The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1903-09-28
THE MAN OR THE STEER.
Which of these Two Shall DC.
cupy the Land, is the
Question.

the thriving cities of the west. In
the ten years covered by the latest
national census, it grew from about
fNur thousand to about fifteen thous-
and. And it is still fourishing like
a green bay tree.
This remarkable town is located
on the upper Missouri where won
derful water power seems to have
dictated the existence of great
manufacturing center. That, together
with the tributary mineral wealth
which is also a part of its boundless
resources, has largely made Great
Falls what it is.
But the people of this enterprising
community set their hearts on build
ing something which shall be more
than a mining and manufacturing
center. They wanted it to be the
capital of an agricultural empire, the
Mecca of homeseekers, the seat of
GUS living from the soil.
And why not? North of the city
lie great stretches of the most fer
tile land. The magnificent river car
ries an abundant supply of water for
irrigation. While the climate is by
no means tropical, but rather that
of the northern temperate zone, with
winters which bring plenty of honest
cold, conditions are favorable for d.
yersified production and industrious
families make a living on farm no
larger than the average of those in
Iowa and Illinois. Doubtless they
might do so on much smaller farms,
for there is an extraordinary COM
pelling power in irrigation quite un-
known to those who depend upon the
caprices of the clouds.
The single serious disappointment
thus far encountered is the develop
ment of Great Falls is the fact that
the fertile agricultural lands have
been converted into big pastures in
stead of into a multitude of small
farms. The battle is on throughout
the west between the man and the
steer-between those who want the
public domain reserved for home
seekers and those who want to de-
vote as much of it as possible to the
raising of cattle.
On this subject the public senti-
ment is sharply divided. There are
nlenty of honest citizens who stand
for the steer against the man. To
their minds, the problem is not hui
manitarian but commercial. The
raising of live stock is a legitimate
business. There must be beef for
people to eat as well as people to
eat beef. And in the big, vacant
west there are "ood1es Of land" and
will be, far beyond the needs OF hui
man beings. for generations to come.
why, we will show you land until
yod can't rest" these champions OF
the steer exclaim.
Oh the other hand, the farmer.
the merchant and the professional
man generally take the opposite
view. They think the time has come /
IN the arid region, as it did long
since in the older sections OF the
country, for cattle to fall back and
make room for men. First the ex-
ulorer. then the trapper, then the
miner. then the stockkman. and at
last the farmer-this has been the
nrder Of the procession as civiliza-
ton has advanced in its irresisti-
bic march across the continent.
those who stand for the man against
the steer think we have now reached
the beginning of the final chapter in
the development Of the west, and
that the time has come to reserve
every acre Of fertile, irrigable land