, 1903-05-14
An Unjust Attack.

The Laramie Republican of the
18th inst. contains au editorial that
does injustice to the Supervisor of
the Medicine Bow Forest Reserve. in
that il charges that discrimination
has been made in favor of Carbon
county sheepman in the division of
the reserve The Sun interviewed F.
ID. Whitney, Forest Ranger, who
made the division while acting as
Supervisor of the Reserve, and OBJ
tanned from him the following facts;
The Republican says: with the
ship Is of range ~ all the lands up
on which sheep will be permitted are
located ON the west side of the Snowy
range. The west half of township Is
range ~ is almost totally unfit for
grazing purposes, IA it extends clear
beyond the summit of the lofty snow
clad mountains. There is "a small
tract of land along the eastern border
of this tract, at the foot of the Snowy
range, which might possibly furnish
pasture for 1000 head OF sheep"
In reply to that charge Mr.. Whit
ney said that he had been informe
by men who were thoroughly posted
AS 10 that township that it furnished
the finest range for sheep in the
whole reserve. The republican for
got to mention that the west half of IA,
10, as well as the west half of IL,
range 10, had been set aside for the
grazing of sheep and is east of the
Snowy range mentioned and is all in
Albany county. Again the Republi-
says:
"a very large portion of townships
Ii and II of range 70 is open pasture
land, almost totally unfit for any pur-
pose save the grazing of sheep. Cat
tie and horses are not grdG'd there
and The Republican is given to un-
dersta nd that there is no disposition
ON the part of the cattlemen to Use
this tract Of land for range purpos-
es."
If these townships are open pas
ture land then they certainly ought
to be available for pasturing cattle
and horses. As IA matter of fact Mr..
Davis, the Supervisor, saws they have
several applications for p%asturing
both cattle and horses on township
II of range 70, aud is informed that
there will be applications made to
Craze cattle and horses on the east
half of township Is Of range 30.
Mr.. Whitney says in reference to
the leasing by Bell and Eykyn, of
school sections in the reserve, he
was informed by prominent cattle
men on the Laramie Plains, that it
was the avowed intention of those
men to lease those sections in order
to get n foot-hold in the reserve. In
as much AS such action is in direct OPP
position to the policy of the Depart.
ment those men need not expect to
gain anything by such action. 1t is
also not the policy of the Department
to allow large stock ow uers to monop.
ollie the reserve to the detriment of
the small men, who have not sufficient
pasture land of their own.
From the manner in which the
lands have been di, ided, il would
appear 10 an outsider that advice
must have been accepted from Car.
bon county, as the s%heepmen OF that
county under the present arrangement
will derive all the benefit"
The division of the reserve was
made by Mr.. Whitney, and only after
the most careful and pains taking in
yesiigation Of the whole subject. In
asmuch as MIR. Whitney, is Il De
partment man, and has no interest in
the country, the above charge is
without any just foundation.
Mr.. Davis, the Supervisor. intends
10 visit the east side of the reserve as
soon at the snow will permit of an ex,
animation, and make a caref ii inyes.
cation of the conditions which govern
that part of the reserve.
In the meantime the applications
of the sheepmen from Albany county
will receive exactly the same consld.
Grafton 80 those fran C.rb,, ,,,,,n,y