Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-23
'sLEGS STOCK GROWER MUST MEET
ALE OF SMALL TRACTS THE REMEDY
Owners of Small Herds willing to
Buy Unused Acres from Govern
ment TO Bring stability and
Growth TO Industry.
CFrom a Stan Correspondent

AINSWORTH Neb., oct. 22 -(special)--
That the cattle business In western Ne
braska is profitable, is so we'll established
that the question hardly admits OF dis-
cussion. and that the people engaged in
the live stock industry in this locality are
disturbed and unsettled under existing con-
ditions, must be apparent to the most.
casual observer who passes through west
ern Nebraska and takes notice OF that
which is obvious. A deputy United States
marshal has recently spent some threo
weeks or more south Of here, serving papers
on witnesses and others who are desired 10
appear before the United States courts at
Omaha. II there is anything that gives a
western Nebraska cattle man a chill. ii is
to call his attention to the work of the
grand jury on the fencing and range cues.
ton.
| Perhaps few people not engaged in The
Stock business fully realize what It Is
to be In the condition of many OF the
ranchmen In this part of Nebraska A
| large number of the ranchmen are more or
| less in debt and their debts are as a rule
| secured by mortgages on their cattle With
| indictments and prospective indictments
hanging over their heads on notes becoming
| due, the prospects for renewing loans
diminishes and in many instances failure
TO renew loan, which under ordinary
conditions would be readily renewed. means
| bankruptcy.
Much Range stiII Vacant.
While many thousand homestead entries
! have been made under the Kinkaid Law
| still there are thousands of acres in west
| ern Nebraska that have not been filed on
! by any one. While all this land produces
good grass and raises the very best of feed
| Tor cattle under existing laws the cattle
men cannot acquire title to the land. and
| as long as this is the case there is no doubt
| the cattle business, the leading Industry
adapted to this locality will remain in an
unsettled state.
! Inquiry made of many station asapts -
sarding the number OF new settlers moving
INTO the country brings out the fact thnt
at every point there has been an increasn
IN the population, since the enactment sof
the knkaid Law, and Il is apparent thar
many families have acquired homes unaer
.iiis iaW' nearly all Of whom are engaged
In the stock business TO some extent
Men engaged in raising cattle do NOT
consider themselves in a settled condition
That they are the pioneers and can pron-
erly be considered as good citizens Is he
yond doubt. Some Of the largest concerns
are accused by the smaller producers M
running over them, but there has been n
great change in Nebraska during the last
hve years, today there are NOT one
fourth of the big concerns there were ava
years ago, but the small producers have
increased In numbers very large per
cent,
Scarcely any of the cattlemen are on
| posed to the operation of the Kinkaid law
In fact, it is safe to say that all Of tbA
small producers favor the Kinkaid Law
but practically all of them think the lands
that have not been taken up under this
law should be sold in limited quantities
to actual settlers in order that they may
get title to the land. and be able TO place
the cattle business Of the state on solid
basis. where their credit will he good at
the banks and where they might con
fidently figure from year to year Just what
amount of grass they can expect to use for
3 grazing their stock.
, Leasing Not the Remedy.
, Outside Of the large concerns there ia
very little sentiment in favor of a leasing
system. As some have explained. they be-
lieve the agony would just be prolonged,
for the reason that any land leased will
at all times be subject to homestead entry
and about the time the lessee had his
fences arranged for the care Of his stock, II
would only take one homestead to free
him to rearrange his fences and at no
time will they have any assurance of sta
bility and feel secure in having grass for
their herds. They believe that the future
policy Of the government should be one
Of liberality to the small producers, and
among the small producers they class those
9 with from twenty five TO 800 head of cattle
the greater number averaging from ifty 20
zoo head.
The country so far examined is plainly
not one-half stocked. not one-fourth, in
fact, in many localities, not one-tenth the
e cattle are kept that could be kept in the
very best of condition on the grass that
is going 10 waste. Thousands and thou
sands OF acres OF the fnest grazing land
under the sun have not felt the tramp OF
Il a hoof in Rock and Brown counties In
y the southern part of these two counties
s thousands of tons of hay rots each winter
. on the ground where IL grew. The people
OF the cities need the beef that could be
20 grown on these lands and 1t is held by
many OF the more intelligent cattle pro-
ducers that they would have the support
of the consumers Of the cities. did the
latter know OF the conditions as they exist.
This hay that goes to waste is the same
ID quality OF hay that brings the top price in
g the Chicago and Omaha markets. and while
N Il could be proftably fed Co cattle, II ls
s- not practical 10 ship the hay so far, espe-
n ciauy when II has TO be hauled so far 10
er reach a railroad shipping point. II the
g president succeeds in getting the packers
u down 70 an honest basis, so that the diner
N ence is not so great between the meat
20 on the hoof and on the butchers block
N there can be no doubt Of the future OF
D. western Nebraska, especially II the laws
G. are so arranged that the cattlemen can
. get the land 10 Craze their herds upon
- They are willing TO pay what II Is worth
" and their own interests would make them
m use II more economically than it is now
m used
n, Lot of the RRnchmen.
" The lot OF the ranchman Is not one oi
Q bed OF roses, In the hrst place they mus
or isolate themselves 10 a greater or less ex
" tent from the world In yenturinG Out
on the prairie with their little herds anc