134 FOM'’S EXPERIENCE 
herder to take care of them. I know of an instance 
in which eight farmers combined in this way 
and purchased a herd of over a hundred cattle, 
-and they are delighted with the result already at- 
tained and the prospect ahead. ‘lhey are steadily in- 
creasing the grade of the cattle, and it is their purpose 
to increase the numbers as rapidly as their means will 
permit. This same system of co-operation might be 
adopted by thousands of Dakota farmers who have 
not the means singly to engage in the business. A 
joint-stock company (no pun intended) might be or- 
ganized in almost every neighborhood, placing the 
price of shares so low as to enable even the poorest 
to have some interest in it—a herd of cattle pur- 
chased, a herder employed, and the whole business 
managed for the mutual benefit. And how much 
better this would be than burning the prairie grass! 
AN OHIO MAN. 
A few days ago I had a call from a Mr. Stockdale, 
of Ohio, who was spending some weeks prospecting 
in Dakota. I spent some time in conversation with 
him, and found him to be a man of more than aver- 
age intelligence and a careful observer. In answer 
to his inquiries I told him briefly what my experience 
in Dakota had been, how long I had been here and 
about what my financial condition was. This latter 
item of information is what is generally most desired 
by prospectors, because it is practical. It shows 
what has actually been done, and from that they can 
