The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1903-12-19
(Communicatedl
EUREKA COUNTY,S FENCED LAND

Correspondents Views on the Gov
ernment's Order Against Fences
The fact that the Government really
intends to enforce the taking down Of
fences in this STATE enclosing Govern
ment land is an act that viii hit and
hurt ninety-nine per cent of the stock
men who have fenced lands near their
places and adjacent thereto for pasture.
and which is absolutely valueless to
others. In the majority of cases the
land % fenced has no value in the
market and never win have, and could
not be sold for n per cen per acre.
and if rented the ranchmen could not
afford TO pay a cent per annum rental
The average land fenced belonging to
the Government has not feed enough
on one hrnAred acres 70 run q toothless
old COW a season. These conditions are
possibly better understood in the coun-
Try adjacent to Eureka. WHAT viii be
the result? Il will be this:
At the present time the ranchmen
have a few head of cattle and have
some Government land fenced for
pasture. These fences must come
down. forcing the ranchmen TO turn
their cattle on the outside range or go
out of business. Il will turn the eoun-
try over to the sheepmen and mustangs,
both having the privilege to wander
over the country at their sweet will.
As an actual fact the Government
should permit the leasing of these lands
at a fair rental, depending on the
desirability OF the range for stock pur.
poses. The price per acre should be
left to a Government board Of three
honest men and true, the present
ranchmen having the first opportunity
of leasing at the figure per acre judged
to be equable. Some such plan SHOULD
be worked out so as not to inflict a hard.
ship ON the s~tockraisers, both large and
small. OF the poor old Government
either.
Say, you men that know, think Of the
exceedingly valuable Government range
in this vicinity |! 1t is a fact that there
are hundreds of acres in this section,
unfortunately for all parties, that a
~jackrabbit has to run himself to death
to get sufficient grass to keep fiom
starving.
Another plan that might be worked
is for the Government to sell the
land outright. The majority of the
then would be glad to pur-
chase it ndUbtain absolute title, pro-
vided the price was in reason and ac-
cording to the actual value of the
land for its feed.
The average representative in Wash
entertains the idea that land is
land, and having been born and raised
where grass is green and pasture is
plenty and valuable, he naturally
thinks Nevada's sand and sagebrush has
a value Of from $1.25 % $40 per acre.
All the good land having water adji-
cent is gone. aud now they should be
willing to sell the leavings at a price
that would permit of their purchase by
the stockraiserY Of our State. I fail TO
see Why it is any worse to permit land
being fenced aud used by ranchmen
than it is to permit the sheepmen to
feed any old place, free of charge of
any kind. so far as the Government is
concerned, and run over thousands of
acres in a s. ason; as well as the owners
Of cattle and horses turned loose on the
pubic domain. Verify, it comes down
to "Lo the poor ranchman."
The man that has the nerve to stay
out on q ranch in Nevada aud try to
make a living deserves better treatment
from the Government, both State aud
National. He gets absolutely nothing
but the pleasure he may derive from
the payment of his taxes. His work is
always hard and rough, and if you look
around you win observe that the aver
age ranchman, in this State at least, is
an old man at fifty. He should have a
premium for the nerve he has in stay
ing out on the ranch and trying to
make a living. The little old land he
may have fenced surely never would
be missed, in the Sagebrush State
especially.
However. the fences must go. and the
ranchmen Of onf vicinity can prepare
for the coming Of the order to wind up