The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-01-06
Dynaniting Sheep.

IL" great secret OF the fortunes
/ made in the stock industry in the last
few years has been free range. Over
vast territory, extending from the
open plains of Texas up through Okla
homa, Kansas, Eastern Colorado,
Nebraska and Wyoming to the States
along the northern border, reached un-
ending leagues of grass. Most of it
even went to waste because there was
| none to take it. On this the herds
and flocks fed, and there was plenty
for all. But the settlers pushed
further into the West; Oklahoma
added other areas Of Indian land. irri-
CATION took from the lands at the base
of the foothills--thc stockman found
that he was being limited in his free
pasture. He tried TO drive out the
settler, but in vain; prosecutions and
the destruction of crops we're met by
laws'likc the "two-milc limit, statute,
Keeping the agriculturist safe. The
shecpmcn went on with his flock and
took the range as he came to 1.-THE
cattleman could not follow, for the
cattle would not eat after the sheep.
So the cowboys declared war on the
shepherds and sought to limit their
range. To some extent this has been
done; but the conflict is bitter, result
ing i'll bioodshcd and deeds Of iutoler-
able cruelty-nor is it yet ended. 1t
10 tempting for the elieepman &c move
10 new pastures at the risk of attack,
| even though he knows that cattle.
man has long been in possession and
| will fight to maintain his place, for it
is we'll understood that the range is
open to all.
A western authority says that in
the last ten years G00,00O sheep have
been wantonly killed by cowboys, at a
loss to the owners of s2.O00,OOO. 1t
is also estimated-no one can tell
surely, for all the tragedies Of the
range do not come to light-that five
hundred man killings have annually
accompanied the sheep killings.
Sometimes the settlers, whose homes
are threatened, make common cause
with the cattlemen and join in the
slaughter. Only last July band Of
masked men mounted, killed the herd.
ers Of several thousand sheep in cen
trail Wyoming and killed thousands of
the sheep. In addition, G5 600 sheep,
which were near by, were left without
herders and were scattered on the
hills, resulting in further loss. Rifle
men surround focks and kill every
sheep, driving of the herders. A
flock of 5000 Apgora goats was killed
in western Colorado in August. The
papers of Oregon describe the. terrible
devastation produced by dynamite
thrown among the huddled bands of
sheep, the explosion ending the exist
ence of whole aocks. and sometimes 8
killing the shepherds as we'll. The
cattlemen throw these deadly expio.
elves from some height, or charge on
horseback into the frightened flocks
FOR their scheme Of wrath. Flcoss
have been driven into narrow canyons
and dubbed 20 death; they have been
hurled over precipices aud destroyed.
One man fought the battle for years,
finally, after losing Il, 900 sheep, Civ
ing up the range for which he con-
tended.
The settler who homestead" q
claim in the edge Of the free range has
one great terror-what il the fooks or
herds should 0omo! He knows that
the crops 80 carefully tended would
go; the garden would be made desc
late. He has recourse through the
law, o'be sure, but 10 the wilder por-
tion Of the West it is sometimes q
slow process.
Recently the government has is
sued an order that the sheep must be
kept of the forest reserves. the Last
refuge of the wandering flocks and
their worried owners. These we're
the only lands on which the cattle
were not generally grazed. 30 the sheep
were ,urued in. But they destroyed
the shrubbery in their efforts to gain
susteuanoe, and 80 the order went out
TO stop such practice. There seemed
to be no choice bur TO try conclusions
with the cattlemen again, and bostili !
ties opened with renewed vigor. The
:: miners aud campers and hunters try
70 keep stock out of The mountain
parks, and the boundaries constantly
grow less for the wauderings Of the
flocks and herds. The range il be-.