Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-11-28

4
lowing remarks upon the motion.
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLESIEN-A
burned child shuns the fire. We have
had some experience of the Texas cattle
trail In Kansas and we are sick of it.
nor do we want any more of it. That,
however, does not necessarily imply
that these resolutions shall not pass:
but they should not be passed without
at least some slight consideration of
what we propose to do. Now, / am
aware that our Texas friends often as
sert, not all of them, that Texas cattle
do not do any harm, and some of them
go so far as to say there is no Texas
fever. But when you have seen your
cattle that have been in contact with
Texas cattle, or have been either drink
ing water from pool where Texas cat
tie have drank. or feeding on a range
where Texas cattle have passed week
or two weeks ago, lie down and die by
the dozen and by the hundreds, then it
touches your pocket and affects your
interest, and you, for one, do not want
such a trail. IApplause.l Now 1 will
cite two cases that occurred to my
knowledge this season. One is that of
a man with small bunch of native cat
tie. i mean domestic cattle from Mis-
souri,. lie lived in The neighborhood of
the Texas trail, twenty-five miles south
west Of Dodge City. He went in there
with only two or three cows, and he in
creased his stock until he had twenty
live. This season he lost every single
hoof he had from Texas cattle being
driven by his door six weeks before.
A delegate: How do you know that
killed them?
Mr.. Russell: We know what Texas
fever is lapplausel, and when those cat
tie were cut open it was as plain as a
pike-staf to any man who had ever lost
cattle from Texas fever. The other
case Is that of gentleman living in the
city OF Manhattan, i'm the state of Kan
sas. He bought from the Kansas CITY
market 200 head of half-bred cattle. and
1t has heretofore been held that cattle
which would take the disease would not
import it. That is the general state
ment made by most authorities concern
ing the Texas cattle fever. The cattle
were taken to Manhattan and they gave
Texas fever to the other cattle the gen.
tleman owned, and the latter animals
died by the score. They took the dis
ease from those cattle, and those cattle
only. Now, sir, If it is not proposed to
take through Kansas we are net much
interested in it, but you do not say
where it is to go. Itgoes to-day through
the state of Kansas, but / tell you it
wont 60 through the state of Kansas
next year. [Applause.l
At this point there were repeated
cries of Thine, Time"
MIR. Russell: The president keeps time,
not you fellows. Laughter and APP
plause.l
Judge Carroll: 1 move the gentleman
DO allowed further time in which to
conclude his remarks.
MIR. RUSSELL PROCEEDS.
The chairman: If there is no objec-
ton Mr.. Russell will be allowed TO
proceed.
Mr.. Russell in the absence of any OBJ
lection proceeded to say: Now, gentle
men, we want to buy Texas cattle, l
bought some Texas cattle myself this
summer, want to buy more next sum-
mer and expect to continue purchas-
ing Texas cattle, but have no right to
ruin my neighbOr who has but 20 head
of cattle by taking Texas cattle into his
nelghborhood, nor have you any right
TO make people paupers in order to sat
lsfy your desire to dispose of your cattle.
lApplause.] Nor Is it necessary. We
claim that you can put your Texas cattle
into the state of Kansas with safety to
us, and without damage to yourselves.
Southwestern Kansas is filled with i'm
proved and improving herds. One
OF my neighbors recently drove in
nine hundred cattle of high grade
from Missouri, and if you turn Texas
cattle near his ranch he will lose every
hoof, and he has thousands of dollars III
vested in his stock. On my own range l
have high grade and pure bulls, and
have many cattle highly graded up, l
want to continue doing this because it
Is profitable to me. Am then. because
| want to grade my cattle up, to lose, in
order that you may sell your cattle? 1t
is unreasonable, and you may pass a
thousand resolutions but when it comes
to the congress OF the United States we
will have our say. What we ask and
what we believe to be reasonable i'm the
matter, is that this matter of driving
cattle between the first day of May and
the first day of November, in our section
of the word, shall cease. That is what
we believe to be necessary for our pro-
lection. 1t may be that cattle can be
driven safely as late as the first day of
June, but we are not particular as to
that point. As to continuing the cattle
trail through Kansas there are no other
matters to be considered. Thousands
upon thousands of settlers have gone
upon the plains of southwest Kansas
this season, and you can find scarcely a
section ofland along the line of the pres
eat cattle trail that has not a scatter
upon it south of Dodge City. How can
you have cattle trail there? 1t is i'm
possible, and next season you will see
the entire strip of land which lies
north Of Panhandle covered with squat
ter claims from one end to the other.
Where will your cattle trail be thenY
You gentlemen from Texas have to face
this matter. What will your resolution
amount to if you get there with your
cattle in the face Of thousands of set