The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-01-23
Further Encouragement to the AgrIcultur-
al and Grazing Interests Of Wyoming.

refthcf Encouragement ~ tHc ASricuitur-
nj and Grazing Interests Of Wyoming.
From Governor Hoyt's Report.
The agricultural improvement of the
territory is considerably retarded by the
inability of those who would establish
themselves in many of our valleys to
fix the boundaries Of the property they
would claim and purchase. In cases
where two or more persons would build
near each other, they severally make
their improvements without any GER
tainty Of being able to hold them.
Naturally, under these circumstances,
improvements will be indefinitely post
poned, or, If made, will be temporary
and Of but little worth. The present
assignment Of funds to the land depart
ment representing the government in
this territory is very inadequate. That
is certainly a strange sort of economy
which refuses to open the public lands
to settlers who desire to improve them,
simply because 1t would cost q few far
things per acre to fix a boundary line.
1t is also worthy of consideration
whether the government could not, in
consistency with the general interests
of the country, do yet more in aid of
the improvement Of what are known
as ''arid lands" by means of irrigation.
The act of March 8, 1877, being San
act to provide for the sale Of desert
lands in certain states and territories
was an important step in the right d.
r%ection, but does not appear to be suf-
ficient to meet the necessities of these
Rocky mountain regions. The water
canals and bitches often require to
be cut for long distances and at so much
expense that individual enterprise is
insufficient. The making a farm in
such a region is very different thing
from making n on the virgin p~rairies
of the Mississippi and Missouri valleys.
And yet the price to be paid for these
lands of the ''desert" is the old price
that was paid for those valley-lands of
the great Middle West; while there is
40 grant corresponding to that of
''swamp and overflowed lands" which
i'll the northwestern states, so called,
have become sources of great revenue
for the Improvement of lands and for
other purposes. Would there not be
both propriety and public advantage in
making grants of land to these inchoate
states, the territories, on terms and
conditions at least as liberal as those of
the grants of swamp lands, and of
lands for canal and railroad improve
ments, accorded to the older and less
needy commonwealthsp
The grazing interest suffers at pres
ent severely from the occasional burn
ing over of large areas of pasture lands
included within the cattle ranges.
Where such waste occurs through the
recklessness of travellers, hunters, and
other individuals, the remedy is not
easy; but railroad companies may be
required, and, should be, to pre-
vent its occurrence as q result of
sparks thrown off from their locomo-
tives. That every smokestack shall
be covered with a screen, and that
burrows shall be plowed on either side
of the railway across the grassy plains,
these are easy demands to comply with,
and yet such compliance would annu-
ally ave the owners Of herds from
much embarrassment and large pecuni-
airy loss. I am aware that these are
matters which do not require congress
ional action, but this incidental refer
ence may he useful nevertheless.
The time is near when, in the favor
lite pastoral districts, the e~ncroachment
Of herds and fiocks and upon each 9TH
er's ranges will make it necessary for
congress to enact a special law applica-