Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-28
-, TYPE OF, rE0NTrHIisMAN.
.,,,tass scamrs Who Live by EX-
,orting Hia1kmail.

w. N''Fs
r.,., .hs Ne1o Ynr6 sun.
nonaE CITY. Oct. l5-ln the region ~
l'0'. .,,-a,n lne i0Oth meridian and the
fountains new type OF settlers
'o0o. Lung into existence within the last
a long as savage tempered and
Sr',.s indians rode over the palms. and
';ora,ly ralded the border, the cat
r.nse was free IRON the presence OF
worthless scamps. AS is well
agricultural settlers have for
,ors been assduously discouraged
Pr rforipQ the cattle range. 1ney are
OH dasirsd as neighbors by the cattle
who prefer to keep the range
We ~ 5razins. Ii all the men other
r. 81 ,s,ss p,npoyed by the cattle growers,
"a" lar Tar mr. homestead land within the
~ nnn we're actual settlers, with an
"a HD ;nfention 80 found home, their
on.s.,aa an the range would not De so
',iv Injected TO as II is at present; but
N1or' compels ne to state that such Is
o. Ts ,nl trnntjer has been infested for sew
oars by class of men who have
So5 mi.erably as farmers or as agricul-
aborars. They have failed as min
az woodohOppers, as teamsters, ana
SSaJoon keepers. they have failed
o+rnedIv in every kind Of work they
undertaken. They are lazy, mean,
~,ioTs. cupning, and dangerous. They
~ Generally unmarried and have no in
.r,ion Of creating homes. They
49, nm land in Kansas
M promptly sold their claims
mJ drank un their monev or gambled IL
way a, poker tables. Then they entered
4, Gomesleaded land in Nebraska or
Nssora and sold their frandulently OBJ
a med claims TO the first buyer and had
Erotber spree. They nave lived for years
a the proceeds of tue perjuries they have
EommitteG in the United States land
st5,es 10 OBTAIN title TO government land,
a MEN they invariably sofa. Tue agri-
Rllmral land having been exhausted,
hese men have entered the arid cattle
rowlng region. They have no Intentions
4 create home. but they nave an lnten-
on 10 bleed the STOCK raisers II 1t is pos
HlbIe. After entering or h0meateading
cir land they dig dug ouV' IN the
kank OF some raVine. Then they plough
4 lew acres of land lying near water
kole which the cattle roaming on the
Mains frequent TO drink, and plant it to
"A
IA grain they have sown W II not grow to
NatUrity, as there 10 not sufficient rainfall
IL the region to mature any crop. The
rreteBse TO agriculture finished, these
,ckars spend the rest of the summer in
ding from one ranch to another, claim
&hg damages from the cattle growers for
Heged depredatiODs of stock. Underly-
Il their fraudulent claim for damages is
9 unexpressed but thoroughly under
ood threat to burn the grass of OF the
&t.nse II their claims are not satisfied.
/Ibese men have been known to drive stock
{ i to their plougaed fie Dis, and, after the
Xrsttle mad eaten the wIthered heritage
&hev called crops, to claim and Obtain
6amages.
IA These so-called settlers are really pre-.
<taOry adventures. They are feared by
ii cattle growers, because they have the
XfDwer to burn the grass standing on hun
ireds OF square miles. and thus entail
Frious losses on them. To detect them in
bis crime is almost impossible. They
BE dangerous men to attempt to bully.
Ihey are heavily armed and well mount
"a. They thoroughly know the country,
/ nd they are not frightened by threats ut.
bred by angry cowboys.
q II one OF these predatory adventures
Ees up quarter of section of land in
De centre OF a cattle range he must be
Wpp9rted by the Cattle Growing AssOcIa-
ton, or else be must be killed or driven
~. II be lives and Is not paid for mis-
Props, he will surely burn the range as
EEon as the grass 10 sufficiently dry.
They deserve to be killed. and l regret
Pat the law protects them from the lust
wrath ofthe cattle growers,
personally know five men who are en-
[Bged In eXtOrung money from cattle
[g0Wlng associations. They first engaged
"a the business in central Kansas, There
ney bled the drOvers from Texas. That
vas profitable, and they sold their HIGH
~ ING claims and followed the Texas cattle
fest"ard as the settlements pushed the
cattle traIl further and further west. They
gave lived Tor years on their ill gotten
Inns, ana VIII probably continue to so
ny until they are killed.
NOT one of the five men | know has
2one stroke Of honest work for years,
Ihey plough, and plant, and sow, not to
zap harvest, but to extort money from
pnest men. They claim to be homes,
ricu!tural settlers VINO have devoted
eir lives to pushing the line OF profitable
Llcuiture INTO the arid zone, aud annu-
W nen they visit the s1ualid frontier
WIS they bitterly complain of stock
allug destroyed their crops and OF the
Lusnlps OF their lives. Then thew wink
Nc 10 Ihe other, ana after taking a drink
e! pay poker until the profits OF the
predatory work has been lost.
FRANK WILKESoN.