Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-21
PANHANDLE LANDS.
VIEWS or GRASS COMMISSIONER GA
-FOUR CENTS AN ACRE on Norutoo

FOUR CENTS AN ACRE OR NOTHING,
Mr.W. t. Gass, one of the state agents
(who are generally spoken of as sgrass
commlssioners") has been in Fort Worth
some days.
GAZETTE man yesterday had chat
with Mr.. Gass on the land question. and
asked mis- views on this intricate question,
Said The GAZETTE man:
What is your explanation, Mr. Gass,
4 OF this complicated state OF affairs In
which Mr. Goodnight and you are so
prominently figuring?"
"Aly official duties as agent for the
state require me to look into and report
on the condition Of affairs in my district
as pertaining to the school lands OF the
state, la the course Of such duties
found that Mr.. Goodnight, in
his individual capacity and as representa-
tive OF other parties, had within his three
separate pastures ,57s,l6 acres of land,
of which about 100000 acres belong 10
the school lands and public domain; Of
this there are $1,000 acres under lease
and $4,000 acres OF the million and q
half belong to the parties occupying
them"
"What prevented any others from graz.
Ing on the same land?"
''Simply the fact of all this land, pub.
lie, leased and owned, having been put
under wire'fence, and Goodnight, having
been In that country among tie first, had
the pick of the range. Alternately with
the school lands are many sections of
railroad and private lands. Very wise
! provision has been made by the occupants
to arrange with the railroads for the use
Of their lands, for neglect to do SO would
! subject any one inclosiDg railroad and
private lands to suit in the federal courts,
aud they fear any litigation In that direc.
tion.n
''But why is the state of Texas not
treated as fairly?"
"Provision OF the law admits of suits
for rent and criminal prosecution under
the Unlawful Enclosure act to be brought
only in the district in which the lands are
located. Because OF this necessity for the
cases being thus tried in the local courts
1 tine state is debarred from scarcely any
chance of recovery. do not lmpugn the
honesty OF the courts as administered,
but as everybody in those grazing re-
gions are entirely concerned In the cat.
| Tic business and dependent upon It, 1t Is
not in human nature TO give adverse YER
diets against themselves. Hence it is
/ lost time for the state TO endeavor TO gain
anything for such suits"
"Why do these cattlemen not lease
these lands under the law?"
! "They give as u reason that the LAND
| board has no right to raise tine minimum
price per acre above four cents; this
amount the majority of Panhandle stock
men have rendered, but the author
ties have repeatedly rejected 1t
Yet these tenders were not made until
after the time had passed when the lands
could have been leased at 4 cents. q
period of about six months The status
Of affairs now Is that temporary injunc.
lions are pending against Goodnight, and
other suits are probable as against Other
parties; the operations of these injunc'
lions arr to prevent any repairing OF the
fences around the public domain or re.
building or building Of new fences ano
llne-rding."
"Haye you recommended any remedy
eyes, have proposed that the state
make compromise of The matter on The
basis of cents per acre for all the time
the land has been used and inclosed by
the cattlemen; the state will thus ge
: some money, but by refusing this there
seems very little hope OF anything oelnt
: obtained by the state until such time al
iudicious legislation is had changing th'
> venue of suits"
, ISIS not large portion of the Panhan
die land capable Of being cultivated an'
: desirable II actual settlersy"
81 believe the day will come when TN
Panhandle of Texas will be the granai.
of the state. / classify one-half or owe
as agricultural lands, but don't propos
to classify the seasons. 10 SUMMARY
: tne matter in acres, the Panhandle con
t taips about lO,OOO,O00 acres of schoo
lands, OF which about 7,oOo,OoO acres III
D under fence, and OF this latter only som
: 1000, 900 are leased"