Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-08-13
THE GREAT CATTLE MOVEMENT.
Rufus Hatch Says the Texas Cattle
Which Have Been stopped VIII
Die From starvation.

Rufus Hatch Says the Texas Cattle
Which Have Been stopped VIII
Die From Starvation.
The New York Times says There is a
strip of neutral domain in the Southwest
which resembles the District of Columbia,
inasmuch as it belongs to no State or
Territory. 1t is thirty-five miles long and
1859 wide from east to west. On the south
is Texas, on the west the Indian Terri
tory, on the east Colorado, and on the
north Kansas. It's neutrality is due to
the fact that it has never been surveyed,
and is consequently unstable at present
by the government. For years it has
been the gateway of Texas cattle into the
North. There is squatter sovereignty
in the minds of Southern people which
dictates that the first corners on govern
ment land have the right to hold such
tracts as they may claim until it is sur
veyed, when they can have the first
chance of purchase. Soithappened that
cattle-company squatters took step in
advance and went on and fenced in their
claims on this neutral strip without a
vestige of legal right. Drovers of passing
herds and government agents have torn
them down from time to time, and with
in three DAYS, as stated in dispatches, the
Secretary of the Interior has directed his
representative to keep passage open
here for cattle droves Mr.. Rufus Hatch
has been charged with being a prime
mover in fencing this strip, and yesterday
he took occasion to protest his innocence
in the matter and give concise state
ment Of the great cattle war between
Texas and all the rest of the country,
which, he says, is but in its inception.
:'Let me tell you about the cattle dis
ease" said he, "then the public will
understand the whole question. The
cattle fever originates in this way: The
Texas and warm-climate cattle are in
fected with minute tick which propa-
gates rapidly and drops off in the grass.
The tick does not destroy the cattle, but
others of Northern birth grazing on the
same ground swallow it and it produces
an affection of the liver. The disease is
not contagious, but results from cattle
swallowing the tick with drink or food.
This has been demonstrated by Samuel
w. Allerton, OF Chicago, who placed
diseased steer near healthy one, but fed
them separately on wholesome food, no
contagion- resulting. When the frost
comes the disease passes away and cattle
may be driven with safety so far as it is
Below the frost line, where
the ticks are indigenous, however,
the disease is permanent. When Texas
cattle spend q year in the North they
become free and safe to herd with
others.
"But nine-tenths of the Texas cattle
e, Tl,o fa,,&h se,
sent North, fed a year until the disease
passes away, and then become the splen-
did beeves we read about. Formerly
Texas cattle were driven North slowly,
feeding on the way, and by the time they
arrived here had become acclimated and
fat. Now the intermediate country has
all been taken up, and such dangerous
are prohibited by strict laws
Of all intermediate States. If this were
not so Texas cattle passing North would |
spread the disease among all herds on
the route, and these to other herds. The |
herds are fattening for
market and the Texans have more or less
destroyed them by spreading disease in |
his way The Texans say that the OPP |
position to their cattle is made to prevent |
heir competing in the market, and they |
also know that their method of competi- !
ion means the destruction of their rivals /
and vast losses of money. At one fell |
,woop lost over 500 head of cattle in |
his way, valued at 1000"
"What will be the outcome of this /
warp
''The herds that were stopped down
here will die there, because they can't /
yet food. It will be the same with every |
herd they attempt to drive north here
after. | tell you the whole cattle-pro- !
lucing country is up in arms against |
Texas. The Secretary of the Interior !
may pass them through the neutral ter !
-itory, but when they arrive on the bor-
lers of Kansas or any adjoining State |
,hey will be stopped, because those |
States, over which the Secretary has no /
control, are quarantined against them.
They can't pass through the leased |
lands of the Indian or other Terri
tories, because the courts hold the |
leases valid, and the lessees have the
right to prohibit them If Texas wants to |
bring her cattle north she must take the |
cars if even the states will permit passage !
by rail The Texans are using the fence !
as mere pretext. They argue that if |
they make war against the fences the |
owners will be compelled to compromise |
and make passage for them to save their
fences. They could never get the trail
they demand, however, even if their cattle |
were not diseased. The intermediate |
land is all taken up now, and the owners /
will never surrender it for such purposes.
"But are there no public highways?'
'fNone; that is, in Texas, Kansas, the |
territories, and part of the adjoining |
states. The very few national highways |
are in the states already quarantined
against Texas. While / am about it let
me say something on the future of Texas.
They have played bold game down
there and must lose. They are very anx-
ious to have people invest and buy out
their herds alleged rights. The moment
people bought they repudiated their
rights as some neighboring states have
their bonds. These rights consisted in the
purchase of lands adjoining water and
then claiming all the adjoining country
dependent on the streams. After you buy
they say there are no rights except such
rs are acquired by an honorable under
standing among cattlemen. The reaction
has come and no one will buy of them
now. Inever expect to receive one dollar
back that 1 have put into Texas: No
foreigners will ever put another dollar
there, and certainly Americans will invest
no more after one taste"
Showers of Rocks in Carolina.