Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-09-28
Why Should the Arid Land not be Utilized to
Furnish immense Pastures
MANY GOOD CITIZENS ARE OF SUCH OPINION
Others Who Say the Herds Must Fall Back and Make Room for
Men. William Smythe Says the People are Reing Robbed

Great Falls, Mont. is one OF the
4 thriving cities Of the west In the ten
years covered by the latest national
census Il grew from about four thou
sand to about fifteen thousand. And
1t is still fourishing like a green bay
tree.
This remarkable town Is located on
the upper Missouri. where a wonder.
full water power seems to have die
tated the existence of great manu-.
featuring center. That, together with
the tributary mineral wealth which
Is also part Of its boundless resour-
ces. 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 d mining and manufacturing CEN
ter They wanted it to be the capital
Of an agricultural empire, the Mecca
of homeseekers, the seat Of dense
population, getting a prosperous liy-
ing from the soil.
And why notg North Of the city
lie great stretches of the most fertile
Hand The magnificent river carries
an abundant supply Of water for irri-
cation. While the climate Is by no
means tropical, but rather that Of the
northern temperate zone. with win
ters which bring plenty Of honest cold,
conditions are favorable for liversi-
! lfied production and industrious fam
j lilies make a living on farms no larger
Al than the average Of those In Iowa nnd
, Illinois. Doubtless tney might do so
, on much smaller farms, for there il
J an extraordinary compelling power in
Irrigation quite unknown to those who
, depend upon the caprice of the clouds.
Il The single serious disappointment
, thus far encountered in the develop
, ment OF Great Falls ~ the TACT that
the fertile agricultural lands have
been converted into big pastures in
stead OF into multitude OF small
farms. The battle ID on throughout
the west between the man and the
steer-between those who want the
public domain reserved for homeseek-
ers and those who want TO devote as
much Of It AZ possible to the raising
Of cattle.
On this subject public sentiment Is
! sharply divided. here are plenty OF
honest citizens who stand Tor the
steer against the man. To their
minds the problem Is not humanita-
rian, but commercial The raising OF
livestock Is a legitimate business.
There must be beef for people to eat
as well as people 70 eat beef, And
In the big, vacant west there are
9oodes OF land and will be, far be-
yond the needs of human beings. for
generations to come. Why, we will
show YOU land until you cant rest"
these champions Of the steer ex-
claim.
n on 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 1t did long since In
the older sections OF the country, for
cattle 10 fall back and make room for
men. First the explorer, then the
trapper, then the miner. then the
stockman. and at last the farmer
! this has been The order Of the process
ion as civilization has advanced in It's
irresistible march across the contl-
nent. 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 for the actual home-builder
In the meantime, while the debate
RACES flercely. the steer Is on top, at
least in the vicinity OF Great Falls.
How did Il happen? Three words tell
the story-~Desert Land Law.
In order to take up land under this
statute you do not have to live on Ii
for month, week or an hour. You
swear that yon have actually visited
the land, that you have made arrange