THE EARLY WESTERN RANGE 



23 



sheep, on the wonderfully grassed plains that stretched 

 for unbroken leagues wherever one went, was under- 

 taken on a business basis. By the time the first Pa- 

 cific railroads began to work their way across the Kan- 

 sas prairies, Texas had increased her herds until there 

 was a glut of stock all over the state and it was almost 

 worthless because of the lack of a market. 



In 1867 began the movement to relieve the Texas 

 ranges of their surplus cattle by establishing those great 



The Old Type of Texas Long-horn Steer. 



trails from the south up through the staked plains, across 

 the Indian Territory into Kansas. There they met the 

 iron horse and found an opening to the eastern mar- 

 kets. Thousands of long-horned steers grazed their way 

 over the grassy plains, starting in the early spring 

 from the southern ranges. There was no hurry and no 



