58 THE BEEF BONANZA. 



nearly all of Wyoming can never become an agricul- 

 tural country, and the government will soon be called 

 upon to put the grazing-lands into market, so that our 

 stock-raisers may establish permanent ranches and buy 

 their cattle-ranges. It will very soon be cheaper to 

 fence than to herd stock. The time, I believe, is not 

 far distant when the West will supply the people of the 

 East with beef for their tables, wool for their clothing, 

 horses for their carriages, 'busses, and street-railways, 

 and gold and silver for their purses. Horse-raising and 

 sheep-growing have proved to be successful enterprises 

 in Wyoming and Montana, and the profits are enor- 

 mous. Oregon mares can be bought at $30 per head, 

 blooded stallions at $500, and these bred to Oregon 

 mares yield a profit of 25 per cent, on the capital in- 

 vested. Sheep-farming is still more profitable, and an 

 investment of $5000 can be made to pay 35 per cent, 

 the first year, 47 per cent, the second year, and 60 per 

 cent, the third year. Of these two interests I shall 

 speak in detail farther on. 



