Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-29

From Mexico to British America and
Ten Miles Wide.
THE PLAN OF THE CATTLE KINGS TO GET OVER
THE KANSAS DEAD LINE-A SCHEME THAT
CONGRESS Is LIKELY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS
WINTER

THE KANSAS DEAD LINE-A SCHEME THAT
CONGRESS Is LIKELY To HEAR ABOUT THIS
WINTER.
From the New York Sun
ST. LOUIS November 20-The Kansas dead
line has preeptated crisis upon the cattle
trade The cattle kings of the west and south
west have had everything their own way until
this summer Public lands without limit. water
courses and drives have been as free to them as
the ar. They have been able to form comblna-
tons against the little stock raisers, to freeze
take possession of lakes and rivers thus obtain
tanning the use of adjacent lands which no one
would then take. and to lord it over the whole
trans Mississippi region with their baroRial es-
tatcs and their cowboy retainers.
This year they ran foul of more or less SOW
ereign state. and they have had to pause and
take their bearings. They no longer found
themselves dealing with compacent territory
officials. or conducting courteous correspond
ence with gentlemen at Washington. who were
on the make. When the Texas fever appeared
IN Kansas last summer dead-lne quarantine
was organized on the southern boundary of that
state. anu dTcVeTs on the way north found the
gateway To the north closed with the biggest
Kind OF placafd on it giving the reasons, and
a fringe OF sh0tgun5 to enforce them.
Texas cattle must be fattened on northern
ranges The great grazing regions of the Lone
star state are superb for breeding purposes
but for anything else they are practically
valueless. The closest scrutiny has developed
the fact that Texas fever is latent in all Texas
cattle and that hastY transportation to north
ern chimes develops it to the point where it be-
comes Immediately contagious to cattle not of
the Texan breed as well Us such Texans as have
been of their natives ranges Tor time In the
old days when all Texas cattle going north went
over the drive they wore the fever out before
The present method of shipment by rail has
served to revive the disease at the north and
tile Kansas dead line is the result
Being thus shut of from O market the Texas
breeders came face to face with absolute ruin
At first they proposed that the federal gov
eminent should establish quarantine stations
where nOrth-bound cattle could be detained
two months This not appearing feasible they
agitated the subject of Slaughtering on their
own ranges and sending the beef to market in
refrigerator cars, but the objections to such an
enterprise were so Numerous that 1t was soon
dToLped. Some device had 20 be originated by
which the lean and hungry Texans could be
transported to the north to feed upon the sue
culent grasses of the territorial ranges and
thus double their weight and value At last the
breeders hit upon happy idea.
1t was to establish great national cattle trail
from the Mexican boundary through Texas. the
Panhandle. the Indian Territory, Kansas. Ne
braska aud Montana to the British possessions
The scheme for this great national drive is a
very dazzling one. inasnuch as it contcmnlates
the setting aside of strip of land ten miles
wide and more than 500 miles in length Along
the proposed trail the yeaTlings could be driven
in herds, and with strict care and the obsery-
ance OF sanitary regulations the possibility of
transmitting fever t0 the cattle on the matur-
ing ranges would thereby be avoided To carry
out this project or even TO get it started it be-
came necessary to get the matter before Con-
greSs. and with this in view great convention
OF cattle men was called to meet in St Louis
This assemblage has been here all the week and
the proposed trail has been discussed i'm great
detail by the delegates. all of whom have the air
OF men who know what they want and who
have been in the habit of getting it.
The modesty of the cattle kings Is shown bv
the fact that they do not expect TO pay anything
tor the trail. though millions OF acres would
thus be given into their possession The propo-
sition is that the government be called upon to
grant what public land may be needed for the
purpose. that the states traversed be asked to
grant what state land will come within the trail.
and that both state and federal authorities be
requested to aid in condemnng whatever phi
vate property may come in the way to be paid
for by the cattle syndicate
Eastern capitalists and stock raisers will Oh
pose the national trail idea with great vigor.
They claim that a syndicate is now Willing tn
build a railroad along the line of the prcposed
tran In consideration OF the granting of three
miles OF land on either side OF the track Such
a road. it is claimed. would not only surrnoupt
the difficulties under which the stockmen are
laoOring, by affOrdlng them means of rapid
transit for their stock but would also be of
great benefit to the country through which If
would pass, while the trail would be merely so
much land left to waste. In further opposition
to the trail theory il has been urged that in the
course of few weeks it would he worn no
smooth q nd hat a,
N transit would Ge compelled to depredate upon
the adjacent lands Of settlers In spite of eyery-
thing that has been or may be said against the
scheme. however, it is probable that powerful
lobby will be sent to Washington to endeavor
TO gain the privilege
Another thing that has caused a good deal of
discussion is the occupation OF the western
country by farmers and small herdsmen with
whom the cattle kings are not on the most
friendly terms. Millions of acres of land are
owned, and millions more are controlled by
foreign and other capitalists. spreading over
the country from the central Kansas. Nebraska
and Texas to the Rocky MOu ltains and from
the British possessions to the gull These COM
panies, when they cannot obtain immense tracts
through titles due to fraudulent representa-
ions as MeAIcan grants, which they have done in
many cases, proceed to gain possession by buy
ing here and there settlers claim. Thus get
TING the only water for miles around they con-
troll the range. They buy peaceably when they
cdIl- Uut thOse WHO 90 not wish TO Sell they
starve or crowd out This practice is common
all through the grazing section where large
stock companies flourish and especially so
where foreign corporations have possession of a
portion OF land. Every impeachment is thrown
IN the way of the small herder and his lite Is
made as miserable and his business as precarious
as possible but the big company is always
ready to buy.
In talking over these matters this week the
cattle kings have claimed that. as matter OF
TACT. they are great protection to the small
stock raiser. They say that they allow his cat
tie TO join their herds. and where 1t would
probably cost him So a head for pasturinp they
charge him only his pro rata. which seldom ex-
ceeds 80 cents. The settlers DENY all this. and
assert that they are ground almost out of eais-
tence by their more powerful neighbors To
protect themselves from the ferocous immi-
grants seeking homes in the far west the cattle
kings now call for a law making it COMPULSORY
Tor all settlers Ito fence in their holdings and
keep their stock off the ranges
1t has been estimated that the 600 delegates
to this convention represented about S.. OOO.-
OO0.OO0 worth of property and capital Among
the largest individual interests represented are
the following: Alexander H. Swan, $50 600
head; j. W. Simpson, 100 0GO Richard King.
10000; G. c. Slaughter. 10. 900: T. B. York. w
w. Dickey. ". A. Towers W. B. Worsham each
$4,000; r. Fl. Head, $4,000; SNYDER Brothers
1890. and Lux Miller, 100000. An idea of
the extent Of the lands controlled by some of
these men may be gained from the statement
that the Comanche cattle company owns 500 600
acres. and the Cheyenne and Arapahoe company
has ranches $50 miles in length.
One interesting feature of the convention has
been the presence OF w. H. H. Llewelyn. who
il a fafi oFf hr =