The Globe-republican., 1897-09-02
A SLICK SCHEME.
Cattle Barons COnnive . Conspiracy
Which Would Shut Out Settlers.

Cattle BarOnS COnn1ve . COnSp1rac!
Which Would Shut Out Settlers.
Under the heading, ga Slick Scheme
But it Didn't Work." the Beaver, COX.
Herald contains the following:
Conformation has been received herr
from Clark county, Kansas, of the slick
est scheme ever heard of to appropriate
all the land in county. AS heard, il
was like this:
"A notice was issued to all the cattle
owners in the county to meet at Ashland
some three or four weeks ago, to heal
plans for the benefit of all the owners OF
cattle in the county. A large number OF
them got together on time, and ''Barbe-
cue" Campbell had prepared and read a
lot of resolutions, setting forth that II
was to the interest of all cattlemen, both
great and small, to combine together for
defending the rights of all. Of course
these resolutions were unanimously
adopted. Then the constitution and by
laws of the proposed association, already
prepared, were also read and adopted,
and everything went on swimingly. This
constitution and bylaws arranged for
the election of the usual officers, and also
for judiciary which was to judge often
ses against the laws of the association,
and fix the punishment for offenses On
adjournment another meeting was ar
ranged for to perfect the organization.
Gin order to get full understanding
of the matter it must be known that a
large part of the land in Clark county
had been proved up, and been mortgaged,
and had passed from the hands of the
mortgage-bolders into the hands of
few big cattlemen and syndicates. The
county is mostly fenced into great pas
lures, no attention being paid to leaving
out unoccupied claims, farms, govern
ment lands and school lands, but all
taken in and utilized for pasture by the
big cattlemen. On these facts hang the
moral of the story.
Sat the second meeting new set of
was introduced, the substance
of which it was proposed to incorporate
into the laws controlling the association.
In fact, they exposed the true object
aimed at by the promoters of the organi-
cation. The import of the resolutions
was as follows: That the members of
the association bind themselves to not
permit any person to settle upon claim,
or to purchase any land, or lease any
land belonging to another person, nor
any school land within any fenced pas
ture occupied by any member of the asso-
citation. In plain words, the object was
to prevent anybody from settling in the
county. This was a little too much for
the little fellows who want to see the |
county better settled, and they rebelled
right away. The friendly relations of
the parties concerned were badly strained
and division of the house was called on
a vote for and against the resolutions.
Nine big fellows stood up on one side of
the house in favor, and eleven fellows
stood up on the opposite side of the
house against the resolutions. So two
votes was all that prevented the appropri.
ation of all the lands of Clark county
Tor the use of few cattlemen.
1--WE understand that another meeting
las been called for the purpose of trying
o compromise the matter, and holding
he association together, but it looks now
ike there is no possibility of comprom-
Sc. If the truth of the matter has been
we have no reason to doubt it
1t was the most stupendous scheme to
county and make few cat
lie barons supreme ever heard of in the
Vest"
There is probably not a man in the &,
outhwest more widely known cattle
nan than B. H., or, as he is better
nown. Barbecue" Campbell. Years
60 when cattlemen were making for
nnes, B. H. Campbell was at the top of
he heap. During the boom days or
hortly thereafter, he erected one of the
lost magnificent and costly residences in
Wichita. which he still possesses. OF re-
ent years Mr.. Campbell suffered finan.
tally, as did all the cattle-raisers, and s
was predicted that advanced as he was
years, he would never be able to re-
over. During the past year, however, F,
has been an open secret that in spite :
his age, B. H. Campbell has shared {
ne prosperity of cattlemen generally. ,
nd that clear path to another fortune 8
es before him. His ranch is in Clark 6
ounty, not far from Ashland, and is of
lrge proportions
10 MEXICO ANY DAY IN THE YEAR.-Ip
he Civ Of MeYicO IL a Jol;,h& /,,I ,,,.. d