448 EEPOP.T OF THE BUKEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



ion, infected the high grades, which, undoubtedly, were those men- 

 tioned by Governor Waterman's foreman as coming from Kansas 

 and Iowa. Mr. O'Neil also informed me that they are constantly 

 killing Texan and JSTew Mexico cattle in San Bernardino City. His 

 own losses had been about 10 to 15 head this fall, which he attributed 

 to cinnabar ore or mercurial poisoning, the mercury having been 

 washed down by the rains into the drinking places, and other deaths 

 he attributed to ticks ; but I am not inclined to believe either of those 

 theories, because it is well known if an animal is sick and seeks soli- 

 tude in the scrub that is the time that the ticks will attack him, and 

 as a cause of death they may assist indirectly, helping to weaken an 

 already emaciated animal. From what I heard from Mr. O'Neil's 

 neighbor, Mr. Foster, I am inclined to think that the poison on his 

 place is Southern fever. 



From here I went to San Juan de Capistrano, and interviewed Mr. 

 Marcus Foster. He said that Mr. O'Neil brought cattle on to the 

 Santa Margarita ranch, which adjoins his, and that they broke down 

 the fence and mixed with his, and he lost 100 head. Next year the 

 same thing occurred, and the animals mixed with his as well as others 

 which he brought from Arizona, and he lost from 800 to 1,000 head. 

 This year (1888) he lost about 100 head. He further remarked that 

 all the ranches below had been affected in a similar manner, and as 

 they never had had this disease before it must have been brought in. 

 I made an autopsy on this ranch and found the lesions those of South- 

 ern fever. 



I now started back on the trail of the Warner steers and went to 

 Colton. I here interviewed Mr. Castile, owner of the Castile ranch, 

 and he informed me that Mr. Strumsbaker brought 400 steers from 

 Chihuahua, unshipped at Colton, and drove them to ids ranch 15 

 miles from Colton, about June 6, 1888, and pastured them there two 

 months. He then sold them to ex-Governor Downey, and his son 

 helped to deliver them on the Warner ranch. He denied losing any 

 on the way. He further said that a year ago, in September, 1887, 

 he lost 56 dairy cows, which he valued at $3,000, and ascribed the 

 cause to cattle being driven across the ranch. This year he had lost 

 none. 



I now proceeded to the Southern Pacific office at Colton, and found 

 the shipments to this point as follows: 



(1) From Benson, Ariz., for Mr. Marcus Foster, San Juan de 

 Capistrano, unloaded May 4, 1888. 



(2) From Tuscon, Ariz. , for Mr. Marcus Foster, San Juan de Cap- 

 istrano. unloaded April 6, 1888. 



(3) On March 13, Strumsbaker shipped in 113 head, which I found 

 were slaughtered at Colton and San Bernardino. 



At the Santa Fd office in Colton. I found that Strumsbaker shipped 

 400 head of cattle from Chihuahua, which arrived June 5, where they 

 were unloaded and sent down to the Castile ranch as already stated. 



I had the greatest difficulty in getting my questions answered, and 

 in a good many instances, instead of trying to assist, they tried to mis- 

 lead and perplex me. 



Having now obtained all the evidence I could concerning the out- 

 break of disease in San Diego County, and with due regard to conflict- 

 ing statements no doubt purposely made in a great many cases, I draw 

 the following conclusions: 



That Texan, Arizona and Mexican cattle have been shipped into 

 Colton and from there traveled by the trail going to Warner's ranch 



