The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1905-09-07

all downright and iIreclaimabie WILL
ans, understand. but at least men
with genius for looking the other
way at the right time, or for blink I
Ing troublesome workings OF the laws |
A free translation OF the working
\ code makes IL read: None OF Pu- |
ritan conscience need apply" IL by
msschance some stickler for form has
got into offlce and threatened to
disorganize the established order OF
things he has lived very unpleasant
life In the short time elapsing be-
fore he concluded to resign his job.
Should the register or receiver OF
almost any land of,ice In the cattle
grazing districts OF these states ap-
pear at his desk some morning and
refuse point-blank to accept any
more filings OF final proofs In home
stead claims which he knew or had
excellent reason to believe were taint-
cd with fraud he would most likely be
suspended from Office at the Instance
OF his patrons pending inquiry into
his mental condition,
After careful personal investigation
at land offices and In the held, In
the grazing country OF the West, and
,, after heart-to- heart talks with sever
al agents sent out from Washington
to Investigate conditions In num-
{ ber OF these states, do not hesitate
to say that not one homestead entry
y out Of ten made within the last
. decade In the ranchine districts--has
been boaa tide, or made with the
least pretence OF meeting the re.
quirements OF the law.
No reference Is made to the trans
actions OF the actual settler, who,
. for one reason or another, misses
, strict conformity with the terms OF
D the statute. He may be out of lucl
= or merely careless; but so long as h'
y is n veritible homesteader, Western
Z" ethics hold him blameless. The mar
y who needs rigorous application o
= plain speech Is he who never was ant
% never intends to he settler; who !
the merest bireling dummy OF tn
:" land grabbers, and who In no sense O
the word falfills thc law-who for
~ diminutive consideration rakes
quarter section out OF the genera
y burning TO swell the domain OF hi
y lord. Perjury and theft: these tw
ugly instruments are the ones ell
~ ployed.
~ Ii would be hard to discover whe
49, the homestead frauds had their b'
'" ginning. Doubtless they have bee
~ practiced from the day when the FIR
"e homestead law went into effect. u,
- the systematic pirating on who'll
sale scale seems To have awaited II
-. opening OF the Trans. Missouri couI
try. In his book, "Iieyond the Mis-
q" issippi,n Albert -. Richards
/" wrote OF practices obtaining In ka
~ sas aud Nebraska In 1853 very mu'
as they are today.
'"e There Is this difference betwe'
'e then and now In that time .
"" jugglery was merely haphazar
without system or order, for q
=" benefit OF the public at large; II "
."' m but one expression OF the easy tel
:" pered impatience OF the perio
'e which could not brook delays,
~ " was Illegal, OF course but the eleme
W OF criminal intent hardly existed
y. taint the transactions; certainly [
procedure did not amount To &C
spiracy. The frauds are now wol
ed on gigantic scale by a thoroul
'e' ly organized system for which thu
are no words but criminal conspifa'
~" The modern cattle ranch Is bu
'"' puny thing II IL includes less th
10, 900 acres. That may be regarc
~ as the minimum holding In q
Plains grazing country. Twen
five acres, are required 10 furn
'''n pasturage for year to each amin
eau hve hundred head OF cattle Ia mod
herd) would need 1850 acI
'oo' From that relatively smsil basis
holdings increase to really vast p
portions-50 600, I00,00 or 2J0,
.i'' acres. under cne control. The ri
"ao ards ranch In Sheridan County, Ne
'""' includes about 100, 900 acres the st
D' dard Cattle Company pstures
a. ,ss.. herds upon 10000 acres In Che
- County, Neb. In some cases the
a"' tai possessions OF one concern
w, exceed COO, 600 acres.
Time was when this range was
NV" and open. That was In the day
- :. tue old. balf.wiid Texas herds, wi
we're driven back and forth from N
leo 10 Canada. There was noti
To hinder, for the lands were OF
wise unoccupied.
By and by. however, settlement
gan, and the sire feD';es OF the
tiers blocked the trails here
'" there. After long strife the ca
men found that they must abar
~ their wanderings and settle dt
g., getting places Of their own and X
ing their stock under fence.
was easy enough at first, Botl
was reauired bnt 10 string la