Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-02-21
TROUBLE IN TEXAS.
The Land Question In New Guise
...Landlords and ''Nesters."
r"Hanson" in Chicago Tines

t"Hanson" In Chicago Times
Recognizing that these and many other
vendettas had their origin in or were greatly
aggravated by the loose methods OF herding,
. movement soon set in to fence the pastures,
and in little while all the large landowners
had their tracts fenced. Then came the rail-
roads, and those who held under their grants
fenced still larger tracts Last Of all came
the great capitalists, foreign corporations,
and even noblemen, and inclosed pastures as
large as the state of Rhode Island One man
owns fenced tract thirty miles square, 100
square leagues, or 576, COO acres. Tracts five
or ten miles square under one fence can
be found almost anywhere, even
near good-sized cities. One corpora
ton has 2S6 miles of incosing fence.
am told that foreign corporation has in
the Panhandle region one fence eighty five
miles long in nearly straight line, but
have not been able to verify this. OF course
such frightful land monopoly as this Is
against public policy, but the fence-cattels
concern themselves but little about that.
They have present and very serious evils to
complain Of Having Travelled through their
territory and seen with my own eyes how
easily small holder may be injured accord
ing to law, think it fair to give some speci-
men cases showing that the "nesters" as they
call the fence cutters, have real grievances.
Here is an old settler on a half section, who
has driven to the nearest pond or stream in
dry time, for many years. Now comes a
capitalist or corporation, buys and fences up
all the land between him and the water. His
ranch is simply worthless. He must sell 1t
for whatever the capitalist is willing to give.
Again and again have the small holders
insisted that they only wanted way
to water; If the state would pro-
vide for roads all would be we'll.
But there Is no law to establish roads across
these plains. In many instances the land
lord would not leave a single opening in
line thirty miles long. In the Panhandle
they have even bought the public land in
strips mile wide, such strips extending
around and enclosing vast central square OF
public land; they fence the outside and use it
all. Elsewhere they have bought up living
springs and running water, which are
proved to have been Of free, public use for
Indian, Mexican, freighter, and rancher for
$40 years-sinco the expedition OF Coronado
in l54l. Where the capitalist has small
tract say five miles square-his practice Is to
Craze his cattle outside on the public lands
and save his own pasture for winter. Of
course he has as good Il right to the public
land in law as the small herder, but, in fact
it drives the latter away. These are but a
few of the evils Of large land-ownership In
Texas
Well, the small holders and herders bore it
80 patiently at first that it seemed they would
submit to anything. They complained, but
tho legislature paid no attention. The capl-
talists simply said: "We don't want our
A. II Ia, l..
it would double the expense" And it was
not done. Then the fence-cutting began
Some Of "nesters" announced their plan to
raise HI ON principle, till tho legislature
paid some attention to them 1t never would
listen as long as they were peaceful. But all
experience shows that unlawful methods OF
seeking justice are like the issue Of legal
tender paper, the beginning Of strife, OF the
letting out OF water Anybody can begin it;
very few indeed can stop it at the right time.
The small herders raised HI OH principle"
but the product soon got beyond their p.inci-
pies. All the lawless elements in which such
region abounds turned themselves loose;
every man who had private grudge found
this good way to crafty it, and it soon APP
peared there was lots Of personal vengeance
left over from the war, the vendettas, tho
first they cut the wires on the big tracts, only
enough to open a way to water; then they
cut on all the big ranches; next they chipped
up the wire and burned the posts, and in lit
tie while squads were out cutting all fences,
oven on halfsection ranches, and swearing
chat none OF the pastures should bo fenced
they should be public property forever. Fences
we're cut within few miles Of San Antonio,
while was there. Towns are terrorized in
broad day, and to illustrate how far this
thing has gone, mention Brownwood, Brown
.ounty, which was invaded by an armed force
# over 200 mounted "nesters," The sheriff
and citizens succeeded in bringing them to
peaceful parley.
Conjecture is wearied III tho attempt to es.
innate the damage done. 1t is certainly very
great. In thirty counties it is estimated that
at least 5000 miles Of fencing has been de-
stroyed. Men from Coleman county tell me
fiat county suffered most Brown has also
suffered much. In region something like
hundred miles square, on the upper middle
Colorado, all improvement is checked; both
parties appear to be waiting on the action of
the legislature, and as the have-nots outvote
the haves at least three to one, / am curious
to see how the politicians will treat it. Per-
ha,s we are on the eve Of a new agitation OF
the land tenure 1t is certainly a serious
matter for Texas. The action Of her legisla-
ture may give us important light on new
and embarrassing problem in civic economy.
An Art Critic Sat Down Upon.