Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-03-27
Mushroom Towns of Early Days Were Hectic Spots the
Map the Wilderness of Montana and All of Them Fruit Of
the Pioneer Prospectos Fened Search for Gold Deposits

THE horse bred In Montana" he
wrote, lis believed to be the best of
his race. Conditions Of water. feed and
altitude combine for the development
of great lung power and superiority Of
bone and hoof Certain it is that the
world knows no harder animal than
the wtry and unttring cayllSe of the
western plains He has been endowed
with wonderful ability to Withstand
punishment"
But at the expiration Of the Boer
war. MIR. Leavens states, Montana had
been practically cleaned Of the best
Of her saddle horses.
While the cattle and horse industry
was reaching the apex Of its prosperity
the sheep raising business was still in
its infancy. In later years as we know,
it has rivaled the cattle industry as 3
profit making occupation. For sheep
will fatten where cattle may starve.
A. S. Wiley, at one time president of
the Custer County Wool Growers as
ISOLATION, has written:
II have seen sheep leave rich paStur-
age to feed on sage brush"
Bitterly did cattle men resent the in
trusion Of bands OF woolly little ami
mails into their domain, asserting that
sheep utterly destroyed the range. The
| feud between cattle men and sheep
men has made colorfm page in Mon
tana's history and furnished fiction
writers with much over-colorful ma
terial.
Up to 1890 the flocks in Montana
were composed of strong crosses Of
| Spanish merino blood. Then from Eng
land and from Australia other strains
were introduced and successfully
croSsed-the Cotswold, the Lincoln, the
oxford Downs and the ShropShires. An
experiment that resulted in more pal
atable mutton and finer, more abund-
ant fleeces.
Quoting again from A. s. Wiley:
None but perfectly healthy and Wig
orous sheep produce a strong fiber in
freer from disease and of Stlrdier
health than those in any less arid
climate. Hence the fiber Of Montana's
wool is not surpassed in strength in
any country"
Among the men stin living who are
identified with some form of the cattle
industry - whether COWS, sheep or
horses-and have helped to raise it to
its present status of efficiency are
nell, Charles Spears, Rudolph Mott,
Harry Snider, Robert LeaVens. and the
late Tom Snidow.
Railroad Stimulated Industry
The coming of the Northern Pacific
was beneficent factor in stimulating
the western cattle industry Before that
time cattle we're driven hundreds Of
miles to various shipping points. From
the Sun river ranches via Snake river
to Granger, a distance Of $50 miles;
from Sun river via Musselsheu to Pine
Bluff, 700 miles; from Sun river to
Bismarck, or from Sun river to Fargo,
800 miles.
To D. j. Hagan is given credit for
driving the first herd of cattle out Of
Montana. This was in 1853 The herd
was driven to Salt Lake for beef for
the workers on the Union Pacific rail-
road. In 1874, according to record,
James Forbes Of the Sun river range,
made the first shipment OF cattle out
of Montana east to Chicago. In 1884 the
total valuation of cattle on Montana
plains was estimated to be approx
mately $30,000,000.
Misfortune Suggested Cattle Industry
1t is an interesting, though legend
airy story, that misfortune became
fortuitous and suggested to pioneers
the possibilities OF a mammoth cattle
industry in the west with its dry sum-
mers and bleak winters. 1t is said that
bull train from the Diamond r ranch,
enroute to Fort Custer, heavily laden
with government provisions, became
SnoWbound on the trail The bull
whackerS, faced by an unsolvable di-
lemma. could think Of no better So
luton than to turn the oxen, already
worn to skin and bones by their siren
uous haul, loose to die on plains COW
cred with three feet Of snow, through
which protruded only occasional w1spS
OF SagebruSh and crossword. But the
oxen did not die. Instead they fitted
themselves to their environment and,
to the aStonishment Of all concerned,
appeared in the spring fat and sleek.
This occurrence did not actually give
birth to the cattle industry for it was
in 1880 that the outfit had started out
from the Diamond r and for 20 years
before that few dauntless experiment.
ers had been successfully raising and
shipping cattle. But without doubt the
incident did prove to the skeptical the
possibilities Of winter free range and
tend to enlarge the cattle industry.
Viewing, then, the Kaleidoscope pic
ture Of Montana during the past 70
years we see first the lone prospector
out in the hills with pick and pan. Then
the long trains Of covered wagons snak-
ing their slow way across the plains. We
see great clouds of dust obScuring the
southern horizon and presently out Of
those clouds merge whooping cowboys
driving herds from Mexico or Texas
into the northwest We see roundupS.
We hear the protesting bawl Of brand
ed cattle. We hear the mournful song
of the cowboy as he rides herd at night.
We see the covered sheep wagon and
the solitary figures of man and dog
with their bands Of sheep Gradually,
through the years, we note the plains
becoming ever more thickly freckled
with sheep and cattle. We see towns of
shacks and tents becoming thriving
marketing centers and growing into
cities For today Montana is recognized
as one Of the most profitable fields for
one Of the largest industries in the
World