The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-12-12

bought Jack HaRtOn's herd If cattle, |
sRd la tie herd At the time were many
head Of calves that were not branded OF
marked l defy anybody 10 disprOye
the facts which ! state. Why was not
somebody indicted for that tIansac-
tioDg Again, about the same time,
Hon. A. II. swan, late candidate for
delegate 10 congress, and l believe,
president Of the stock association,
bought Hi Kelley's herd Of cattle, and
in that herd also there were a large
number Of calves not branded. Why |
was not Mr.. swan indicted? Ii is pos
sible that these questions can he an
swered in some satisfactory manner,
and If So, ! should like 10 have il done.
and hope the stock inspector will re-
member hat il is not too late and wont
lie for a long time to procure indiet-
ments fo- these violations Of the law.
As matter Of fact, the foregoing
questions are very easily answered. As
before stated. the county pays the stock
inspector $50 per month To look after
the stock interests, and IT is his BUSH
ness 10 repOs. all violations of the law
10 the executive committee of the
stock growers, Tor rather 10 one OF that
COMMITTEES who seems TO virtually
run" the machine, as | am told and
il would not do for linn to make any
trouble for the ~stOckmen, rs in that
event of would come his head. /
think, at all events, that | am justified
In assuming, that this Is the true soln-
ton Of the matter.
Having called attention To the way in
which this law ESQ called) is admins
tered, ! desire now 10 call attention Ia
the law itself, for | ~bel,eyethat no more
prepostcrous and unjust piece Of lcgis-
lation was ever enacted in this terrific
ny than the sections Of the stock Law II
~, found in the compiled laws OF Wy
oming, pages 5i2-5i3.
SEC. 10. No person shall purchase
or kill In this territory any head az neat
cattle until the same Is distinctly
marked or branded, or both, and every
person engaged in Strengthening neat
cattle In this territory, shall keep u
record OF all cattle 80 slaughtered,
naming the person or persons of whom
purchased, and his or their place Of
residence, the age, sex and brand and
marks OF neat cattle slaughtered, which
record shall, at all times. he open for
the inspection Of stock growers or their
employees"
"sEc. II. Any person who shall will
fully do any act prohibited by this net,
or who shall wilfully neglect or refuse
TO do any act herein required, shall be
guilty of n misdemeanor, and on ON
viction shall be punished 10y imprison
ment in the county Jail for a period not
exceeding two years, or pay a fine not
exceeding one thousand dollars, or
both, ut the discretion of tho court"
Now, according 10 the foregoing sec
tions, no person has the right 10 kill or
purchase neat cattle unless the same are
first distinctly marked or branded, un-
der pain Of n severe penalty.
To show the beauties of this wonder
full law, let me Illustrate: A poor man
| with but one COW is the owner of one
calf, which he desires TO sell in order,
perhaps, to get the means of supplying
his family with the necessaries OF life.
No IN can, without violating the law,
purchase it of him until IL is first brand
ed. What must this man do in order to
nuke a sale of this one calf2 | will
answer the question. lie must first go
TO the county clerk and have n brand
recorded, which will cost him 81 80;
next he must have a branding iron
made, and that will cost 81; then the
calf must be branded, ut an expense of
about 30 cents, and II he is to sell the
calf the damage to the hide on account
Of its being branded will be 30 cents, or
one-third Of the value Of the hide; and
IL he only desires TO kill the calf for his
own use, he must do all that l have
mentioned. II he sells it, he will get
six or saver dollars for his calf. In
either event, whether he sells it or kills
II for his W use, the cost TO him is
shown by the following table:
Recording brand ........... s1.J0
Branding iron 100
Branding calf. 80
Damage 10 hide. 81
TOTAL. -
II he gets 81 for the calf, he will have
s0.GG left under the workings of this
law.
Besides all this, after the man has
had a good deal of trouble in hunting
up n brand that does not conflict with
the brands OF others, his brand must DO
referred to the board of brand inspect
ors-and the Lord alone can tell when
they will act upon 1t or when they will
be in session, as past experience album
dainty proves-
l might add many illustrations of II
character somewhat similar to the fore
going, TO demonstrate the inconsistent
cies Of this ''stock law" hut | will not
do so Mt present.
l regard IL very much of n hardship