The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-24
great big conspiracy and its ramifcations

great big conspiracy and its ramifcations
extend even to Washington
But at last the Washington authorities
have got ready To Act and the conspirators
as well "a the widows are fearful Of the
result Omaha is filed with cattle men,
agents and others, some called to testify
before the Grand Jury, while others are
here 10 exert their pull and If possible
get out Of the mess into which their greed
has gotte them. The report ~ the Fedora
Grand Jury for Nebraska Will be watched
closer this wear than ever b fore in the
LINCOLN. Neb, Nov ?3-The recent
order of the General Land Office in Wash
ingt on suspending the making by soldiers
widows Of entries of farms in the cattle
regions Of Nebraska and Wyoming has
brought to light some odd stories. The
cause Of the order il the enforcement OF
the decision that the fences Of the cattle
men must come down.
For years the range was as free as water
Any one could Craze his cattle upon II be-
cause il was unclaimed Government land
In time the cattlemen went Il step bevond,
using this land for pasturage and began
to fence i'll the tracts they had squatted
upon.
When the order to tear down fences on
Government land was issued few years
ago the cattlemen set about getting the
choicest grazing lands at nominal figures
Agents We're sent to the pension agencies
at DesMoines, Topeka and Springfield.
Ill, and the names OF all soldiers widows
drawing pensions were secured.
These widows were looked up, and In
cases in which ii WIS found that their hus
bands had not taken advantage Of the clause
Of the General Homestead law permitting
them to take up quarter section OF Gov
eminent land without complying with the
provisions relating TO other settlers, the
agents made them ar. offer. In some cases
IL was found that the soldier husbands
had taken only forty acres, and In such
cases under the decisions Of the Supreme
Court the widow is permitted to take up
the remaining 800 acres of the quota.
For the sum of $50 or SIS and expenses
many hundreds Of widows were induced
to Journey TO Nebraska and Wyoming land
Offices. there make their declaratory state
ments and their selection of land and in all
other ways conform to the law. They had
their railroad fare and hotel bills paid and
were taken back home when all formalities
were complete, leaving the cattemen's
agents in possession of a contract to sell
the land as soon as the Government made
good the title
1t was seemingly good thing all around.
The widows got little outing and some
welcome pin money, while the cattlemen
got for small sums valuable agricultural
lands for grazing purposes.
Within the last few months these widows
nave DetiI cOullnS III uoNtS AZ pii' tiIle
fifty-siX of them were quarercd in hotels
at Hemingford, and in August sixty-two
filed no nostead applications. at the Alliance
land Office.
IL wa- a lawyer who evolved this scheme.
Up in Cherry county man named Slade
owns the Thar ranch. Up in that coun-
try man Is not known by his name, but
10y the brand of his ranch
Thar has very large ranch, and dreaded
to see the fences come down. His first
plan was TO induce single young women
to take up claims. and Inducements were
offered to all the oil maids that could be
| found in northern Nebraska.
He found, however, that the 90 wbovs
took TO marrying of these homesteaders
| as fast as he brought them in, thus max
| ing final proof Invalid. Besides this, the
| supply of old maids soon gave out, as they
| are "A scarce crop in that region.
| Then came the attorney with his advice
| about soldiers widows. T-bar, without
| intending 10 violate any law, began import.
| ing widows good honest souls tidy house,
keepers and thrifty women. As each new
| band of widows arrived they were assigned
| to claims in a straight line next the fence
| of the pasture which il forty miles square.
| Ii takes a good many widows to form n
| hollow square around body OF land Of thu
| size. As he supply became less the widow
| began to hold Themselves above par.
First $25 bonus. then $50 was demanded
| Now SIS is the average.
T-bar'S order called for 800 WIDOWS and
| he has nearly enough Outside of this
Gordon Of widows claims which will eventu-
ally be his unless the Government inter-
feres stretches his 100 miles Of fence. IN
side of the Gordon il the great body of pas
ture land he requires. His land Is not
| fenced the fence stretches around the
domain Of the widows and no Government
| order can touch him.
One week spot in his line of defence Il
| the fact that the widows To get their land
| had to affirm and make affidavit that the
| land was for their exclusive tise and benefit
| Many of the widows signed the papers
without clearly understanding what they
were doing, and trouble may arise on this
| point
Out in the cattle country no secrecy has
been attempted about the widows ex-
| cursons.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, Nov. :9-Col. John S
Mosby left for Nehra s<a last night. He is
retained by the Government TO recover q
large acreage of public lands fenced in by
squatters and others, backed up by foreign
capitalists, President Roosevelt is heartily
Interested in this, and Col. Mosby is pleased
with the opportunity Of his old age and
says the fences must come down, the
boomers must pull up stakes and quit Gov
ern ment lands