The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-24
on THE CATTLE QUESTION.
A Strong Objection to Further
Legislation.

In TIE HERALD of the 10th, there was
q strong article taken from the San
Francisco Bulletin, which stated that
there would be memorial sent to Con-
gress through Congressman Morrow,
from the people Of Utah, asking Con-
gress to pass a law to prevent the legis-
iators Of Utah, and other Territories,
from further legislating in the interest
Of cattlemen. The article will be news
TO most, if not all, the people of Utah.
Who is at the head of this move is, as
yet,iunknown; and the only reason
that. we can give Is that legislA-
ton for Utah is so popular that
any grievances that any of our
neighboring Territories have could
be more easily rectited by putting Utah
in the hight. The abuses complained OF
are that the stockmen move their herds
near the farmers, and eat them out:
and by the herders being dangerous
men and making the farmers move.
The contrary being the fact, the no
fence law being enforced; all a granger
has TO do is 10 put in a few acres of
wheat on some of the ranges, get behind
a sage brush, watch the stock, and
when they get on the grain take them
10 the estray pound, and he will have
pocket money Tor the summer.
But happily. there are but few of these
cases. The best of feeling exists be-
tween tho stock men and farmers.
Most of the large herds of
former Utah have either sold out, or
moved elsewhere, and now the granger
is botn farmer and stockman; and If
there are any quarrels they are between
neighbors, and not between any other
class of people. OF this, we have less
than any other county.
There being q clause in the Utah no.
fence law, providing that il there were
any isolated districts that were better
adapted for grazing purposes than agri-
culture, and two-thirds of all the legal
voters voting a fence law, then such
farms must be fenced or no damages
shall accrue. know of but one county
thus voting. and that was Box Elder,
and as far as 1 am aware, all get along
we'll. The county is about lbs miles
long, and after one leaves Bear River
/ City going west, there are not 1000
acres OF cultivated land in the county,
while there are hundreds of thousands
of acres OF summer and winter ranges
that are used by the grangers as well as
the siockmen, making that county one
of the richest counties of the Territory.
There are now about 25 000head of cattle,
hive or six thousand horses and many
thousands OF sheep, and by the time
the Promontory Stock Company
stock their ranch, there will be not far
short of fifty thousand horses and rat
tie. Then why should not the small
patches of grain and hay be fenced?
i am rather inclined to the belief that
the memorial originated from some OF
our sister Territories. where there is
some little difference land but little after
ALI between the stockmen and grangers
The great difficulty is, that once in &
while some newspaper man breaks oul
in a new place, and argues that the
stockmen are getting something FOL
nothing By occupying the domains. ]
would ask them who has better right
Did they not help TO settle the Indian
Question And who took their live:
and their property in their hands and
took all the chances, If not the stock.
men7 Who but the stockmer
ran the risk of losing every dollar each
succeeding winter in Wyoming, Mon
tana and the rest of this inter-mountain
fcountry, until hay could be procured.
/ Whom does IL hurt for them to utilize
the grass, the'sage and the crossword,
10 coin money for the good OF them
selves. the nation. and at the same time
furnish cheap beef for the poor of the
eastern states. Let those. that con-
tinue TO find fault with stockmen, go
between Granger and the Green River.
or up Bitter Greek, and start farm, let
US see il stockmen will interfere with
them. As have said heretofore, so
say now. the stockmen should occupy
the public domain until the land is pre-
empted, or better still homesteaded.
Give US cheap railroads. and the
stockmen viii give poor men
of the east, not alone cheap beef. but
fat. juicy and healthy beet. Excepting
the valleys of Utah, which are in length
about 800 miles, in width not exceeding
fifteen miles. what is all the country
from the Rocky Mountains TO the Sierra
Nevada Mountains, and between the
British and Mexican lines. good for2
| Only for cattle, sheep and horses. Take
all the inhabitants that now live. or
ever win live, in all this. belt of country
and they would make q village email by
the side of New York.
/ expect to live long enough TO see the
government grade these mountains and
deserts and sell them for what they are
worth, or what they will bring. Then
these GROWERS can come and purchase.
and become cattle kings If they have the
grit.
No, there Is no use for any more law
at present for Utah stock men and
grangers, until we have tried those
passed last winter BY our Legislature.
Yours,
H. ]. faust.