Gunnison news-champion., 1923-03-09
NEW STOCK BRANDS
N THE GUNNISON VALLEY
by Walter EnbomD

by Walter EnbomD
Th. STATE Board Of stock Inzpse-
ton Commissioners have gTanted the
fa..oalay stock brands 10 parties in
Gnul-pu county:
IS To Ida q. Wilson, sapinero.
IGaa ycl,H. erf. Crested Butte. |
~ VIM. F. Klein, trf. DoyIeviIle
"a VIM F. Klein, IT.. DoyleviIIe.
Readers Of the New Champion viii .
note that the securing Of good stock 4
brands are still Of great Importance /
The livestock industry has beer the I
one important money-maIng business
Of the county, and undoubtedly will /
continue TO be the backbone Of this I
community.
In the days gone By many oontro-
verslcs about brands on the ranges
have been the cause OF more than one
shooting zrrape and court case. In !
present, day however, such misunder-
staEdIugs are guarded against By a 4
more systematic recording of brands
and q closer supervision Of the live
stock on the ranges, and range battles
Of old are going into oblivion as the
country becomes settled and civiliza-
IuH advances. During the last 25
years, great comprehensive changes
have taken place on the western slope
and especially in Gunnison county,
such as improving the grade of stock,
a longer feeding season, the superyi-
sion OF the national forest areas By
tho government and the disappearance
of the public domain. The invasion of
the former cattle ranges by sheep in
recent years also has caused radical
changes in the raising Of live stock
and been the object Of protest from
many Old-timc cattlemeu who We're
strcnuously opposed to the idea OF
Gunni son County falling into the
rank Of the sheep-raising countries.
/, is evident that some herds Of
cattle within the county are being
greatly diminished in size as the
years roll by The main reason for
this Is evidently TO be found in that
the public ranges have been opened
for homesteadcrs and thus taken the
free ranges away from the stoclCmen
who wers accustomed to let their
herds Craze over the entire country
without any objection or any fences to
Obstruct the free movements Of tn
stock Nevertheless, the livestock in
dustry is not 10 be considered TO be n
declining state, inasmuch rs tn
small herds are becoming more numer
Gus and take the place Of the big herd
Of the old days. II is also true thai
the new system now coming int
vogue, of pasturing the smaller herd
in privately owned pastures, is NOR
desirable from a uouey-making stand
point. the stock can be run individually
TO suit the owners, insofar as the kin ,
and breed of stock that suits the H. !
dIyidual owner. For instance. If one !
cowman wishes to run Herefords or ,
Shorthorns, he does not have to con- !
suit the other owners that share the !
same range, as is the case whca cat '
tie are run in pool herds. OF cou sc .
all practical live stockmen know il is
decidedly an advantage to have tho
same kind of stock in n community Tor {
breeding purposes. There is another {
advantage in favor of the pasture sys- |
tenn of grazing cattle, which is the c
decided reduction in overhead expense
for riders and 'strays," also the in ,
creased calf crop is an item that many {
of the open range cattemen have not {
given proper credit. !
In Il recent issue of the News-Cham-
pion we called to your attention the '
fact that the Pacific coast markets c
could be developed with great advant- {
age to the Western Slope of the state. /
Recently We received 4 commu-
from Harry Coombs, Of Salt
Lake City, former resident of Cum I
nison, telling about the Sixth Annual
Intermountain Livestock show to be {
held in that city April 3 TO 7 inclusive. I
We quote Mr.. Coombs as follows: j
This viii be one of the best shows s
that has ever been held in the
intermountain region. There viii
be entries from all over the L. S.
We are giving in the neighbor- |,
hood of $1,000 in cash prizes.
Would be awfuliy glad to see some
of the Gunnison county cattlemen (
attend the show, and see no reason
why they could not sell or buy to I
as good advantage here as they 4
can in Denver" ID
Mr.. Coombs who is member of |
the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce |
and of the livestock committee there, I
sends US program of the proposed l
show, which may be seen at the News i
Champion at any time our stockmen
are in town. Ii