, 1884-02-16
CATTLE CONVENTION.
Drift Of Discussion In the United Rocky
Mountain Cattle Growers Asso-
clatlon-EIection Of Oficers.

ers' association at Salida, Colorado, was
replete with matters Of much moment.
The report of the executive committee
was received, recommending that the
rewards for the capture Of thieves,
offered by the local associations should
be withdrawn, and that rewards should
be paid by the general association. 1t
proposed that q herd book should be
published for the coming year, and 1t
decided TO publish q reward of 81, 600
for the arrest and conviction Of anyone
stealing stock OF any member Of the
association. The committee also ar
ranged to secure counsel In zach county
to prosecute offenders.
The question OF fence-cutting was
was discussed at some length. Nj.
Robins regarded the matter very
simple, as those parties who fenced in
the land On the water, owned 1t, as a
rule, and he did not see how they could
be compelled to leave their land open.
Generally, in this state, there was no
land on the water courses that was not
taken up by presumption or homestead,
but it had been sold at private sale at
the minimum price of twenty-five cents
per acre.
Mr.. Van Kleeck thought that 1t
would not be advisable for the onven
ton TO take any action In the matter,
as the government was considering the
question at the present time, and 1t
would be better to await the result Of
that action.
Mr.. Mercer expressed himself as op-
posed to fencing. He believed that
cattle should have a chance to drift
during the cold weather, and be able to
GO to water. He thought the old idea
Of '.squatter sovereignty" would fur
nish a proper solution to the difficulty,
and as the United States court had de-
cided squarely against fencing the pub
lie domain, 1t would be better not to
come to any determination in the mat
ter, as the question would force itself
on them DON enough. He did not
favor the attaining of a title to land
away from the water courses. as the
cattlemen would then have to pay
taxes on them far In excess Of their
real value. Another objection which
he offered was, that II those lands were
offered at private sale they would pass
entirely into foreign hands, which he
did not think desirable. He complained
that local papers. as a rule, exaggera-
ted the merits CT their localities for ca
tie growing, and did a great deal Of in
jury by overstocking particular sections
Of the country.
Mr.. Holly spoke OF the many abuses
resulting from not fencing in the public
lands, such az men driving immense
herds of cattle and focks OF sheep from
one county to another eating of the
winter ranges and avoiding their taxes
in those counties to which they prop
erly belonged.
After the revision and adoption OF
the constitution and bylaws, the fol-
lowing officers were then elected:
President-Henry Van Kleeck.
Independent, s. c. HAver.
Secretary-T. A. Young.
Treasurer, 7. Wicker.
Messrs. Otis White, E. T. Beck
with, ]. T. Parlin, =. L. Sweet, Sam
uel Hartzel and George H. Adams
were chosen as the executive COM
mittee.
The plans Of the National Indus
trial Exposition, in regard to an az
bibit OF live STOCK 1t the exposition OF
1884, were presented by w. Holly, Sec
rotary OF the board OF commissioners,
and appropriate resolutions endorsing
the exposition and the exhibit Of live
stock were passed unanimously.
In his address of welcome before the
association, President Van Klesck
urged that the necessity Of combina-
tion by the various associations was to
warn each Of the thieves that migrated
from n country to another. The
plan of the organization was to form a
union of all the local associations, with
an executive committee and Of officers,
who should have entire charge OF all
of the funds, payments Of rewards, the
employment OF counsel, etc. He said
that the organization had been able to
break up the stock thieves Of the Sec
tion by placing some in the peniten-
tiarY and Jail, while others have left
the country. He recommended that
all combination OF letters forming
monographs and bars and geometrical
figures should be abolished, except as TO
the owners OF the originals. The
question rs to whether q brand
is entitled to DO recorded. or
an original brand should be
taken from the county recorder,
who is generally not n stockman,
and vested In two practical stockmen
and the recorder was touched upon, and
he referred to the fact that In Austria
branding Is divided into six parts-the
two shoulders, the two sides and the
two hips. The breeder Of the animal
brands the left shoulder, the ntst pur-
chaser the right shoulder, the next
buggy on the left side, etc. Experience
shows that no more than six transfers
occur In the life of an animal. These
letters are required to be Of uniform
size, and all brands must constitute
two letters and a numeral. Any such