Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, September 30, 1923, Page 3

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1923.: ROMANCE FOUND IN SEARCH FOR ‘GOLDEN FLEECE’ IS D TOLDIN LITERARY CLUB ADDRESS Former Governor Reviews History From Days of Spinning Wheel; Origin of Industry in Wyoming Is Included. , BY B. B. BROOKS, Former Governor of Wyoming. There is about wool, something of romance in every stage through which it passes. The seasonable driving of the flocks from mountain to plain; the shearing and mar- keting; the manufacturing and selling; when buyers from all over the world cross seas and continents in search of the “golden fleece.” But the point I wish to make is that the romance of wool production is With these improvements the interwoven in the early history of|pankers of today consider the sheep all lands and was a vital factor in| industry a safe and profitable one early settlement. I recall the old|to finance, for in this business there spinning wheel of my childhood,|are two sales a year, wool and mut- which adorned every New England/ton, while in cattle, grazing for * farm house. beef production there is but one. Of course this evening I intend) The greatest changes in the entire to confine my remarks more di-|tivestock industry have been caused rectly to the past, present and by homesteaders and the constant future wool conditions in Wyoming-| passing of the open range into pri- The first flock was driven in short-| vate ownership. Keeping cattle on ly after Wyoming territory was or-| the open range was a great industry present is quite prosperous and I feel that it is a matter well worth while for us to try and maintain that prosperity. In this connec- tion, there are two very important matters which we should consider in order to insure permanent pros- perity. First, orderly marketing of wool, and second, freedom from tariff tinkering, or tariff reduction. On these two vitally important points I wish to say a few words. Some two weeks ago, I went to Chicago for a conference in connec- tion with maintaining the activities of the National Wool Warehouse Association. This is an organiza- tion formed largely by western Wool growers, some 14 years ago for the purpose of bringing about the co-operative orderly marketing of wool. Unfortunately, in the be- ginning the association was not well managed and in 1920 made ex- cessive advances on many wool clips, which has brought about financial embarrassment. Two years ago, Mr, Matt Staff of Mon- tana took the presidency of this Wool association and under his ex- ceptionally able management this organization has improved marvel- ously. Today, it stands as the one great opportunity for western woo! growers to secure a just and fair Price for their wool. We succeeded in re-financing the company in a very satisfactory manner and I am sure the growers will support it whole-heartedly, because it mean from two to five cents per pound more for all Wyoming wools, ganized. In 1870, the Durbin|pefore sheep raising got started in| year increased income for Wyom- Bres. of Cheyenne trailed sheep) wyoming. This state was the very| ing wool growers and equally help- from New Mexico into Southern last to welcome sheep and one early government report on the sheep in: dustry of the state says that there Were over two million cattle in Wyoming before there was a single sheep. When I settled in this particular | part of Wyoming in 1881, there were no shtep, nor settlers. It was just a big wide open cow range. For 60 miles up and down this wonderful Platte valley, there were only four important cow ranches, the Goose Egg, 10 miles west of here at the mouth of Poison Spider Creek; the old CY ranch, where Casper now stands; the VR on Deer Creek, near the present city of Glenrock; and the old Fiddleback. down near the present city of Doug- las. Of course there was a post- traders store at old Fort Fetterman, which at that time was the hub and center of all festivities. The few settlers at that time honestly be- lieved that the thousands of cattle on a thousand hills, with a half dozen cow ranches inhabited by a few score of wild and wooly cow- boys, of whom I was one, was abso- ‘utely all the country was good for and in fact all that it wou'd ever support. Then in the later eighties came the Northwestern Railroad, ani with it the sheep; and believe me. it was the sheep in those early days that brought the transforma- tion and prosperity. The old cow- boys were only employed about six months in the year, but the sheep ful for other wool growing states of the west. This of course, will add to the general prosperity of the entire west. A little later on able representa- tives of the Warehouse Association Wyoming and the next few years witnessed other importations from the same source or supply. In these cradle days of Wyoming, the losses among sheep trailed in from the south were appalling. Adverse cli- matic conditions coupled with woe- ful inexperience exterminated many flocks. About 1880, some hardy stock- growers began trailing sheep from Oregon. I was on the trail that year as embryo cowboy, helping to drive 2,000 Oregon cattle across the | territory of the Circle Bar ranch on Running Water, and I recall my amazement over the fact that sheep made better time on the trail than catt'e. Sheep would average neariy 15 miles per day and cattle only 10. Two years later I was trapping ‘en the headwaters of Green River in the western part of Wyoming territory and saw numerous bands of sheep trailing in from Oregon and Washington over both the old Cublette trail and the Lander cut- off. Some herds were very large, running up to four, five and even six thousand head. This importation of western sheep continued for many years, and was the main source of supply from which our ranges were so swiftly stocked, that in 20 years Wyoming became the first state in the Union in wool production. Between 1880 and 1890, there was a series of-very unprofitable years in the cattle busmess, and it was during this time that the sheep in- creased rapidly, until it was esti-] Utfits employed lots of men the mated that there were more than] ¥¢ar round; and whenever you find a million sheep in the state. Ten|# country where men are blesed years later, this number had in-| With steady employment, that is creased to 4,500,000 and since that] ®Mple work and good, pay, you are time the number has varied from] SUre to find prosperity. It never three to five million. fails and is just as true today as benefits of orderly co-operative ma: keting and the have made to properly finance ad- vances on wool through the aid of the Agricultural Credit Banks. I wish now to say a few words about the efforts we are making to prevent tariff tinkering. The movement of Western Pro- ducers, aided by bankers, chambers of commerce and otheh civic bodies of commerce and other civic bodies of partisan politics and secure the adoption of a permanent tariff pol- icy suited to the needs of the West, took definite form recently when nine Western Governors joined with the producing organizations in call- ing the Western Tariff Congress to meet in Denver, next Wednesday, October third. The Congress w Nkely remain in session several days The movement is strictly non-par- tison, following along the line of the Southern Tariff Association, with the primary purpose of taking the tarift out of partisan politics, creating a medium for the discfission of the tariff and other economic {ssues which affect the we'fare of Western producers and to assist in maintain- ing the present tariff duties upon Western products. The Congress will be a gathering of men who create and conserve the wealth of the West. It will develop the deliberate judg- ment of the most capable and most active citizens on the tariff policies of government. It will be an ear- nest and .friendly effort to adjust The metheds of handling sheep|'t was 40 years ago. Have no fear| business to government and govern- far Wyoming have been slowly] f hard times or adversity as long| ment to business. ‘Cehanging, almost from the begin-|®% men are profitab!y employed. It] “In the deliberations of the Con- is the “idle man's brain that is the Devil's workshop.” So, I can truthfully say that the ning of the industry. For many years no emergency feed was pro- vided and losses from hard winter: gress. the spirit of the West will go into travail seeking to deliver the highest and most capable express'on were staggering. Many conser’ wool industry has been one of the|of Western progress for the infor- tive bankers considered the sheep| 70st important factors in making| mation of the Congress of the Un- industry unduly hazardous and] thls splendid city, ited States, the president, the Tariff divbcadcatiarhba: oink thelhaoanel ortunately the wool industry at Commission and the nation.”* Gradually the more sheep men started the practice of buying and storing corn, oil cake and hay at convenient places on their winter range, to be used in cases of emergency. Another change has been in the improved methods of lambing, and every year sees more and better shelter sheds provided for ewes and lambs during the lambing period. | One of the main reasons for increased protec- tion during the lambing season is the fact that the lamb is relatively more valuable now than when sheep were run almost entirely for the wool they produced. In the early days wethers were grazed until they were three years old, but in recent years every lamb not needed for replacement in the flock 1s sold for three times the value of the fleece of a full-grown neep. Hence, every extra lamb Fa is ap immediate and direct addition to the income of the sheep business, a far-sighted SSeeeh tera eee = Are You Buying a VACUUM CLEANER? Be sure that the firm from which you buy a vacuum cleaner is maintaining a local ser- vice station where your machine will re- ceive the care promised in your guarantee. Buy from a concern that is in business in Casper, and one that is going to stay right here and be responsible for any statement made covering your purchase. Buy electrical goods from an electrical concern._ One properly equipped to give you service. Don’t buy any cleaner until you have a demonstration of The Hoover Sweeper Many more than 1000 Casper housewives are using the Hoover and obtaining a maximum of satisfaction. If you want an “Air Alone” Cleaner we have one as Sot ee a OOOO F your eyes are weak a “ pair of resting glasses 4 ‘Way assist them back to their former strength. This, how- ever is not a matter to be guessed at. Our optomet- rist will look into the struc- true of your eyes and dis- cover the exact cause or causes of your failing eye- sight and will specify the lenses that you need to bring them to their proper focus- ing strength. Our prices are reasonable. 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BROOKS SAYS id force him| tirely oblivious to the distress of on us when we already ha a tha 5) a ° ed from Canada and other countries] out of the business entirely. | the zd own = “i ne | as SIBUED cor hice tae LaF e URO eee at y | thet ) countrymen plus supply for which we are hay-| ter should be represented the increased supply will, of course It is also contended by Mr. § ae ;; vA | B. B. BROOKS. reduce still further the value of our|ver and the Farm Bureau that it| “We belleve that the cattle tariff | ing great difficulty in finding a mar-| ————— stockers and feeders. It will also|the Canadian growers continue to/ Should be both a protective and a | have a seriously detrimental effect | produce feeder cattle and are barred | revenue tariff. That the present long as America produces a! on the whole industry. The increas-|from American markets, they will| tariff does operate as a restriction on surt c we submit that a ed supply of feeder cattle will in-| develop a trade with Eastern Can-/the importation of Canadian catt's tariff suf high to exclude all ak crease the supply of finished beef nndjada and Great Brita!n to our detri-|{s demonstrated by the filing of the | fore, livestoc ald be the set will thus reduce the price of the fin-| ment Now as a matter of fact m Bureau's application The | led polic d States, and HES IN CALIFORNIA ished product. To increase the sup-/ Britain buys mparative'y little | producer of cattle in this country is | we respectf ally uest that the ap. ply of finished cattle will allow the|meat from us. If the condition sug-/entit'ed to Protection from his gov- | plication of the American Farm Bur. ; big packers an opportunity to fur-| gested were brought about so that at least to the same extent | eau Federation for the nullification | ther depress market prices. were shipping large quanti-|as a ‘manufac as Mr, Silver | of this protective tariff be denied.” || Word has been received by the “It seems apparent that when t Britain the result would | calls the cattle feeder. I have to some length in call-| Casper chapter of the American Red these, conditions exist ‘it is) not too} be not increased competition for the} rhe American producer of live-|ing your attention to thie matter be-| Cross from the Red Cross Hpme for much to say that a reduction of the! States, but increased compe-| stock pays taxes upon his land, upon | cause \ parallel case to the aj pled volunteer soldiers in Saw- tariff as asked for by Mr. Silver and| tition for the Argentine, where Eng-/ nis cattle, and upon his income for | plication filed by. the Wo ; Cal. that Ernest M. Schult, the American Farm Bureau Federa-/Jand at the present time buys most | the support of his state and national | Ufacturers to modify the merly of Casper died | there re- tion would be absolutely disastrous] 0f {ts imported cattle | governments His competitor on wool and either of these proposed | cently to the people of the range country. “Mr, Silvers’ entire application| Canada pays no taxes for the sup i ha would injure the live-| The home is endeavoring ¢o con- The producer of the foundation of| seems framed with the welfare of |Port of our schools or of this gov 1 n Wyoming and) tact relatives of the degeased. It beef in this country is entitled to! the Canadian, and not the American|ernment, which {s very hence f all business} is understood that he left a daugh- consideration. He has gone through| cattle grower in mind It is alreason y the American producer | inte | ter somewhere in Wyoming, though @ disastrous and disheartening per-| matter of no small wonder that the|should be given an advantage over |& there is no information available re- {od and has suffered more than any| American Farm Bureau Federation | his foreign competitor. We ean sec ding her whereaboaits. other. To increase his burden at’is so ardent in its championship of |no legitimate reason for al ess. 1 am_ personally hultz’s estate willsgo to the home this time would not only be an in- the Canadian cattle ma nd so en- Canada to dump its surplus nterested in this matter if none of his relatives are located. IK er