Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-12-18
EVENTS IN WASHINGTON AND
TRANSACTIONS OF CONGRESS
Fencing Of Public Lands.

| Fencing OF Public Lands.
The annual report OF the secretary oi
the interior has this to say on the IL
legal fencing OF public lands:
''In my last annual report, beginning
| at page eleven thereof. | set forth at
length and In detail the difficulties with
which this department has to contend
In Its efforts to prevent the unlawful
fencing OF public lands by that class
that seeks to occupy them for grazing
purposes.
without a repetition OF the matters
set forth in that report. the summary
showed 1853 cases OF unlawful fencing
OF public lands. embracing 3.952.s44
acres. for the fiscal year ending June
80. 1902 or that number. nine enclos-
ures. embracing 2i.56+ acres. were re-
moved. and IA cases. embracing $685.
$50 acres. were reported as In process
OF removal or rs having been laid be-
fore the United States attorneys. The
vigorous policy pursued by the depart
ment during the past year has resulted
In the diminution OF the number OF
cases reported and OF the acreage en-
braced within such unlawful enclos-
sures. the total number OF cases report
ed during the year as shown by the
rIssc rds OF the general land office, being
1856. embracing 2.605 800 acres.
One OF the most celebrated cases OF
this character brought to the atten-
tion OF the department during the past
year was that OF the West End ranch.
In Cheyenne county. Kansas. owned by
the Dewey Cattle Company. and man
aged by Chauncey Dewey. the latter
being n son OF G. p. Dewey. said to be
the principal stockholder In the Dewey
rat Ia. three
years sixty-two miles of fence have
been erected by said company In town.
ships I and s. south. ranges IS. 30 and
"a west. which. connecting with cigh-
teen miles of fence owned by others.
makes n total length OF eighty miles.
This fence inclosed an area. all told. OF
81 .Ot0 acres. OF which 3.2t0 acres arc
state lands. 200 are embraced In eight
homestead entries. and 1.ii0 acres arc
vacant public lands subject to entry ua-
der public land laws.
The enclosure OF homcsteads by the
unlawful fences Of that company was
tho primary cause Of the trouble which
resulted In the killing. on or about
June I'D last. by Chaunccy Dewey and
his employees. OF three members OF the
Berry family. Mt the home OF Aipheus
Berry. near the Dewey ranch.
1t appears to have been the policy
Of Dewey and his agents and employees
TO gain complete and exclusive control
OF all the lands enclosed by their fences.
and to adopt whatever measures were
found necessary to accomplish that
purpose. sparinK neither life nor prop
rr,y. Their attitude toward settlers
and homcs,eadrrs without. as well a.
within their enclosure. IL shown by re-
ports Of agents OF the department and
by Individual complaints. TO have been
extremely hostile and oppressive. Not
only have the crops Of these bona hd~
homestcadcrs and settlers been de-
stroyed by this company's cattle. but
the people themselves hhrass-d and in-
,imidat-d by threats OF violence made
by agents and employees: their fences
cut and dwellings deliberately moved
off their homcst~ads. and q number OF
them have been compelled by this out
ia~ry to abandon their entries sat to
seek residence elsewhere.
Promptly upon hearing OF these un-
lawful acts the department, Instituted
an Investigation. AZ result OF which
proceedings were begun. through the
department Of Justice. under the act OF
February .s. 1855. ,supral. to cause the
removal OF these Illegal fences and To
punish those guilty Of erecting and
maintaining them. At the October.
1904. term OF the United States District
Court at t.ravcn~orth. Kansas. the
grand jury then and there In session In
dictcd G. r. Dewey. Chaunccy Dewey.
". J. Raiciiffc. william J. Mcbride
and Louis Mcbride for violation Of sec
lions $40 and ssps OF the revised stat
utcs. In eonspirine to threaten. intimi-
date and Inttrc AlphCua berry, bona
fidc homestead settler upon lands uh.
lawfully incioscd by their fences. and
for taking the life of said Berry. Six
other counts were found against the
defendants for their molcstaiion OF
other settlers. An indictment was also
found against chaunccy Dewey. a. the
agent of e. +. Dewey. for erecting and
maintaining an unlawful enclosure OF
public lands In violation Of ;ks &C, Of
February g. 1855.