Page:A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains (1879).djvu/200

 and ragged. The herds mix on the vast plains at will; along the Arkansas valley 80,000 roam about with the freedom of buffaloes, and of this number about 16,000 are exported every fall. Where cattle are killed for use in the mining districts their average price is 3 cents per lb. In the summer thousands of yearlings are driven up from Texas, branded, and turned loose on the prairies, and are not molested again till they are sent east at three or four years old. These pure Texans, the old Spanish breed, weigh from 900 to 1000 pounds, and the crossed Colorado cattle from 1000 to 1200 pounds.

The "Cattle King" of the State is Mr. Hiff, of South Platte, who owns nine ranches, with runs of 15,000 acres, and 35,000 cattle. He is improving his herd rapidly by means of imported shorthorn stock; and, indeed, the opening of the dead-meat trade with this country is giving a great impetus to the improvement of the breed of cattle among all the larger and richer stock-owners. For this enormous herd 40 men are employed in summer, about 12 in winter, and 200 horses. In the rare case of a severe and protracted snow-storm the cattle get a little hay. Owners of 6000,8000, and 10,000 head of cattle are quite common in Colorado. Sheep are now raised in the State to the extent of half a million, and a chronic feud prevails between the "sheep men" and the "cattle men." Sheep-raising is said to be a very profitable