The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-02-22
THE PROPER MOVE.
STOCKMEN MUST UNITE
For Protection Against Yak.
ina Invaders.

'"The Yakima Wool Growers
Association has met and elected
officers for the ensuing year. The
directory as now elected stands,
John Cleman, president; S. J. Cam
eron, secretary and treasurer. The
association is composed of all sheep
owners in Yakima county, and is
for the purpose of mutual protec-
ton and the advancing of sheep
raising interests. The president
and secretary were instructed to
draft bill to present to the next
legislature providing for the pay
ment of bounty of 81 each
on coyote scalps. The former
bounty of so cents each offered by
Yakima county has been with
drawn. 1t is said that hundreds
Of lambs and unprotected sheep
are killed every year by the coyotes.
"The association appointed a
committee to meet with the cattle
mems association to arrange for the
proper allotment of grazing lands
on the Rainier forest reserve in case
the secretary Of the interior per-
mitted grazing there this season.
The range was opened last year on
July to 100000 head of sheep and
1000 head of cattle. No charge
was made for grazing and range
riders kept constant lookout for
fires and to prevent over-stocking
the range. Congressman w. L.
Jones reports that while no definite
arrangements have been made for
leasing the range during the year
1901 he thinks there will be no
objections raised at the office of the
secretary of the interior"
The above goes to show conclus-
lively, that the sheep men of Yakima
county, fully intend to protect and
further the sheep industry Of that
county to ths fullest extent. Kit
titas county should have wool
Igrowers' association also q cattle
mems association, and everything
possible should be done to protect
their interests. This should have
been done long ago, and surely
there are men among our stockmen
who are smart enough to start a
thing of this sort and carry it out
successfully, However, it does look
sometimes to a "hayseed" as if they
were not alive to their own inter-
ests. For one thing, if the over
stocking of our summer range by
sheep owned in Yakima county can
be stopped, steps should be taken
to do 80, and now is the time to try
it. What's the matter with our
representatives to the state lsgisla-
ture Introducing bill to that effect;
or our prosecuting attorney has the
power to stop such a thing. Let's
hear from somebody else on this
subject. There is this much about
lit, the sheep of Yakima county
have got to be stopped from
coming here, or the stockmen Of
Kittitas have got to 60 out of bust
ness. When the mountains and
foothills are scrubbed out the way
they were last year, it is time there
was something done. A range
overstocked in this manner does
no one any good. The stock bust
ness is one of the foremost indus
tries of Kittitas county, and it
should be protected as much as
possible. There are about 10000
head of sheep and $4,000 head Of
cattle owned in Kittitas county,
and this stock, with the exception
of two or three bands of sheep, are
wintered and fed in this valley,
which means good deal of money
for our ranchers, especially from
the sheepmen as the most of them
do not raise any hay. On the con-
trary the sheep from Yakima
county are brought here in the sum-
mer, they eat the grass the perma.