Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-08-17
Four Millions of Government Acres
Illegally Appropriated.
OUTRAGEOUS Barred WIRE FENCE
formidable Obstruction to the Settlement
Of the COunty---CrOwding Out
Small Farmers.
TOUCHING APPEALS FOR REDRESS.

r
nation against fencing in the public lands
one needs to read a report made to thr Sen
ate in March, 1884, in obedience to reso-
luton of that body. The report was sent
in by Secretary Teller, but was made in
fact by Mr.. Harrison, Acting ommissioner
of the Land Office, who says in it:
The information serves to show the gen
eral fact of the existence, upon lcrge scale
ard to an unknown extent, of unauthorized
fencing of public lands; the manner in
which it ia done, and the purpose and effect
of the enclosures. The reports Of special
agents also show that fraudulent entries
of public lands within the enclosures
are extensively made by the procurements
and in the interest of stockmeD, largely for
the purpose of controlling the sources of
water supply.
Among the cases specially reported are
those of the Arkansas Valley Company, in
Colorado, whose Enclosures embrace upward
of 100000 acres; the Prsrie Cattle Com
pany Scotch, in Colorado, upward of l.
100000 acres; H. H. Metcslf, River Bend,
Col, 100000 acres; John W. Powers,
Colorado, 200, 900 scres; Mcdaniel h Davis,
Colorado, $4,000 acres; Routchler 4 Lamb,
Colorado, 10000 acres; J. W. Frank, Colo
rado, 10000 acres; Garnett & Lsngford,
Colorado 10000 acres; L. C. Tame, Colo
rsdo, 80 600 acres; Leivesy Brothers Colo
rsdo, 10000 acres; Vroomsn Il McFife,
Colorado, $4,000 acres; Beatty Brothers,
Colorado, 10000 acres; Chick, Brown 4
Co., Colorado, 80 900 acres; Reynolds Cat
lie Company, Colorado, $4,000 acres; sew
eral other cases in Colorado embracing from
10000 acres to 10000 acres; Brighton
Ranch. Nebraska, l25,OOO acres; Coe &
Carter, Nebraska, 80 miles of fence; j.
w Wilson, Nebraska, 10 miles of fence; j.
W. Bosler, 20 miles; William Humphrey,
Nevada, 80 miles; Nelson Il Son, Nevada,
~ miles; Kennebec Ranch, Nebraska, 20.
& 90 10 $4,000 acres.
Public Lands Fenced In.
In point of fact it is now known that at
least four million acres OF government land
are thus illegally fenced in. Secretary La
mar is determined to see that all these four
millions shall be rcopened under the Presl-
dents proclamation. Several diagrams are
sent YOU herewith showing how, with a
small proportion of land owned, syndlcates
aud com mpanies in the fertile parts of Colo
rado, Kansas and Nebraska fence in an
immense grab of public lands. 1t will De
seen from extracts from letters and reports
sent you below that this fencing in OF public
lands is an injury not only TO the settemen,
Of the country, but to the farmers, who have
precisely the same right to run their cattle
on the government lands as the companies
which fence them in, and also, 1t appears,
,hese tences are an obstruction to highways.
Barbed Wire Distractions.
Here is q case whe:e small road was
fenced in
ArRII, %, lS33.-The contractor on
route 54,l92. Plumb Creek TO Arnold Neb.,
reports as follows: In the Loup River
Vsllcy, of Custer county Neb., are large
cattle ranges, enclosing hundreds OF acres
Ui government lands, with barbed wire, re-
gardless of section or even township hues,
and must drive through such gates as
they choose to put, in order to get TO the
sostofhces, having often to leave unrdiy
Lorses to open and shut their so-called
.stes in all sorts of weather. What | wish
G kIow is, can l compel these parties,
through your aid, to open section lines aud
- me through without going several miles
Ut OF my way?
Here is an appeal from farmers
BELlNoD, Butte CO. Neb., March l9, So.
SIR-There are thousands of acres Of
government land north of gsllsllie, on the
<crrh Platte rivar. good for farming, and |
ave twenty five or thirty farmers that would
,le 10 settle there. but the cattle men have
Fry miles fenced up on Hesly Creek, and
;te school and also. Now to settle on and
.slm the land, must We fight them with
Starys - or will the Government protect
Us? | mean business. J. JrDEvINE
This land | can irrigate-al Of it from
Cedar and four other creeks that come out
Il the sand hills from the north.
Choice Land Illegally Held.
How good farming lands are fenced in is
,o1d by Special Agent Hobbs, writing Octc-
bsr *, lsS$:
Bv YOUR letter above noted you transmit
ted copy of an affidavit made before
Special Agent Menzel, May 2l 1888, by
Mr.. Virgil Allyn, the manager of the
Rrighron Ranch, and as to this desire to
| give nv first attention. He represents that
tie company controls ffiy-three entries, aud
| these entries cover about seven thous1od
acres OF the most valuable lands in that
ccurrry, a. personally know. Ihsye care
| fully examined nearly all OF these entered
! lands, and can safely say that at least twea-
ty Of them Covering about three thousand
two hundred acres) were either fraudulent
| Al their inception or are held without COM
/ pliarce with law, and are consequently
proper subjects for cancellation. These
! cases will be reported individually at ss
| early a dste as practical he.
Mr.. Allyn swears that he has about one
| hundred and twenty-five thousand acres OF
what be is pleased to term 'non-productive
/ lands, which are perfectly vslusless for az
| ricultursl purposes, and only tt for stock
/ and cattle raising" Now, it is rue that he
( has that many acres under fence, and prob
! ably many more, but the statement that it
! is ron productive land is totTlT false. ss
/ drive of 8 great many miIes Nat made
( within TIE enclosure clearly shows Fur
/ ther on in the said affidavit he saws that be
never objected TO any one gong inside his
{ teuce to take up the land; that during the
last seven years only two crops have been
/ been raised successfully on these agricul-
tursl lands located in this Loup River Va
/ lev: that the climate is too cold Tor agri-
cultural purposes; that the season is too
short to ripen crops to pay for the lAb1r
spent upon said lands, and that these lands
J located in this valley are only adapted for
I stock and cattle raising.
( / think can show to the satisfaction Of
the Office that alI Of these statements sre
I IL. h.va travalai avtanaivslv aur o.