Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-07-04
CATTLEMEN'S APPEAL.
Congressman sayers Protests to Score
tary Lamar Against Stopping
Texas Cattle,
How the Movement Of Stock Across tn,
Neutral Strip Has Been Checked
TO Serve Private Ends.
Inevitable Result il Texas Herds Are
Prevented From Going to
Their Destination.


SAN ANTONIO, TEX, July 3 The
following important protest from Con.
gresham Joseph ID. Siyers to Secre-
'tary Lamar was sent yesterday from
Austin
TO the Hon. l.. q. c. LANAI, Secretary OF the
Interior;
SIR:--I take the liberty OF herewith
transmitting you an explanatory
sketch covering that portion OF coun.
try wherein stockInen are now vitality
Interested with reference to the pass
age OF Texas cattle north ward. By
examination OF this outline map you
will find that after crossing Red river
the old Dodge City trail kept near the
eastern line Of the Texas Panhandle,
and, reaching the extreme northeast
corner Of the Panhandle, crossed
ON an underlined line between
the Cherokee Strip and the Neutral
Strip, ana thence on through kausas
via Dodge City. Under the existing
state quarantine restrictions Of Kan
sas, IL is not practicable for trail cattle
from below certain line TO pass into
tina, state, nor has any drove contem-
plated
tOlNS IN III NJ III hbNliON,
but the greater portion Of strictly
South Texas cattle have been sent
north ward, destined only for the PAN
handle and Indian Territory lands,
there to remain year or more.
Among the herds OF Texas cattle sold
this season from that portion OF the
state wholly above any suspicion
of ability to impaGt sc-calied
Southern fever are some thirty thou
sand to forty thousand young cattle
Iipurchased by residents nf the state OF
Colorado and designed by the pur-
ehaseIs for their ranches in Colorado
When IL Lecame apparent that 10 reach
the Colorado trail the cattle would, Of
necessity, have to pass through some
portion OF the Neutral Strip or Nc
Mana Land, the cattlemen now ranch
ing IN that part Of the country, and
who are largely citizens of Kansas
sought
10 DETER SUCH PASSAGE
through the land occupied by them
alleging that their interests therein
would be greatly endangered
| by contact with cattle from
Texas, aud, to the end OF preventing
such passage of Texas cattle, move
lment was seton foot to secure from tn,
lsecreJeIy of the interior declaration
.ot quarantine covering said Neutrs
llStlp aud excluding ali Texas cattle
| The injustice of such proceeding i
| appsrent. The occupants of the Neu
Iltral Strip land are
II NEITHER OWNERS NOR LESsERs
lof any portion Of it, nor do they con
lti bute any pro rata OF taxes TO thu
general government of the UniteC
States, Hence, they have no right ol
claim TO special recognition
even II there existed, ai
lie not the case, any caus,
lfor such desired protection. As will
libe seen by the accompanying maj
there Is u portion OF land belonging I,
| the Cherokee Strip which ie unde
| lease to certain parties from the In
idians, that portion which lies next L
the upper part Of The eastern line O
/ the Texas Panhandle and extending
| up along the eastern edge OF the Neu
4 trail Strip 10 the south boundary o
1 Kansas. Under the rulings of you
predecessor, Secretary OF the Iuterio
| Teller, this and all others OF the la
dian lands are subject to the jurisdic
ton of the United states government
and the late secretary last year OF
.dered all cattle trails
I TO BE KEPT OPEN.
At the late Dallas meeting of cattle
men interested In the trail, held OF
the 18th and 10Th of May last, com
lipromise trail WAS there agreed upoi
with reference to Texas, which trail
| was to turn west from the old trail u
the point indicated by the letter A oil
the ace )mpanying map and just soutl
OF Camp supply, aud to pass west
ward through the northern tier O
hcounties in the Panhandle | am re
IDiably informed that the stockmel
have assurances that If they car
come over this proposed trsi
WESTWARD TO u point immediatel.
psouth OF the eastern line OF C1lorad
aud can pass northwsrd through tn
Neutral Strip, then ali such cattle ca
\ readily enter the state Of Coiorad
II and pass on to their destinations
But / also learn that the Kansas ant
foreign occupants OF the Neutral STR
lands, in which they have no RICH
whatever, propose thwarting the oil
iect OF those cattlemen who desire I
Vdrive over said Neutral Strip by cal
Ing on your department
TO PREVENT THE PASSAGE
OF such cattle across the leas ID Ian
already indicated in the Cherokee
Strip, notwitbstsn ling such ira
has always been open, the object c
such opposition being 10 prevent tn
lpsssage Of all cattle acr ~ the Neutrs
Strip northward from the Panhandl
10 Colorado. The objections Of Co
Orado stockmen, and notably those @
Ben county, 10 the entrance Of Te8a
cattle into Colorado applies only TO Tn
desire Of a few that only certain cal
tie shall enter their state
10 THE EXCLUSION OF OTHERS,
and the Ben county stockmeh wOul
readily agree that all or no Texas CA
tie should come in. The most forcibl
argument which the occupants OF TIA
Neutral Strip bring 10 bes
on your department are tn
two allegations, totally unfounded an
insincere. that the ranges they o.
cupy In the Neutral Strip are no.
overstocked and they fear so-calle
fTexas fever being Introduced amon