316 EEPOKT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL IITDUSTRY. 



have been driven along them and grazed and afterwards the native cattle have 

 died. I have given it as my opinion that the disease was what is now known as 

 splenic fever, as the symptoms were similar to those in Kansas and Colorado. My 

 ranch is in Throckmorton County, and of course this report is what I have seen 

 and heard in this county. 



Messrs. T. C. Sterrett & Sons, Albany, Shackelf ord County: 



In reply to question No. 2 I will state that last August we purchased and put in 

 our pasture 2,412 cattle from 150 miles southeast. We had put in 40 head of native 

 improved cattle, bred within 7 miles of the pasture all bulls for service in herd. 

 But out of the number 9 died with all the symptoms of Texas or splenic fever. The 

 pasture is on the highlands, 700 feet above prairie, and in southwestern part of 

 Shackelf ord County. 



Mr. G. T. Reynolds, Albany, Shackelf ord County: 



In answer to your late inquiry regarding Texas fever in this part of the State I 

 beg to say that I have resided on the cattle trail from south to north since the be- 

 ginning of the cattle drive up to the present time, and have carefully noted the re- 

 sults of the mixing of the southeast and southern raised cattle with our native cat- 

 tle. There have always been some losses each year of native cattle along the line 

 followed by through cattle from the south and southeast. This loss generally com- 

 menced in July or August, and until September or later our cattle would die with 

 what we always thought was murrain. Being native Texans we were net willing 

 to admit or even consider the disease to be Texas fever caught from southern cattle. 

 But in late years, since large pastures came into use, I have had a fair, impartial 

 test of the matter. I was one of the first to go into the pastures as manager of the 

 Monroe Cattle Company; fenced a large pasture in this county. In the spring of 

 1883 the pasture was divided into four equal parts, of about 30,000 acres each. The 

 main traveled road, or the old cattle trail from the southeast to the northwest, runs 

 through one of these pastures and only touches this one. This being a thoroughfare 

 for traveling herds, we stocked it heavily in the summer in order to get the good of 

 our grass, but mark the result: The first year after subdividing the pasture, in 1884, 

 we had the pasture through which the road runs stocked with a good grade of north- 

 west Texas cattle, and about August they began to die. During August and Sep- 

 tember about 50 died. Being skeptic on the question of fever we were still unwill- 

 ing to charge the cause to the trail cattle, so we passed on to 1885, and in August 

 cattle died as before and in the same manner. We then concluded the cause to be 

 an old sheep-dipping vat in the pasture that had been used years ago and at which 

 the cattle licked at on account of the saltpeter and sulphur there. As we suspected 

 this of poisoning them we burned the place, filling all the holes and burning over 

 the ground and also burning every stick of timber. All this time there was no loss 

 in adjoining pastures belonging to the same company. In 1886 we leased or took 

 in 1,000 beeves for Messrs. Hassard & Stephens, and the results followed as in the 

 two previous years, as Messrs. Hassard & Stephens can testify, as they lost heavily 

 on their beeves. This being the very dry year we were still unwilling to attribute 

 the cause to the trail. Last year, 1887, the same result. More dead cattle in the 

 same fatal pasture, and none elsewhere, though the fences join. 



I have seen many cattle die with Texas or splenic fever, and the cattle we lost all 

 had the same symptoms, such as drooping ears, sunken eyes, weakness of the loins, 

 and all died in from one to four days. They always had a very hot fever. Cattle 

 from all parts of the southeast and east traveled through this pasture, including 

 cattle from Alabama and Florida. We are now thoroughly satisfied that the trail 

 was the cause of our heavy losses, and we shall use this pasture in the future during 

 the winter only. 



These facts, with many others that could be proven, clearly show that cattle in 

 this vicinity are subject to the Texas fever when they come in contact with cattle 

 from the south and east, but are never troubled with it when they are kept clear of 

 such herds in transit. 



We have also had many herds of beef cattle driven to Caldwell, Kans. , and last 

 year (1887) had several beeves die with this fever after crossing the trail about Red 

 River; some of them died after reaching the Kansas line. 



It is beyond question that this county is clearly above the fever-producing line, 

 and should have all the sanitary protection of other localities. Throckmorton 

 County, north of this, has an altitude on an average of 1,800 feet above sea-level. 

 This county (Shackelford) is 2,000 on the west and 1,600 on the east side, and just 

 east of the one hundredth meridian and between the thirty-second and thirty-third 

 parallel of latitude. 



