The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-12-03
GOVERNMENTAL.
REPORTORIAL ROUNDS IN
THE DEPARTMENTS.
AN EPITOME OF WHAT WAS
LEARNED YESTERDAY AT
THE CAPITOL.
THE STATE LAND BOARD.


in session yesterday, awarded bids to lease
for about 900 sections of land, of which
Mr.. Charles Goodnight gets 700 sections
and the st. Louis Cattle company 40 sec
tions, the balance being distributed among
small stock owners.
Mr.. Goodnight was before the board
and made a vigorous protest against the
report of Grass Commissioner Stephens,
which, he said, had done him very grave
injustice. He had offered to lease the
lands accepted by him under the five per
cent. law. He had committed no unlawful
depredatiOns upon state timber, or COM
mitted any unlawful acts, the report to
the contrary, Notwithstanding. He was
ready for an investigation of charges
made against him, and if necessary, would
foot the bills. He acknowledged he had
school lands under fence, and that the
timber on the land was sometimes cut by
others, something he could not prevent,
not being a state agent. The board heard
him patiently, and his remarks evidently
made favorable impression as they con-
tanned interesting and valuable infOrma-
ton which will have due consideration, as
the board has no desire to harass or in
terfere with the business of stockmen who
are inclined to do the state justice in the
matter of using the public school lands.
Mr.. Lerch, of Tom Green county, was
also before the board, and he and Mr..
Goodnight agreed in saying that the sale
of leased lands worked a grave hardship
upon lessees, as alleged settlers often en-
tered an enclosure, purchased section of
land, and then turned hundreds of cattle
loose to roam at their own sweet will over
the pasture. The board, it is understood,
will endeavor to remedy this evil by limiting
the sale to one section, and the number
of cattle to ten head per acre. The stock
men aver that any person who honestly
desires to settle within their Enclosures
for the purpose of engaging in legiti-
mate agricultural pursuit will meet with
no opposition, but they do want their
leases protected from interlopers, frauds
and imposters, and they want it bad.
INTERoGATORIEs AND ANSWERS.
The following are the answers of Com
missioner Bains to questions propounded
by the state land board:
"What territory did you visit as grass
commissioner? Name the counties and
give the approximate area?"
~ visited the counties of Preside, Ell
Paso, Reeves and Pecos, but was recalled
before perfecting any work in Pecos
county. There is about 32,540, square
miles in the above counties, or 20,865, 800
acres"
"Give population outside of the towns
in your district?"
about 1900 think"
"Did you find the country generally oc-
cupied by stockY"
81 find from information obtained in
the field that there is 4,125,OOO acres in
my district occupied by stock"
I'm what way; by fences, line riding or
herding?"
"Mostly by the loose herding systems,
save by short drift fences in mountain
gaps, Others, by line riding"
did you find that the occupants had
generally complied with the law regarding
purchase or lease of the lands?"
SIN many instances the law has not been
complied with. Some of which has been
reported by me, and am
in the possession of information that will
show additional violation, if hunted up"
"When you found parties using land IL
legally, were they, as rule, aware of
the fact that they were violating the law,
or were they ignorant of the fact?"
"In cases of line riding, loose herding
or drift fencing they were aware of the
fact. But in cases of purchasing a wa
tered section, some did not consider they
violated the law, thinking, as they allege,
shat water must be permanent to make
watered lands"
From the general sentiment of those
with whom you conversed, do you think
much, if anything, could be accomplished
by appealing to the local courts for the
punishment of such trespassers or for the
recovery of rents?"
II do not believe any good would result
from efforts in that way"
do the occupants of these lands dis
or obstruct settlers or small stock
men from settling upon these lands?"
''They discourage the small stockman
in numerous ways unless he is in some
way connected or interested with them.
The settler, having no stock, does not
meet with so much encouragement from
the lessees or the usurpers."
''Would you prefer, as settler to attempt
to occupy section of state school land
covered by lease, or one held by stock
owners who do not lease?"
Zone covered by lease, of course"
did you find any depreciation on the
timber of school lands; if so, what char
acter and extent?"
81 found that the citizens or occupants
of the country use all the timber they
want, regardless of the owner. There are
sundry persons who sell wood for living |
and believe the state has lost great |
deal of timber in that way, but did not
look into such cases, as could |
not identify the school lands where
the depredations were being commit
ted. 1 found that Fitzgerald Connel,
Brothers and Mr.. Harrison, of Ell Paso,
were getting out about ten thousand posts
on their lease to build drift fence fifteen |
miles long. 1 also found that one thou
sand posts had been cut in Texas and sold |
in New Mexico"
"Did you find that the land known as
school land had generally been surveyed
and marked on ground, or that they had
been what are known as paper surveys?"
II found no evidence of the land having
been regularly surveyed by sections or
blocks, but were generally known as pa
per surveys. In Ell Paso county some
work has been done recently which seems
to have been marked on the ground"
Does it not cost the settlers consid- |
cradle sum to have a section identified |
upon which he wants to settle? Name |
some instances of costs, if any came un-
f7or