Besides the work that Elmer and
Mary were putting into their ranch, there were other things happening
in the community that would effect upon success of the X-L and
its ranching neighbors. One was the formation of the Waldo Stockbreeders
Livestock Association in 1939. The purpose of the organization
was to improve the lot of the rancher.
They helped to organize the allocation of rangeland and Christmas
tree permits on crown land for ranchers. They improved cattle
breeding standards by purchasing several high quality purebred
bulls and charged a user fee, and designated specific range areas
to segregate the Angus and Herefords and prevent cross breeding.
The Elko cattle auction brought
together cattle producers and buyers from elsewhere who gave ranchers
a better deal for their cows. Mary and some of the other workers
posed for this photo at the first sale in 1942.
They made it possible for area
ranchers to make contact with cattle buyers from US and other
parts of Canada by building a cattle auction yard in 1942 in Elko.
The sale was an all day affair that provided many social and business
opportunities. The Association invited bids from buyers who offered
local ranchers a higher price for their cows than they got from
local butcher shops. Ranchers took the opportunity of the annual
cattle sale to compare stock and discuss management programs.
The X-L first sold cows at the sale in 1948 and Mary earned extra
money working in the sales office.
