The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-05
NOT SHEEP ALONE.
Uintah County Not Dependant On
Single Industry.
SpeciaI Correspondence.J


| Vernal. June "A great many CON-
ments have been made here recently con-
| corning the remark made by ]. II. Mease
| of Duchesne, while in Salt Lake, to the
effect that there are 600 people in this
| section dependent upon the sheep indus
| try. and that strict enforcement of the
forest reserve order Will mean starvation
Tor a great many of them
There are always two sides to a story.
and evidently Mr. Mease was simply tell
generally good men and have brought
considerable revenue and money into the
county of recent years, yet 10 state that
the whole community depends upon them
is rather far-fetched.
There are at present s., 600 head of
sheep that will be anected by the eXclu-
sion from the reserve. and out of that
number it is believed that at least 40. Uv1
Will ind range outside the lines. There
are something like 1900 more in the
Browns Park and Henry's Fork coun-
tries. 1t is believed that, while the order
will work an Inconvenience TO the owners
OF these fiocks, yet they will find range
and will continue 10 do business.
The enforcement of the order will mean
a temporary loss in revenue that Will be
felt the most by some of the poorer
school districts. but, on the other hand.
there are indications of a rapid increase
in cattle with the withdrawal of the
sheep from the summer ranges. Time
was when Uintah county supported thou
sands of cattle. but today there is not a
single herd of consequence in the coun-
try.
In the old days the farmers and small
ranchers nearly all kept a few cattle,
that could range nicely along the noun
tain ranges on the north. Feed was plen-
tiful and the only thing to contend with
was thieves. For several years farmers
and ranchers have sold all their extra
cattle to buyers from Colorado, who have
taken them out OF the state. With tha
enforcement of the order of exclusion as
regards the sheep. cattle will be held
here. Local buyers will bid against the
outside men. and as consequence the
cattle industry will grow to sufficient
TO meet the loss in sheep.
Then there are the mines. Should the
they have mapped out, that mine alone
will afford as much revenue and put as
much money in circulation as the entire
sheep industry in the county.
These matters are set forth simply out
of justice to Uintah county, as the word
has been given out that the people are |
dependent for their very lives upon one
single industry. Uintah county has many |
resources and will forge rapidly to the |
front. despite all obstacles and incon- |
veniences. 1t is a very safe statement
that northeastern Utah generally has |
more varied resources than any other |
section of the state. Development is all |
that is necessary
Every single sheep in Uintah county |
might be taken out and the people would /
still survive and. in fact, soon forget |
about sheep entirely. as they would be so
sngrossed with other business. But no. |
body wishes to see such a state of affairs. !
The sheepmen generally in this section
ire honest Industrious progressive men,
and have done their full share in all pub
ic matters, but il only brings criticism
Ipon them when one of their number en-
leavors to create the impression that our
county depends upon a single industry.
1t is believed here that a modification
If the lines of the forest reserve would
work less injury to the sheepmen. and
ret serve the purpose of the order as
originally intended. Through lack of
knowledge of the topography of the coun-
ry. a great deal of range has been in
,luded in the reserve that was unneces-
iary to protect the timbered tracts and
preserve them from destruction, and a
,hange in the lines that would be benefi-
.ial on one side without injury on the
,ther should receive the consideration of
he authorities in the matter.