the same men and the same
horses should be used to feed them
all the time and that others should
not go among them unless 1t can be
done without the animals showing
any uneasiness at all. Uneasiness
that makes the animal quit feeding
or quit chewing, interferes with the
fattening and the income and the
profit on that animal.
1t was said that the Indian cattle
do not have the same respect for
fences that most others do, and that
if they are turned into field to
clean it up, some of them are apt to
walk thru the fences and return to
their native hills or bottoms and
thus be lost to the new owners.
Whether this is true of them more
than of other cattle, can be best de-
termined by a study Of the subject.
As the Indians and the farmers come
to understand these matters better
they will all be able to modify their
methods to secure better results.
The total of the sales was re-
ported to be in excess Of $4,000,
and stockmen who looked over the
animals and studied the market re-
ports expressed the opinion that the
buyers had gone as high in their
bids as they could reasonably go and
have chance to handle them sue
cessfully.
w. D. Pierce Of Blackfoot was the
auctioneer, and in opening the sale
he expressed satisfaction in having
the opportunity to bring together
the red man and the pale face in
transactions that ought to be mutu-
ally pleasant and profitable. He
said that the sellers reserved the /,
right to reject any and all bids, and
when the first bunch was run up to
$5.45 and seemed to rest there, he
held a conference with the owners
and Indian Agent Donner and an
nounced that this price would not be
accepted. The bidders rallied at
them good naturedly and suggested
that the sellers name their dead
line and then the bidders would
know whether to bid or go home.
Then the bidders mellowed up and
sent the price on up to $5.57h and
stoned again. and this was accented