704 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



in charge of the Crow Agency, makes the following significant statement 

 in his letter : 



At present there are no sheep on this (Crow Indian) reservation, the Indians being 

 opposed to having them graze on their land and owning none of their own. There 

 are quite a number of large sheep owners residing on the border of the reserve Big 

 Timber, Billings, Livingston, and Red Lodge being their shipping and supply points. 



Maj. Bonan, agent of the Flathead Indians, says: " Stock-raising is 

 confined to cattle and horses." The same is true of every other Indian 

 reserve in the State. Sheep-raising is too civilizing in its tendency to 

 suit the "noble red man," besides he is very easily prejudiced against 

 this class of stock, being made to believe by designing men that sheep 

 would ruin the range. More revenue could be derived from the sheep 

 men than is now received for the other classes of stock, and the reser- 

 vation would not suffer in consequence of the change. 



In 1885, Paris Gibson, one of the first promoters of improved sheep, 

 and now one of the leading and wealthiest citizens of Great Falls, 

 says: 



The wool-growers of Montana can congratulate themselves upon the splendid po- 

 sition which their wool has gained among manufacturers. It has been steadily in- 

 creasing in favor, until to-day Montana stands without a rival among producers of 

 American wools. The great advantage which the superiority of our wool gives to 

 the sheep industry of this Territory is becoming bettor understood, and assures for 

 it a substantial and rapid growth. During the dark period through which we have 

 passed, my faith in the sheep business of Montana has never weakened; and I be- 

 lieve to-day, as I always have since I first came to the Territory, that Montana will 

 in a few years rank as the first wool-producing State in the Union, and will be 

 second only to Texas in the quantity produced. The future of the sheep business in 

 Montana, in my opinion, is exceedingly bright for many years to come, and those who 

 are now established in the business and understand the management of their flocks 

 can not make as much money from a like investment in any other branch of stock- 

 raising. 



The prediction of this pioneer breeder has been verified, and two 

 years later in a special report on "Wool and manufactures of wool," 

 by the United States Treasury Department, in 1887, the following was 

 said concerning Montana wools : 



These wools stand at the head of Territory wools. The soil, climate and pasturage 

 combine to produce wool of the best character possible on wild land. In addition, 

 the sheep industry of Montana has been developed from the beginning by men of 

 more than ordinary intelligence, and usually with ample capital to carry on its busi- 

 ness with such system as to obtain the best results. 



There has been a steady improvement of the wool product up to the 

 present time, and most consignments are sent to the Eastern markets 

 in better merchantable condition than the greater part of other West- 

 ern wools. Owing to this fact, their fine quality, and li^ht shrinkage, 

 Montana wools are eagerly sought by the wool mer chants and readily 

 taken at prices which range higher than similar wools produced in the 

 seiniarid regions of the plains. 



In view of the increasing demand for muttons and stock sheep in 



