Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-03-13
By ELMO

wHR HISTORY of mass prOduc-
tion Of beefsteak is the history
OF perhaps the only industry
which ever violated the time
henOreS westward movement Of
empire. In ancient times the near
Oriental barbariOus tribes moved across
Asia and eastern Europe; their migra-
tiOn and the conquest Of or a1InlA-
ture with the native peoples developed
the European races and natiOnalities
of today.
It was the urge to find q westward
route to India which led Columbus TO
discover America and start the most
spectacular westward movement OF all
history.
While one group of American pio-
neerS carried the flag OF empire across
a continent, shreWd Yankee traders
with their clipper ships sailed west
ward across the Pacific to carry the
trade Of q new world to the very peo-
pies who so long ago started this habit
Of travelling westward.
But the development Of beefsteak
travelled northwarQ, through some four
centuries, to the ranges o. Montana.
Montana's first cattle came into the
valleys Of the Beayerhead country even
ahead Of the coming Of James and
Granville Stuart, whose prospecting
led to the mining boonS-footsore cat
tie from the emigrant trains on the
Oregon Trail, bought by trappers
turned traders The cattle were driven
to Montana and wintered on the native
grasses and driven south again in the
spring to be exchanged, ready for bur
den, for other footSore and weary AMI
mails moving westward on the trail.
From various sources came the first
comparatively small range herds but,
when range fever struck Montanas
pioneer stockmen, Texas became the
source of the cattle which dotted a
thousand Montana hills Even some 20
years before the beginning Of Mon
tana'S range cattle boom, Nelson Story
Of Bozeman pioneered the Texas trail.
bringing some 600 head of cattle from
near Dallas, Texas, in 1866, Drawing In |
dian dangers on the Bozeman Trail to |
bring his herd to mountain ranges on |
the Upper Yellowstone and in the Gal
latin valley.
But the beginnings Of the great |
northern movement of cattle starts |
with the Spanish ConquisadoreS, who !
brought Spanish cattle TO Mexico near
" 400 years ago. AS the SpaniardS ex- !
plored northward through Mexico and /
the present American southwest, their
herds followed them.
When Americans were lured to Texas I
by prospect Of new land and new OPP I
portunities, naturally, they turned to
a great extent TO the range cattle bust
ness then in q very crude state OF de-
velopment and with comparatively
small market opportunities except for
hides. Similar conditions continued
through the history of the Texas Re-
public and on down to the end OF the
Civil war. With an entire continent
facing depleted food supplies after the
great conflict the north wanted Texas
cattle; likewise the Texans wanted
markets The northern movement
started in earnest. Great cattle trails
northward from the Texas ranges
spanned Indian country to Abilene and
Dodge City. Cattle numberleSs un-
branded and often unclaimed except by
he who could throw a rope rehabili-
tated War-poor Texas.
Then in the early eighties when Mon
tananS began TO consider their range
industry they turned to Texas and
started the worlds greatest northward
trek and wrote one Of the VESTS most
picturesque chapters.
Granville Stuart who deserted min
ing and commercial pursuits to become
one Of Montana first great rancherS
gives a word picture Of the Montana
Trail:
''The trail started at the Rio Grande,
crossing the Colorado river at San
Angelo, then across the Staked Plains
to the Red River, about where Amar-
Mo now is From there it ran due