Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, December 11, 1902, Page 9

THE OMAHA D AILY BEE: THURSDAY, STATEMENT OF CATTLEMEN Their Bide of the Grazing Land and Feucing Question Set Forth. LANDS OF NO VALUE FOR AGRICULTURE Denial that Fencing Oper: Ad- vantage of the Big Stock Owner and Against the Inter- ents of the Small One, en to . ALLIANCE, Neb., Dec. 10.—To the Editor of The Bee: At a meeting of the Business Men's club of this city \ was requested to forward to you the enclosed article for publication, the subject belng of national interest at this time. THE BUSINESS MEN'S CLUB. By F. W. BROOME, Secretary. The reported encroachments of the “cattle barons,”’ as they have been styled, on the R:V" iment lands of western Nebraska Ve #0 varied from the truth that it is deemed necessary by the parties interested 1o set before the public the real facts and the conditions of the country to which al- lusion has been made. At the outset we would say that the articles written upon the subject have all been founded upon an assumed state of affairs which the real conditions do not support. These articles have been based upon the assumption that the lands of the west are agricultural character. It has also been assumed th there has been a great demand for the lands in recent y. on the part of eastern farmers, who wi locate upon them f farming purposes. he articles have al been based upon the assumption that the eattlemen have Intimidated settlers to keep them out of this territory. To prove that these statements above referred to are erroneous is the purpose of this article. There h: also been severe critlelsm on the part of the eastern press in peference to bills that have been Introduced by west- ern men for the purpose of affording a practical disposition of the grazing lands of the west, and these proposed measures have been térmed “innocent schemes of the cattlemen.” The object of these bills wis not to refard or check in any manner the workings of the new irrigation law, or to withdraw any portion of the public domain from settlement by actual bona fide set- tlers or actual bona fide homesteaders, nor to promote any land schemes, but was intended to further the purposes for which these lands arc adapted, and. thus assist the natural development of the west, Only Fit for Grasing. That the lands of western Nebraska that are not already irrigated are only fit for grazing purposes ‘s well known to the People who reside here or who know the charactat of thewe lands and their history since the time that there has been any attempt made to settle them and bring them_under cultivation. The history of Box Butte county, which |s located in the central part of western Nebraska, fairly illustrates how_ these lands have been set- tled and time has demonstrated that they ars not adapted to agriculture. We refer to this county s a falr fllustration, as its soll “is _better adapted for farming, as a rule, than the majority of lands in the counties in the western part of the state In 1884, 188 and 1886 the farmers from ecantern Nebraska and lowa, and as far east as Michigan and Ohio, flocked to this county, and at the outset were entranced with the appearance of the soll, which they belleved only needed cultivation to induce nfall, which would eventually make it roductive as eastern Nebraska, These lands were pre-empted, homesteaded and ken by timber culture entries to that extent in those years that fully % per cent of the lands In the county were occupled Dby actual bone fide settlers, who took the land with the intention of making It their homes and to engage in general farming. Later, when these people became disap pointed with thefr crop failures they negofi- 2ted ‘loans of from 0 to $i00, fully’ de- lieving that nature would subsequently smile_upon them with untiful harvest and releass their mort, The rallroad compants b‘ their literature, and the goyernment, by representing these lan 0 be agricuitural, were the inducing caus which started these people in this direction. They believed they were going to farming lands, but as the vears rolled by aisappoint: ment’ followed disappointment and the set- tlers began to leave the co until f n 1kt s sate to say cent of the lands that were originally taken: In the county during the years referred to, not more than 20 per cent were occupled, and the peopie were moving Crops. 1t? The principal cause Mcient rainfall and the people of ever having these tion. Those who ve remained have found a living could be had in the ralsing of live stoc utllizing the grasses which nature time adapted to this country. It was that cultivation by the early settlers rulned the lands for grazing by destroying the @rasses, leaving a few weeds, and on sc- count of the loose nature of the soll it was blown about by the winds, leaving it in such condition that no bemefit could be derived for several years thereafter. As the mortgages matured they were fore- closed and the lands were bid n by the Joan companies or the mortgagees, and in many Instances these lands when sold only brought the amount of taxes that had accumulated against them during the time since mortgaged. Ninety per cent of these lands in this county changed owners for a few hundred dollars and passed to the hands of others who attempted to farm them, and who later by force of cireums stances became stock growers. These peo- le are now thriving to a certain extent cause they have found the purposes for which these ignds are adapted and are using them for that purpose and have wholly abandoned the farming idea. It is safe to say that this experiment has cost the people of Box Butte county $1,0%,000, which has been throwr because of a onception of the adaptability of these people who came Into western Ne- ABSOLUTE SECURITY. Carter’s Little Liver Pills. Must Bear Signaturo of SAPOLI FOR TOILET AND BATH Flagers roughened by needlework catch overy stain and look hopelessly dirty, Hand Sapollo removes not oaly the dirt, but alsa the loosened, injured cuticle, and restores the fiagers to thelr natural beauty. ALL OROCERS AND DRUGGISTS raska during the great rush of 1884, 1855 and 196 located upon and homesteaded th lands which from tneir outward ap- pearance were belleved to be the best agri- ultural, and the lands which are now left pen to settiement are those which they did not think were farming lands, but which the e n led to he- lleve are adapted These lande are still open ing lands, and this statement o may wish to kn vite and urge tha e (o investigat to farming o braska that ment are not farm llenge the denial of the part of any one who w the truth, and we in- congress send a commit these conditions and de- rmine the character of these lands and the truthfulness of these statements. Decrease in Population. The vote In Box Butte county In 1588 was 25, while the number of votes cast at the st election, on November 2, 192, outside of | Alllance, which has come into existence eince 15%, is now but 407. Even this latter number Includes many people who are rafl- oad or other employes and not engaged in gricultural pursuits. At the time the vot- population was greatest there was not n Incorporated village in the county, and settiers were almost entirely enguged in tilling the sofl. If these people could have supported their famiiies and made a living by farming would have been there d of having a rural vote of ining 1,80 square county contains, vote would have to o h Box Butte al growth th 3,000, nati veen abov For the eastern press to now assume that these lands are agricultural and fit for ther purposes than grazing s not borne ut by experience, and 1o a r dent of this ection s simply a ridiculous statement fime has shown that the homestead laws passed in 1862, which were intended to se- cure actual, bona fide settlers upon the gov- ernment lands for a period of five years for the purpose of developing and Improv- ing them from un agricultural standpoint, were very good for the middle west, but are not applicable to a particie of the lands remaining subject to entry at this time, for no man can go upon a single quarter sec- tion of sovernment land in the west today without frrigation and support himseif, fo say nothing about supporting a family. A new set of conditions and circumstances has arisen, and the sooner the eastern peo- ple and the government recognizes this tact and amends the laws to meet the present requirements of the west that much sooner will development and progress pro- ceed in accordance with the laws of na- ture and existing conditions, Congress has already, in a measure, recognized the fact that some of the old land laws were not practical, could not be enforced and were a mere farce. Such was the final fate of .the timber culfure law, which was repealed by congress in 1801, The law which was in- tended to encourage the growth of timber on the western prairies did not grow any trees or induce any rainfall, and as applied to the western lands at that time was of no force and effect. It is just 4 matter of time that congress will see the homestead law is equally as impracticable as A means of settling the range lands of the west, ex- cept where there are small tracts that might be brought under irrigation. In Favor of Irrigation. The people of the west are not opposed, but are very much in favor of the new irri- gation law, but there are immense tracts of land that this law does not reach an which cannot be irrigated and which only fit for stockraising, and which must be disposeéd of along some line suitable to land laws, the eame as any other law, you {can frame them which way you will, but their enforcement and tenure depends upon whether they meet the conditions, necessi- ties and requirements of the people, and whether they are supported by the masses By this we do not mean to be understood to advocate the repeal of the homestead law, but we do ask for the passa some equitable act whereby the government may lease the renge lands at some price commensurate with their worth and under such regula- tions as the department may deem practic able and suitable to the country. There are are worthless except for poses and at present there Is no law suit- able to carry out such objects. The leasing of tkese lands would bring a large and per- petual revenue to the government and at the same time does not in any manner con- fiict with the existing homestead law. What Fenees Are For. pasturage pur- s Much_criticlsm has been made against men who have fenced tures from the public domain, and to this we would that the fences have grown out of constructed not for the purpose of keeping out settlers, but for the purpose of eac man keeping his stock eeparate in such a Way that he may care for. It, both winter and summer, by the of the best grndln'dlnlmald I;| ‘lhle pa e':\:n c‘l“r.!g: as made wonderful improve quality of his cattie, which mprovement never would have taken place had his cattle been allowed to run at large. That these fences arc an absolute necessity to the business 1s well known by all the pecple of the range country, and are indispensible to the improvement of the herds and for the further purpose of preyenting the range being overstocked and ruined. The govern- ment lands thus fenced are utterly useless for any purpose other than grazing. It is a well known fact that eince the lease law went into effect in the state of Texas and the leaseholders have a pro- Buarded against the destruction of the Ratural grasses and the quality of forage has increased fully 100 per cent, and where six years ago it took seventy acres to sup- port @ steer It now reguires but twenty Acres. The same would be true of western Nebraska |f the parties who used the lands had & future interest in them. They would not be permitted to be overstocked, such | s 18 the case where the range s open to | all Not for Big Cattlemen. 1t has been stated that this agitation 1s of the large cattle grower only, who is seeking to force out the small catilemen, but this statement ls not true” and is not supported by the conditions and the true facts. 1If the riders and pursue the old-time roundup, with his mess wagon and branding outfit, and would thus claim all the mavericks of the little fellows or small cattlemen, who could not afford so expensive a method of mall herd would not wurrant the ex- ns Besides, the small cattleman must rrow the money for his business from his home bank, which will not make the loan with the fences down and the range belng gradually ruined. The statement thut this 18 the move of the large cattiemen is not true, as it is the small stock grower who has his all at stake and who is most vitally interested. He knows that should the fences be entlrely removed it means his retirement from the business. It Is proposed by the new frrigation law to put farmers in the valleys that are susceptible of irrigation in the west, and 1 k at this time what will become oducts of thelr tarms and rough feed if they cannot sell it to their near nelghbor, the cattieman? Incre farm- ing of the west should be supplemented by the business of the stock grower, as the distance of the farmer from the markets of the eust 1s such that nless his products can be consumed at home the cost of ‘transportation would be equal to their value at the market. The eastern press is also mistaken in ite suggestions that the present unoccupled government lands of the’west pomsess grent ue. Dr. Peters, state veterinarian of the University of Nebraska, whose knowledge a2 the subject has been acquired by travel and actual experience in the west, made the statement at a recent cattle convention that the natural grasses of the west must be protected, an that the range lands should not graze more than one cow to twenty-five ‘acres of land. which usage would make the land worth not to exceed 50 cents per acre. The facts are that the value of these lands has been misjudged. and all that the people of western Nebraska ask in that congress send a fair and unblased commission to inve §'gate their value: termine , thelr adaptabllity and ascertain that they are not agricuitural lands and the people here will be satisfied with their solution of this question. SOUTHERN PACIFIC SCALE ule for Switchmen, Which Pay is to Be by the Hour. OAKLAND, Cal., Dec. 10.—The Southern Pacific company has granted a new wage echedule for switchmen, which establishe a straight rate per hour instead of the former wage rate of $75 per mouth for day men and 389 snd $90 per month for night men. The new rate is as follows: Day belp- 2§ cents an hour; day foremen, 31 cents an hour; night foremen, 33 cents an hour. The schedule provides for “no Sunday ot bullm!!i is & rumor at the West Oakland yards that the switchmen will en- deavor to have the company allow two Sundays a month, with full pay added. The engineers and firemen have preseated & demand for increased pay and it is re- ported that an increase of § per cent will be grapted. the adaptability of these lands. As to these | of | providing “a method | necessities of the business and have been | looking after his stock, as the returns from | his | DECEMBER 11 1902 SAN FRANCISCO to Santa Barbara. KANSAS CITY SANTA BARBARA Newest, finest and most luxuriously equipped train in America. Only 53 hours Kansas City to Los Angeles, 57 to San Diego; 59 Everything to make you comfortable—electric lights, electric fans ¥ bathroom, barber-shop, booklover’s library, compartment and standard Runs Pacific. over the El sleepers, dining, library and observation cars. Paso-Rock Island Route and Scuthern Easiest grades, lowest altitudes and most = southerly course of any millions of acrés of the pablic domain that | prietary Interest in the land, that they have | fences were removed the . large cattleman could afford his range | { JUDGING FRUITS AND CORN (Continued from Eighth Page.) ing this judging pavilion. Other improve- ments are needed on the state fair grounds. The bulldings are now nearly all about sixteen years old and made of wood and many repairs are needed and much re- building. To make the state fair still more popular Secretary Simpson would have the soclety publish a catalogue of the stock pedigree and other facts concerning every animal on exhibition. He would also abol- ish the penalty of 10 per cent of the pre- mium money exacted from every prize win- ner. lowa is the only state which does this now. With that removed the only -ex pense to exhibitors would be an exhibitor's ticket Preparing the Year Book. The work of preparing the year book for this year, the third one ever issued, is now under way. It is boped to have it printed in three months or less. Last year although a copy was furnished the state printer by the first of the year, yet it was not delivered until in May, owing to the leglslative work. crowded upon the printer. The year book will be & predecessors. It will be handsomely illus- trated. Several pages will be devoted to farmers' lnstitutes, which under the new law, must report to the secretary and which may now send delegates to the state meetings. The report of the weather and COMPA EXTRACT \ warmly commended by Secretary Simpsol exhibits so that visitors might know the j proved over its | | causing the ‘death of the girl. ! and any other train to Southern California. Berths can be reserved at any ticket office in the United line across the continent—the map shows, States, or by communicating with C. A. RUTHERFORD, Division Passenger Agent, 1323 Farnam Street, Omaha, Neb. crop service will be included. In sddition there will be some special papers from farmers on the relative value of wet and dry seasons as shown by the experience of ' the past two years. Some papers on the | silo will be included, also some {nforma- | tion in regard to alfalfa in Iowa, on both of which subjects there appears to be con- siderable fresh interest. The work of the school of live stock judging and school of corn judging at the State college were The attention of the department was called to the exposition at St. Louls and members urged to co-operate in securing a fine agri- ocultural exhibit for the state. The report of President J. C. Frasler of Bloomfleld was brief and to the point, com- plimenting the department on its work. Mr. Frasler was not present, but W. M. Morrow of Afton presided. Later in the day Mr. Morrow was elected president and Mr. Simpson was re-elected secretary with- out opposition. The Park and Forestry oclation re- elected the old officers, Prof. MacBride of Iowa City, president, and Prof. L. H. Pammel of Ames, secretary. The state agricultural department elected W. W. Morrow of Afton president and J. C. Simpson of Knoxville necretary and C. B. Cameron of Alta vice president. This election made it necessary for him to quit the directory board, and H. A. Plke of Monona county was elected to represent the Bleventh district. All other directors were re-elected. Croflord Case Appealed. The papers in :he appeal case of Dr. J. W. Crofford of Decatur county were filed with the supreme court today. The case bas been before the public a great deal In recent months. Dr. Crofford owned and managed a sanitarium at Lamoni and Miss Maud Stone went there for treatment. She died sool after leaving the place. Crofford and one Hammond were jolntly indicted for Crofford on ocopviction was sentenced to thirteen years in the penitentiary. When it was de- clded that he should appeal the case the discovery was made by his attorney that the law was defective in not allowing bonds in such cases. The law was changed and Crofford gave bonds. Then he sought the privilege of contiouing the practice of medicine pending appeal and second trial gealed to. The board decided that view of the fact that Crofford had at ome time! been convicted of connection with counter- feiting in Missour| the revocation of his certificate should stand. Crowded at Soldiers' Ho The Iowa Soldiers’ home is now reported | to the state board as overcrowded, though there will be some slight relief when a few of the nmew bulldings are occupled, which will be soon. There are at present in the hompe 832 persons, of whom'eighty- four are women. At this time of the year the home increases in population rapidly, #¢ many who have spent the summer with friends on furiough return there and the hospital becomes crowded with the sick ones. At present there are ninety-two in the various wards of the hospital and more of them should be there and would be if there was room. An sdditional home for the female help will give room for sixty more in the hospital. Coal Operators Employ Reese. ‘The coal operators of district No. 13, embracing lowa and Missouri, turned th tables on the coal miners by the employ- ment of John P. Reese to represent the operators in their settlement of disputes with the miners over wages d other things. Reese was until last fall the pres- ident of the m workers’ unien for the district. He resigned when he was nom!- nated for congress in the Sixth district, for he confidently expected to be elected. But the mivers did not stand by him at the polls. This left him without any em- ployment and when the operators found he could be had he was employed by them at & salary of $3,000 a year as commis- mer for the district in settlement of disputes. The operators also named s scale committee, which will meet with the miners in March next to decide on a scal of wages for next year. Would Try Damage Case A A motion for a new trial in the damage case of Tate against Clarkson was filed to- day. The jury decided in favor of the de- endant, refus to give damages for the alleged libel, as published. The instruc- tions were so strongly in the direction of & verdict that the defense expected a judg- Leaves Kansas City at 10:40 a. m. daily, and makes as fast time as the Instructions that a new trial should bo had. If & pew trial is granted a change will be taken to some other county. MISSOURI LAWYER IS DYING End Very Near for Judge John W. Henry, Prominent Jurist ot State, KANSAS CITY, Dec. 10.—Judge John W. Henry Is dylug et his residence In this city after a long illness. At 1 o'clock this aft. ernoon dissolution was expected momen- tarily and the family had gathered around the jurist's bedsid Judge Henry formerly was chief justice of the state supreme court and for several bl has been judge of the circult court { THE GOLDEN STATE LIMITED % CHICAGO LOS ANGELES s City. ' He Is one of the most emi- ient members of the bar in the west, Heir to a Fortane. VICTOR, Cola., Deg. 10.—Wjilllam who is in charge of (ibering AL Hitation Independ«nce mine, has notified by cablegram of (he Aeath’ of uncle, 8ir Thomas Pitkin, in England. Parr is one of o among whom the esu 2 at §7,500,000, will ‘be divided. e More Gold for South Americn. NEW YORK, Dee. 10.—~The local agenc: of the Mmron and River Plata b k"illl): ited, will ship $600,000 gold to Buen: tomorrow. The (ransaction s a special one and makes a total of $2,000,000 shipped by this bank since August la Last season's toys will be closed out Saturday at half price. Orchard & Wil- halm. appearance. Put up in 1 and 2-1b. cut. Ask your dealer. ment against them. It Is alleged on be- balf of County Clerk Tate that the State Board of Health was ap- dict was so contrary to the evidence and S It outlclllinll fflt,S Jersey Butterine More Jersey sold than any other Butterine, because it ex- cels all others in quality and | prints in printed paper wrappers like Eansas Gty Omaba St.Louis Swift & Company, Chicago St.Joseph St.Pas Ft.Werth