BUEEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 547 



returns. Tlio movement of the cattle froDi tlie State to Northern ranges had already 

 he^^uu ; hut, owing to a misunderstanding between the occupants of what is termed 

 the neutral strip (a map of which I sent you some time since), and the owners of the 

 herds on the trail, there had occurred a serious blockade near Camp Supply, in the 

 Indian Territory. I proceeded to this point, going via. Dodge City, Kans. I sent 

 yoii report of the situation, after seeing a large number of the cattle, their'owuers, 

 and the ranchmen of the strip early in August, and while there arranged to secure 

 and have secured since a complete list of all the cattle that left Texas this season by 

 this Dallas trail, as it has been termed. There were 31 herds passed between July 18 

 and September 10, ]8Sr>, numbering 78,133 head, and all in apparent good health ex- 

 cept a few, which died from poverty and black-leg. I have the name of every owner, 

 the number in herd, destination, and the counties in Texas they started from. About 

 the 20th of August I was notified by the secretary of the Western Kansas Association, of 

 Dodge City, that fever had made its appearance in several herds in the strip near the 

 Dallas trail, chargeable to the trail cattle, so I returned to Dodge City for the pur- 

 pose of investigation. On reaching that point I found Dr. Ilolcombe, State veterina- 

 rian of Kansas, there, investigating in the V pasture where the outbreak was claimed 

 to have been greatest. While awaiting his return I was fortunate in meeting the 

 owners and foremen of nearly every ranch on the strip that had been reported to me 

 a-s having fever, and they denied the existence of any outbreak. Dr. Ilolcombe, on 

 his return, informed me that he, accompanied by Dr. P. Harden, veterinary surgeon, 

 had spent ten days in searching for cases in this i)asture and foiiud one dead cow, 

 which had been dead over twenty-four hours, yet froin autopsy tliey both determined 

 she had died from fever. Returning to Texas 1 found letters from the Pan-handle, 

 notifying me of a fever outbreak in Donley County. I started on September 15, 

 and found quite a serious outbreak had occurred among the native and graded cattle 

 in the Cowhart & Co. pasture, near Clarendon. I sent you a report, at the time. I 

 liave since traced the cause of the outbreak and found it due to cattle shipped from 

 Kaufman and Houston Counties. The epidemic was of short duration, and the per- 

 centage of deaths less than in ordinary seasons, proving more fatal among high 

 graded cattle than native Spanish, yet several deaths occurrtul among these. The 

 losses in this locality I do not think exceed in all 75 head. Messrs. Finch, Nelson & 

 Co., Eowe Bros., and Curtis &. Atkinson are reported to mo as having lost fully '2M 

 head this season, the former JVom the passage of the Kaufman cattle through their 

 ranges, the two latter from cattle from Grimes and Limestone Counties. While on 

 this strip I arranged to secure a list, of all the cattle that had crossed at Doan's store 

 into the Indian Territory going North, and have since received it. From it I find 

 the drive foots up by this route for IsSo, i!40,354. 



Having sent out the circulars from Commissioner Colraan in regard to disease and 

 acclimation of cattle, I determined, from receiving so few replies, to travel over I he 

 ranges from Red River to the Rio Grande. As it was not practicable to make this 

 trip by public lines of travel, I secured a good team, guide, and hack, and arranged 

 to start October 1. But receiving notice of an outbreak of fever in VVheelrr County, 

 Texas, I shipped my outlit to Harold, Tex., and then crossing at Doan's proceeded to 

 Mobcetie, from which point I reported to you the result of tlie outbreak. Returning 

 to Red River at Doan's, I continued my long journey to the Rio Grande, and send you 

 herewith the result of that trip. 



The accompanyiug map, with the marked line (1) is the one from iuformation gath- 

 ered on the road that would be above any remote danger of infection. Starting as it 

 does at the northeast corner of Clay County, including that county and Archer, thence 

 south on fast line of Throckmort«n to the Clear Fork in Shackelford, I was induced 

 to place this line from the following facts obtained from Messrs. Curtis & Atkinson, 

 W. C. Worsham, Ikard Brothers, Hon. J. N. Simpson, H. C. Bedford, and a number of 

 other gentlemen who are strictly reliable, and who have been ranging in this section 

 for years. These gentlemen all agree that this lino, drawn as it is north of the Cross 

 Timbers, is in a high, healthy latitude; that cattle reared there are as freo from im- 

 parting fever to the cattle of the Northern States or Territories as t he cattle of Kansas 

 or Colorado; that they are subject to infection from contact with coast cattle, and 

 that while cattle of improved breeds when brought from colder latitudes are subject 

 to acclim.ation fever, tlie losses are slight, and when proi)erly care<l for do not exceed 

 10 per cent. Then Adlowing on this line (1) south as laid out on the map to the Col- 

 orado River, my judgment is supported by the report of a committee of the Brazos 

 and Colorado Ca1tli;men's Association, herewith submitted, marked A. After crossing 

 the Colorado River and on to Eagle Pass, I have similar testimony of many ranchmen 

 as to the safety of the line. Now, I wish to be clearly understood that 1 do not hold 

 that I reach in this lino the southern limit where infection begins; the vast extent 

 of territory to examine, the impossibility in a few months of gaining all desired in- 

 formation, renders it impossible lo absolutely define a line above which all cattle are 

 free from imparting this disease and below which all give otf the fever. Yet I do un- 

 liesitatingly aflirm that this line is as safe and reliable as any parallel of latitude hith- 



