Catastrophic Livestock Losses in the Big Bend
A harsh winter decimates ninety percent of range cattle and horses, pushing ranchers to financial ruin as they struggle to save what little remains.
The story, cleaned up
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A depressing story of the loss of stock comes from the Big Bend country. Fully ninety per cent of the range cattle are dead, and the horses fared little better. J. C. Bonar reports to The Herald that some of the cattle men endeavored to save a few head of stock by feeding them flour cakes after the other feed was exhausted, but that it is pitiful to see their condition. One of S. V. Hughes’ sons writes and gives a gloomy picture of the situation, and says that he managed to get a ton of barley by paying $90 for it in order to save his work stock.
“Fully ninety per cent of the range cattle are dead, and the horses fared little better.”
This report highlights the environmental volatility that defined early eastern Washington ranching. The loss of 90% of a herd was not just a tragic event for the individual ranchers; it was a systemic economic shock that shaped the development of the region's agricultural economy.
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