Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1900-08-18
FENCES MUST GO.
General Land Office Determined to
Enforce the Law.
SITUATION IN NEW MEXICO.

The attention Of the general hand Of
licc han rccentiy been called % tho
abusive aud unlawful eructiun uf fences,
on various sections " the public do
main, particularly by sheep and cattle
hcfNicrs, VIM aim 90 prltcct and pre-
serve to their own use certain winter
COURSES 10 esscntiol 20 a desirable pas
turc itepurts are coming in from apo-
clad agents in lhc states Of thc middle
west ana the TNcinc co,lst that this un-
lawful esstion OF fences h. growing
f0radly. ana thaf the lucsu innd officers
either fail 90 order their destruction
and removed. or clsc their orders are
disrcgaricd
In some instances certain portions %
the puddle domain are fenced In. that 10
surrounded by u continuous fence. with
occasional openings, which are guard
ed and used only by the hcrdcru whose
focks are iuoloaod Such fences az These
aie thrown up about some lake or pond.
which siuds a fertile gfnzing plot. and
holds that particular section for tho ex-
elusive uao of ono party. This la itself
Is unlawful, as tho statutes preacribcs
that no distractions shall be- erected on
the public domain thnt cnclUsc any por-
ton Of q,
UNIQUE HAIR SPLITTING.
To get around this provision OF the
hw. other ingenious horiers have hg-
urcd out solution whiCh provides Tor
the construction Of what are known as
"dtirt fcnccs. a 'dnft fence Is merely
a single line 81 fence which may follow
"A straight line. or the bank " n stream.
II iaciosos nothing. Ia the oriimtry
sense ~ the wurN. ana is ostensibly
erected is prevent The sheep or cattle
frUm wandering any considerable dis
tance. But this ~ clearly not the flain
Intention 0f these drlft fences In ever
caso that has been reported. they are
buln cithcr alongside "a bake. pond or
stream that affords "a desirable water
iug place for sheep or cattle, and 0pcr-
ates 10 the benefit of the heI,icr on the
one side and 10 the exclusion % the
herds on the other
For Instance. a fence wa be erected
Ia a north and south line just a Mttle D.
the West Of small lake. and VIII ex-
tend unbvokna FOR "a distance OF TWEEN
~ or twenty ave miles in either dircc-
ton. Such "a rcmae would be- built By me
hcpier 10 the east az the bake, who
thereby seizures 10 his own locks the
exclusive use 81 the water OF the lake
and at the same time has the benefit Of
the rich pasture klnda on nil sides of the
water. lie does not fcncc Ia this pas
ture by amy msanH, but hc knows full
wen that tho hordcr on the west side
OF tho fence Is not going TO drive his
sheep or hls cattle twenty five miles
70 one end Of the fence and chen TWEEN
ty-hve miles back on the other side. So
Ia cffcct be- haa practically incloeci
that dcaiuibie pastuuc land. and re-
served "a Tor his own stuck. la the strict
sense Of the luw. This man ia also "a VIC
lator FOR II Is decidedly unlawful cor
any man 10 ohstruct the public domain
in any way, 30 THAI ho haE any a1vln-
tlFo Owe every other man.
Ali FENCES To COME DOWN
ln,se nfiingemcuts have deeply
aroused the IRE Of Commissioner Her
mann. 81 the general land Oiiloe ana he
has issued emphatic directions 10 all
special agents Of the land Office. dircct-
ms thcm 10 see that an such foncos, |
either inclusurcs on "drft" fences. rhna |
be removed without amy unnecessary |
delay. In SOME instances It haa been
shown that thcao fcncps have been
erected by poor herders. who We're ig-
nuIunt of the law % TIE case. and who
have moi the mcaus Co Immediately re- |
move the phsiricl ions, and uo these "a /
liberal allowance Of time viii be made. /
IfW where Il Is SHOWN that the fences |
werc erected In direct defiance OF the 4
law. NO quarter will bo giyon. The COM
missioner Is determined that the law In
this regtrd must De enforced and Ia
using every possible mizins to secure
mat end.
This Illegal fencing o. known IN al
most every gIuEihg state 90 the west. 10
i perhaps worst la New Mexico and
whore the most daring en-
irUachmenta have been ulAde aud where
he law Is aimnsi generally diancgardcd,
Further north tn Cololudo and Utah
here o. moro or lcas OF this fencing.
hlch extends olear up into Wyuming.
Montana and tho DukOtns. while ac-
.aFionally heterogeneous are reported
rom Orcgnn ana Washington. and as
sr e,ast as AInnasota
la India. the land Of famine. thous-
.ud die beoallen they cannot obtain