Arizona silver belt. [volume] (Globe City, Pinal County, Ariz.) 1878-19??, 1884-07-19

Trouble On the Trail Between Tezns
ana Kansas.

>ntHr iattrtt-ts a = = At 'o4t~A Va tIN
Times who met him last evening Mr.
Lewis gave a graphic and minute ac-
eonnt Of the complex troubles under
which the catlemen labor in passing
through parts Of the IndAn Telrltory.
eIn the 6rst place, aid he, 'the
Kiowa Choctaw Indiani eoaeeiyed a
scheme Is exiort toll from Us. This
was three years ago, and they were
rafher S noae 4 f7st only demanding
two three on perhap four beeses rom
each herd but as they found We sub
mitled 10 this with q good grace, they
demanded more next year, and this
they have set the limit at from eight
to ten bead Of COWS, and viii not ac-
cept steers at all. nor even the cows if
Trey can get the money value in
cash. The reason for this Is that a
clique Of white men are settled in that
country who buy the cattle from the
Indians, and whatever kind they de-
mand IS the kind the Indians want at
the time. The cattle do the Indians
no good as such. for none Of them are
held, but all 60 at once into the hands
Of the renegades, who pay low mar
ket price for them ia cash. Hence
the preference the red men have for
money down. as It obgiates the neces.
sity Of a trade"
Mr Lewis went on TO say that in
one instance a herd boss vas forced to
return 800 miles to get s225. the price
demanded, before three herds under
bis control were allowed to pass, and
in several eases Dir. Lewis herds we're
iolled ia a similar manner. When
asked why the cowboys in charge sub
mitted to such treatment be explained
that many large cattle raisers, himself
amoBg the number. had adopted she
plan Of allowing none bat the boss to
carry reyolvers. or arms Of any kind
upon the trail, thinking thereby 70
avoid the fatal melees iH which the
average cowboy too freqasntly in
aulges. and that the Indians being
fully armed, always made the demands
al the mnzzls of a revolver. thus plac-
ing the cattleman at disadvantage
which j would be little less than sui
cidal 70 daily with.
In addition to the toll difficulty, mr.
/ lLe4s said, there IS another which is
assuming srions proportions aud
wbich il his oinion, viii result in
the government refaing 70 allow the
Lawn Grazing Company, which now
has a large portion Of what Is known
IS the Cherokee strip fenced in 'er
their private use, to longer occupy the
ground ard nnllify the ninety-nine-
year lease by which they now hold it.
The trouble arose from a refusal on
the part Of the company to allow Tex
IS cattle to pass through their strip
en- route to market. The old eastern
trail, as IS known, passes almost d.
rectly through these fence pastures
and the the drorers attempted to fol-
low it through one Of the gates. but
they were met by an armed band Of
some fifty men and driven back. and
the herds are now standing there out j
sidethe company S fences. togo around
which would involve an extra 200
miles Of travel Secretary Teller was
telsgraphed the full particulars, and
at once ordered a special agent to in
vestigate the matter and to force an
opening upon all former trails With
out regard to leases or monopolistic
privileges Of any kind and the inyesti-
gatlon IS now in progress, while in
the meantime the armed men hold the I
gate and declare that the first cattle
entering their domain viii be shot. /
The ostenable reason for this is that
the cattle now within the fenced range
are cross breed. and if brought into
contact With the Texans viii be likely
to become diseased Upon the other
hand, the drovers claim that the same
state Of things existed before the tract
was fenced 10, anG that during the
driving season the breeders had force
af men patfolling tho drive and keep
Ing their cattle back while the droves
passed throngh, and the same thing
sonld be doae just as web this year
The toll sad fencing trouble coming
% ue'sry together ana both being tel-
'graphed to Secretary Teller. resulted
q taings becoming somewhat mixed
q the cattle country, but Dir. Lewis
aid the two we're now understood to
. distinct and the men who are ob-
eeting e the toll are preparing evi
Ienee to present to the commissioner
e adjust the matter and
hey xpeet to lay the facts before him
i IN early day
Next % an efemna man there
cthlag So olsag as manni