Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-01-11
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

Mention has been made of memorial
sent to congress asking that stockmen
be allowed to pre-empt 1900 acres of
grazing lands. We copy below the me-
mortal in full, and believe if properly
agitated the question might receive at
tention from congress.
1.-The undersigned, your memorialists.
would respectfully represent that we
were appointed a committee by a meet
ing Of the Western Central Kansas
Stock association, an organization con-
sisting of sixty stock growers living on
the grazing lands of the state of Kan
sas, between the Smoky Hill and Ar
kansas rivers, to petition your honora-
bic bodies for the disposition of the gov
eminent grazing lands in a manner that
will be more beneficial to the settler and
the government than the present meth
DDS. In the first place we would respect
fully direct your attention to the fact
that the western third of Kansas, the
western half of Nebraska, and large
portions of Colorado, New Mexico, Wv
oming, Dakota and Montana, are not
adapted to agricultural pursuits, main
ly for the reason that the rains in this
territorial area are unreliable and I'M
timely. The same area, however, fur
nished subsistence for ages to millions
OF buffaloes, and it has been demonstra-
ted that it will also subsist domestic her.
bivarious animals. Only in exception
al cases have agricultural pursuits been
followed with any degree of success in
this region, and what success has been
attained has been accomplished mainly
by irrigation. Settlers who took home
stead, presumption or timber claims in
the government grazing lands of Kan
sas, with a view to engaging in farming
have been compelled either to abandon
their claims and leave the country, or
change their occupation to that of rails
ing live stock, or have become impover-
ished in their efforts at farming.
1t has been the humane policy of the
government to give every citizen who
has the courage to encounter the vicis-
STUDIES of pioneer experience, enough
land to make him home and support.
Under this wise and liberal policy mil
lions Of poor people have been made in
dependent and happy In those portions
Of our country adapted to agricultural
pursuits. One hundred and sixty acres
IN our agricultural country, with rea-
sonable cultivation and management,
will furnish a comfortable maintenance
for the average family. In a grazing
country, where the people are wholly
dependant. upon the growth of live stock
one hundred and sixty acres are INSULT
cient for the following thereon of this
occupation. One hundred and sixty
acres Of grazing land, producing mes
quite grass, will maintain only sixteen
head Of cattle or horses. Enough land
for the maintenance of two hundred
head of cattle or horses is needed for
the independence of the settler in a
grazing region. Practically two thous-
and acres Of land are only equivalent to
one hundred and sixty acres in an ag-
ricultural section.
We therefore would most respectfully
petition your honorable bodies for the
passage of law dividing the grazing
area Of the United States into two
thousand acre tracts, or tracts Of four
sections, each tract subject to settle
ment under the same or analogous con-
ditions imposed for the requirement of
land under the Homestead OF Pre-emp-
ton Laws. g. S. PRoUTY,
E. NJ. BILL,
JOHN BULL,