Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-02-20

obstacles stand in the way, they see too
many Indians about those particular spears,
and they say, ''Well, after all, [ believe I
shall not bother with mine just now, you
may have it if you want it," Now we are
here to take possession OF this grass, and
the trouble is, how are we going to divide
it? and about which we will all have our
say, SO here is mine: 1t is conceded by
what are called civilized nations that dis
covery and possession, or occupancy gives
title to undiscovered or unoccupied lands.
If this is a good rule for nations, it ought to
be a good rule for individuals, and he that
discovers a good location for sheep, cattle
Or horses ON unoccupied public land should
be allowed to occupy such a reasonable
amount of range around, or in the neigh
Dor hood of such location as he can or does
locator, because he has been at the expense
of putting up necessary improvements, and
because there is enough u%noccupied band to
feed all the stock in Montana, or that will
come into Montana until the government
sell Or lease our unsold public lands. You
will see by this that | am for giving the
same rights to sheep, horse and stockmen
alike. Well, may not cases arise when par
ties will trespass on such rights or rules of
occupancy, and how will you deal with
them y - X r.rs* \
You are forming a stock association-let it
be SO formed that not only every stock or
Wool-grower, may but shall be induced to
become a member. Let the association
have a code of bylaws that every member
shall sign and as a gentleman agrees to
abide by. Let the association appoint an
executive committee whose duty 1t shall be
to try and decide upon all such cases in ac-
cordance with said bylaws, which should
be so framed that the Oldest occupant
should be entitled to the use either of all
the range he can, or does reasonably occu-
py, the expenses Of trials before said COM
mittee to be paid by the parties themselves,
and the time and expenses Of the execu.
tive committee to be paid by a reasonable
compensation out of monies received for
membership and such annual assessment as
such association may require. OF course
all details would have to be considered
by the committee and become a part of the
bylaws. Now how shall we deal with
those who will not Join such association or
tie or sheep on to occupied ranges? If the
association is conducted on liberal princl-
pies there will be few such tresspassers,
and they should be treated by their neigh
bors SO as to show them that their conduct
does not meet general approval. 81
In these crude remarks I hope there is
nothing to lower, but rather to elevate the
ancient and honorable occupation of the
herdsman and stock owner. He may not
all the advantages of a denser popu-
lation, but he also escapes many of its vices.
He may lack the polish of the drawing
lose the advantages of Lie lecture
room and the theatre, but is also lest tempt
to drunkenness, and it's accompanying vices.
He has still the glorious privilege of COM
with nature and with himself, and
the medium of good books with
The master minds OF all ages. 1t is a false
that a stock raiser is necessarily a
half civilized boor. "A man can be a boor if
ne chooses in a city, or he may be a gentle
man alone in the most remote corner of our
territory. We are becoming an important
in this territory. and let us so CON
ourselves IN all our relations so that
our fellow citizens shall point to us with
pride as being worthy the honored name of
American citizenship.
Before the close OF the meeting which
aeld till ten o'clock the following preamble.
md resolutions were adopted:
WHEREAS from some unexplained cause