, 1890-08-21
ACTUAL OCCUPANTS.
A Settler Calls on Carey for an
Explanation,
He is Given Evasive Answers to
His Inquiries.
How the Actual Settlers" Get
the Worst of il.

AAAAN
LARAMIE, Wyo.. Aug, l, lS90.-Hon.
j. H. Carey: Cheyenne. Wyo:-DEAR
SR:-On May IL, 1890, l mailed to your
address in Washington, d. c., a letter
asking if you would do me a favor by
informing me which of the parties would
have the strongest claim to leo acres of
the Fort Sanders military reservation, if
opened for settlement under your bill
then pending before congress, the one
having the land fenced before Jan 1,
1890, and having never lived on 1t, or the
one having made an actual and bona 6de
settlement. Jan. l, 1890?
l was very careful in the wording OF
my letter to you, s. you would not know
| was an interested party in the dispute.
and therefore you could give me a
candid answer to my question. Did you
do SO? Let the following letter from you
in reply to my communication be the an.
swer:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., May I9. $780,
u. b. Davis, Esq, Bo1 532. Laramie,
Wyo:-DEAR SIR:-l have received a
communication from you in regard to the
opening of the abandoned military reser-
~vations in Wyoming. In reply | would
say that it would not do for mu to take
sides with you or any o:her man. | have
labored for the best interests OF all con
cerned. Probably, like all other cases
the one having first made settlement. Re.
spectfully, j. NJ. CAREY.
In the above communication you evaded
my question. Again. on the 18th OF
July, | mailed to your address another
letter, but as yet have not received a
reply from you, for reasons best known to
yourself.
On your arrival in Laramie, July 81,
l met you and requested you to explain
what o meant by the words, actual
occupants" when you drafted your bill
opening these reservations. l asked you
if YOU meant those that were actual set
tiers living on the land, or those having
the land fenced and not living there?
Your reply was, how much land have you
fenced? l answered you, it matters not
whether | have any or not. l want to
know what construction you placed on
those words, but l will say that there are
about $50 acres of this land fenced that
are in dispute. You then said why don't
you and two or three more hold it all. l
then said YOU have not answered my
question. Your answer was, | will ans
wcr it in my address this evening before
the public. Did you do so2
In your address that evening, In re-
ferring to your labors before the house
when your bill was before that body, you
again evaded my question. and in order
to remind you of your promise made to
me that you would explain your meaning
OF an actual occupant of these lands" |
arose in the audience and requested that
o explain and inform the public whether
you meant an actual settler or one holding
the land with Improvements.
Did you do SO? You did not dare to
come out with the plain truth, for YOU
knew that if you had told the truth you
would have to inform the public that you
had been working against those who had
made an honest settlement. You knew
that your actions and labors had not been
in behalf of actual settlement you knew
thai you have been working 10 behalf Of
the land-grabbers; you have given to them
the right to GAO acres of these lands, and
to the actual settler you have said you
shall only have l60 acres, and then you
must live on this land five years before
you can have my. You have said TO
these spectators, you can have these
lands without living on them you can
have them by paying two dollars ($2. SOY
and fifty cents for fees, simply because
you have had them fenced and kept set
tiers out by your fences.
In your remarks before the public that
evening you said that you would allow
that the words in that bill we're deceiving
and misleading. What do you mean? Do
o intend to say that you have been de-
ceiving the public; that you drew up and
forced through congress a bill for the dis
posal of these lands, knowing that you
were committing a wrong, an injustice to
the settlers of Wyoming by so wording
this measure as to have them believe that
these lands were to be opened for them
to settle on, when you knew that they
could never make good their claims? Did
you know that by using the words actual
occupants instead of actual settlers"
that you were taking these homes from
them and giving them to spectators?
Again, l ask you to explain your mean
ing of those two words when you drafted
that bill? l ask you to be a man and an
swer in a straight forward, truthful and
manly way. Hoping you will do SO, |
remain, respectfully yours,
d. B. DAVIS,
Settler on Fort Sanders Reservation.