The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-28

I
Ok1ahOma-Tryfng to Break Up the
Big Cattle Ranges The Removal
of the Fences Being Insisted Upon.
| TOPEKA, Kan, April 27.-An unus,.aI
and tute-es..-2s feature of the spring
business of the Western railroads Is the
| movement of immigration into the West
ern States. The home-seekers' excursions
that have become a part of the regular
traffic arrangement of Western lines are
| this year the largest of any year since
the boom days of the early SOS. 1t is
estimated that since February 70, when
the first of the Northern line excursions
was run, there have passed through the
st. Paul gateway 5000 people bound for
settlement in the West. At Omaha there
has been fully as large an immigration,
while at Kansas City the records show
| an exceedingly abundant patronage of the
| low rates, and the westbound travel of
| intending settlers is the largest of any
spring in decade. Down in Oklahoma
| the other day an excursion pulled in from
Iowa with LOCO people aboard, nearly
every one representing prospective fam
| lily for the new lands
flood of enquiries for lands in this
State has caused an overhauIing of the
records, and the State Auditor is prepar-
ing a list of school lands that NAV be
thrown open to settlement IL there is a
demand for them. Most Of the lands are
at present rented or are used without
renting by the cattlemen. The passage of
law by the recent legislative session al
lowing the sale of school land by the
State for SIPS. instead of a minimum of
50 an acre, has had something to do with
Int in tc Oft
The cattlemen of the western counties.
comprising about one-third of the State.
find themselves In predicament owing
to the demand for land by settlers. Fd
several years. owing TO the lack of popu-
lation, there has been little al .ention paid
to the holding of the claims in that sec.
ton. The owners are. in many instances,
Eastern people and corporations taking
the lands through default of the original
settlers who were unable to get enough
crops to pay the debts incurred. The lack
of moisture drove the settlers away. until
there are dozen counties with less than
1000 people each. half of them with less
than 500 The cattlemen without leave or
license ran their barbad-wire fences for
miles in every direction until the whole
country was practically included in the
pastures. 1t was estimated that not more
tndn ~ per cent Jne l1uu fenced IN
these pastures was owned by the resi-
dents of the counties or even rented. The
actual owners did not know that the land
was fenced =. many instances, having
never been West: and as the land was so
nearly valueless, no agent was appointed.
When one found out the facts and asked
the cattlemen TO take away the fence the
reply was a laugh. and advice to DO 1t
Yourself" a suit on the matter would
be in the local courts before a jury OF
cattlemeu. for practically no one else
lived there, and would be useless as a
matter of damages.
The complaint became so determined
that the Land Department of the Gov
eminent made an order that the fences
must come down. The little cattlemen. a
class that is becoming numerous joined
with the settlers and won. One cattleman
On the Cir:.arron River has a fence twen-
tv miles in one direction and seventy in
another. Others have three to five town
ships fenced in. and the effect on home
stealing has been to put stop to at
tompts in that line. Cattlemen asked for
a years time in which to take down the
fences but it was refused, and the au-
thoriries have orders to cut the wires il
the fences are not removed at once.
The removal of the fences will have
several effects, one of which will be that
the big cattlemen viii be driven to other
States or will be compelled to break up
their herds into smaller lunches. 1t will
give the small cattlemen a show They
can now fence up small pastures. which.
as some of the land on the uplands Is
for as low as 80 cents an acre.
does not take large capital.
1t will reopen the country to home
steaders They can get claims without
battling with the c. lemen. and under
the more sensible l. ahods of agriculture
and the larger use of stock and windmill
irrigation they can make a success where
their forerunners ten years ago failed.