Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-02
interviews With Commissioners Gass
and McCuIIoch on the Stu
alton IN Western Texas.
Chief Points In Their 0fIlcIaI Reports
Which the Land Board With
hold From the Public.
Miuions Of Acres Illegally Fenced In Tho
Panhandle -..xeep an Eye on Good
nights Cedar Iiraiso."
special 10 thc Gazette.

nearly al the grass commissioners have
been printed here at The dcaf and
dumb asylum, south Of the river The
proofs have long ago been read, but etili
they are not allowed TO be made public
until officially acted on by the land
board. Two OF the reports have
already, and some time ago, been
publlshcd, including one In 1'nr GAZETTE.
The others are seated books TO the public,
except such excerpts and stray cuttings
as the reporters bnyo from time 10 time
beon able TO get,
Not the least interesting or important
OF the forthcoming reports Is that Of MI
w. II. Class, from which the following
points may he cited IN general way, aud
which Mr.. Gnss alluded 10 In his oxnInin'
alton before the land board on Saturday
last,
WHAT COMMISSIONER GAsH SAYS.
The district put under charge OF Com
missioner Gass comprlRos 22,ibI square
miles, or ll,872 $50 ncrcs, and includes
over twenty counties In the Panhandle,
VIZ. Colingworth, Donly Armstrong,
Randall, Potter, Moore, sherman, Hans
ford Oohiltrce, blpscomb, ilcmphlll,
Roberts, llutchins, Carson, Gray and
Wheeler having an area OF over 800
square miles cnch, the counties OF Old
ham, Deaf Smith, Hartley aud Dnllam
each having an area Of 1855 miles, llardc-
man county, with an area Of $50 square
miles, Wilbnrgdr, with OS7 square miles.
A glance az lho map shows this IL the
very top Of the Panhandle, aud waicred
by branches OF the Canadian aud The OK
trcmc tributaries Of Red river being IN the
same lattuuo Of Northern Mississippi and
the Carollnas. Mr.. Gnss' district " large
enough for small state, yet he makes
the statement from a tual personal OBJ
sofVaton that outside of the three organ
lied counties Of Wheeler, Donly aud Old
ham, the population OF this entire nrch OF
over 10000 square miles hardly exceeds
500 souls, and IN the three counties
mentioned not counting The towns
Of Clarendon, Moboeto aud TaHcosa,
the Inhabitants are hardly more than 200
or2B0 TO each
The country IL principally occupied
with cattle, excepting sherman and parts
OF Hanaford, Ochiltrce and Lipsoomb, and
also parts of Moore, Hartley aud Dallam.
This entire portion OF the Texas Panhandle
~ UNDER PENCE
and occupied by large and
wealthy stock cattle and pas
tnre companies and syudIcatcs.
Wheeler and u part OF Gray ara occupied
by half dozen big stock owners aud u
number Of actunl settlers, Some OF the
pastures are iinmensei range lines are
marked ont, and, IN some Instances, there
are employed
LOOSE nERDINd AND lime RIDING,
This state Of Affairs also exists In Old
ham and Iemphill counties, likewise In
portions OF Hartley, Moore aud Potter.
In the counties named Commlsalonor
Gass found that the law regarding the
lease or purchase OF sohool-lands had
not been complied with, aud asserts that
In his district
FIVE MILLION AoREs
or more OF school lands are Illegally
fenced no lenses having been
made with the land board
The commissioner further says that these
trespasses ON the school lands are not
through ignorance, but that some OF The
pasturo.owners exhibited their range
maps TO the commissioner aud showed
him the oxnct location aud extent OF th,
urea Illegally fenced by them.
TIN LAW DEFWp.
IL there any possibility OF successfully
prosecuting the pnstnrcmen Tor thel
Illegal holdings Of the lands belonging e
the school ehildren--any chance OF fore
ing collection OF rentals duo for use hl
ready had Of these lands by process II
the courts where the oifenscs arc com
mittcdl
Commissioner Gasa answers omphat
ically, no, and in substance intimate
that to prosecute one OF the offender
would be Ike trying membu
OF gang BY jury OF the same gang. II
doee no. believe appealing TO the court
Ia the Panhandle would have an
effect In recovering renls undor or ext
cutting the provisions OF the Enclosure act
He says Tho cattlemon might puaslbl
be convicted or bo forced
pny back rentals, provided th
Jury were made up OF nc
ual scttlera or nncStora.n These latter
IN their turn, might be convlotedoi illeei
cutting OF Timber OF school lands 90 rs
q mild term, provided the Jury was con
posed OF catllemcn, but not otherwise
In short, tho law cannot be enforced
least by civil process, IN the Farmland
counties. You might just as well ask
man 70 hang himself.
In fact, In case grass depfetatore
tiinhor stoalcrs were on trial, the iu
would have 10 he "atochcd' TO conyl
either clasg of offenders.
Large ktockmen IN the Panhandle dl
coufagc agricultural settlers, The ~
tom 81 large pastures with hundreds
thousands OF acres Illegal
iuclUscd naturally Ohsiructs q
RettlCmunt OF the country, and Il
consequent advancement Ia the value
the public lands IN that section iio'
over, Mr.. Gass rays hui two Instances
actual Intimidation cpno 60 his know
edge white Investigating ~ his dMtrict.
TAXING rms cniipRENH TiwnFn,
ttnpprnrs that the depNdatOrs 20 I
the tlinbur as wen MS the grass. Eli
wood Is scarce Ia the Pa
handic aud tho commisslunV
found the law generally vioi
ca by settlers IN this respol
Ranchmun also do the same and the COZ
missioner, With 4 stfcal OF grim hum,
advises tho hoard To have an eye ON I
big eedar-brake ~ The vast pasture
Goodnight, north 81 Canadian river
having been stated Ia the board that n
Goodnight has over 100000 acres
school landn Illegally fenecd). Again
regards Timber the commission
says the United States goyel
mepl contractor for supplying wo
for FQaf Elliott, ia wheeler county Z,
his w6ok from the brakes In Goodnight
pasture.
Regarding the difllcnlty often enc0u
tefed by THE Actual settler, MIR, GoAs 10
the surveyor of Wheeler district Il
a.. - -. 49,.