The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-10-07
FREE GRASS AND LEASE.
A WESTERN MANS OPINIONS
Observation Has Demonstrated that the
Lease Law Is just and Judiclous
With u Few Changes as
Noted aud Submitted

WICHITA FALLS, Oct. 4.--rCorre.
spondence. Living in the west ard
constantly travelling over the western
counties, | wish to present some
thoughts on the free grass question for
the consideration of your readers. My
property interests, though small, are
entirely in the west, and being identi-
fed with this section, ! have listened tc
| numerous discussions in each county Oh
the free grass issue; have been a con
slant reader Of the Daily Herald and
| the Gazette. Since August /, | have
! Travelled over the counties of Tarrant,
! Hood, Erath '0manche, Brown, Cole
M N, r nnells Tom CIR n Taylor,
/ Sh"K !elofu, Stophens Palo Ilnto, Par,
| kcr, Wise, Jack, Young, Throckmorton,
/ Baylor Wilbarger and Wichita /;
nave conversed freely with citizens
I on both sides of the question at issue
| ihe objections urged against the lease
/ system may be mostly removed by
| nominations and amendments to the
| lease law. Let the law be changed so a.
| 10 limit the amount leased to each indi-
| Nidual corporation or syndicate, and al
| low actual settlers to NY the land at tn
| MINIMUM price without competition.
| Limit the amount of permanently wa
tered land to be leased by each indi
yidual or company. With the aboy.
and few other changes in the lazy
| there VIII be, think, mucu
smaller number in tho west
advocating free grass. Those who
have studied the question in all its
bearings do and viii continue to favor
the lease NStcm when stripped of its OBJ
IIntInnAlln II
scarcity of choice lands Tor actual
settlers in tho West, we would
all oppose leasing it,, but
IN addition to the State lands there are
millions uI acres Oi patented lands, rail
road and colony land on the market and
seeking purchasers, offered at low prices
and on long time. Even were the entire
32,OOOOOO acres Of State lands Withdrawn
from market there would sill be enough
land for sale, at AS low prices, To accom-
lnodato several hundred thousand new
COmeIS.
When Ouc-half of the State lands have
been leased should it appear that emf
grafton Is lmpeded for want of good
lahdS Tor them, then would be time
enough to withdraw it from market, but
rs yet only 100000 lin round num6ersl
out OF 32OO,OOO are leased. In each of
the above western counties there are
rom 10000 acres to lOO.-
W acres Of choice land
on the market at from 81 to "A per acre,
and on long credit. Part Of this Is
state lands, but in tracts SO small that
II Is not likely to be leased, aud vet the
Gazette las published several silly
letters purportiug 10 be written by per
sons who have travelled over the West
cln couniic5 ~ search of homes and
returned East because there is no land
that is desirable TO be purchased, Those
letters are subject of ridicule by every
one living West, but they NAV deceive
some VINO wish to move 10 this section,
ana are not acquainted with the cCudi-
ton Uf affairs hero. The big stockmon
may try to discourage parties from
coming West to farm, IA they did dur-
ing me iree-graSs system, but only the
tllnld and yacillating waver and return
To the East. will say of my
own knowledgo that the above cummu-
hlcAtions are uniOuuded, and that there
Is plenty OF choice and cheap lands i'm
each OF the Western counties, and Will
no for years, even il the lease system
continues To prevail, and cordial vel.
come Is extended In every county to all
newcomers who are industrious and
honest. Everyone who comes West il
system thai t, v,, i n",n,ng IN tne lease
tIrni,,,, - -, WI prevent MN from
small iI,rcI ,r,, v' .Hu uPuh range MS
has nhnvn ,,, Wv ,i''u J." NY OF the coun-
couniies v5iin 49,, ~ "v,'H'r ol theSe
cepti"ns ,, I ,n,f ,, one OF TWO eN,
Vim 60, NJ ~, VI we lanu lhcloSed
NOT a LrII ,w ,, U.'o "W i
not rorr.5 |rn r.n ~. "n, ~
cycept tn tb"sc ,r iv ~, at
herd or liparii. 4, ,"i,'', MiSn 10
must lease nr bi,I. II nr,,,I TX ,,,o, 10y
state land Nh y'lJ .,,, nv wa, wy
will, from tnXntin, any,, H I,,,ar ~, P'pNvu,
morn rrv.,,',n ,r,,, ~ ,,o '''v,'S' nIl'lg
That is trne, vol mnl,',' ,i,,' -, n,ot''A
ali Win wish ., IN Wv, NV. U.s. y sleih
and inprov" thrr, ,rri W. D'',o lalus
as undrr tbc ~ W" W, 9S nluch
half the Stntr inn1s i, E S,' n,,n LOT oven
fords nil ni"ntv nf , ,"''vvVuu lures, al
ia splect and ,urrl,asa IVY .io'm Wnlch
money ia mn ndJi,innoi fr,,J ,"o lynse
iho ,,I,u',, "' Tv,'l',uIlal Iullu TO which
thoy s shon H. vnI''ieu, ana out OF which
,,rntin, ,,'',. IVY ~ cheHteu' u immi-
S,"'''" va, ~ EIoIt tnht inc entire