Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-08
MERCURE On WARE CASE
Small Rsnshman of Hooker County is
Enthusiastic in Defense
SAYS WARE IS eUlLTLtss OF CONSPIRACY
Explains Early Conditions in that
section aud Maintains Accused
Has Been a BenefactOr
TO settlers.

l. I. Mercure, resident Of Hooker
county, South Dakota, for nineteen years.
one of the smaller ranchmen, now IN
Omaha. has the following to say anent the
stories OF witnesses in the Ware land fem
cling case:
The early history OF the Sand Hills dis
trict in Hooker county discloses some very
interesting features in connection with the
matter of the fencing Of government land
in that district. Up to the time of the es-
adjustment OF tho L. B. l. ranch in Hooker
county less than 1900 head OF cattle utilized
the range that has since fed 14OOO and fur
nished the biggest item in tho way Of taxes
for the maintenance and development that
the country will perhaps ever know.
1T is not generally known that at the
time Mr.. Ware located the L. Il. l. ranch in
Hooker county there were less than forty
votes cast at the general election. There
was no Mullen at that time. The county
capital consisted Of some three or four
dwelling houses. two small stores the COM
hined stocks of which would amount to
about $780, there was no blacksmith shop,
no livery barns. no hotels. Now we have
two large general stores. with combined
stocks amounting TO something over $50, O0o:
two blacksmith shops one fine hotel, one
large restaurant. two first class livery
barns and other branches of business suf-
ficient to class the town among the model
western cities.
This condition Of affairs can be largely
accredited to George G.. Ware, who is now
being made n joint defendant with F. w.
Lambert in a case for conspring to de-
fraud the government Further than this,
the U. b. I. ranch has furnished work at
cd
work in Hooker county.
But little farming was carried on at
that time and there was no sale for corn
or hay or any other produce raised there.
But since the location of the Y. h. I. ranch
a great many more settlers have come in
and every pound of produce raised by them
has found a ready market at the u. B. L.
ranch
Holds Ware GuiItIess of Conspiracy.
Il have known Mr.. Ware personally ever
since he came into this country He is an
honorable, upright man, very liberal and a
fine man TO do business with. Knowing
him as I do, 1 cannot believe him in any
way connected with any scheme to defraud
the government, and l venture the asser-
ton that at the outcome of the trial in this
city not one man will have been found that
can truthfully connect him with any con-
spiracy 10 gain title to the Sand Hill range
now being utilized by his cattle and which
he nor any other man has ever desired to
own.
1T is charged In a separate indictment
that George G.. Ware inclosed several
thousand acres of public domain for pas
ture land. As a matter of fact he never
inclosed foot of government land for
that purpose. True, he built a fence at
the earnest solicitation of the settlers the
entire length OF his range on the north
for their protection. He likewise built a
fence on the south side of his range to
protect settlers on the south of him, but
he left the west and the east ends open.
Other parties, settlers in the east end.
inclosed that end; also settlers on the
west inclosed the other end. That is the
way Mr.. Ware put his fence in. This
fence Is a benefit to every settler in the
county AMI we can hardly get along with
out ii at the present time.
THE stuff that has been appearing from
time to time in the papers does not look
good to a man on the ground and acquainted
| with the conditions that have existed the
/ past nine years, or since the L. B. I. Cat
| tie company was welcomed to Hooker
county by the early settlers. It is well
known that since that time many Of the
settlers have been able to improve and
! hold their land only through employment
! received from George G. Ware.
Wares Land and Its Character.
1T will be surprising for many of your
| readers to know that Mr.. Ware does not
possess title to more than thirteen quarter
sections of land; that seven or eight OF
| these were purchased outright at the time
| he located in Hooker county. This does
not substantiate the charge of cattle baron
! or land grabber, one is led to believe
J who accepts as truth the unfair and
grossly misrepresented articles that have
/ been given TO the reading public. They
could just as well have stated that the
| range now occupied by Mr.. Ware is en-,
tirely nonproductive and unit for habita-
| ton; that no man has ever wanted the
land; that a warranty deed to the same
would be burden upon the holder and
an imprudent investment
II only wish TO add that no one unac.
| quainted with the conditions as they exist