Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-21
FLOCKNASTERS ARE ANGRY
Wyoming Men Claim Heavy Damages from
the Federal Government
FORESTRY OFFICIALS HELD RESPONSIBLE
Petitions TO Department Allege Many
sheep Were KILLED by Rule Pro-
mulsated by OmciaI
Fixing Trail.

MEETEETsE, wyo., Aug. D-(Specia)-
Gross favoritism and acknowledgement OF
the grazing privileges within the Yellow
stone forest reserve, coupled with claim
for damages amounting to between N.OO
and 5000. Is the burden of a petition and
protest prepared by prominent wool grow
ers Of this section. which will be forwarded
to washington. Failing to secure redress
from the head of the department, a com
nnittee will present the matter direct to
President Roosevelt and demand action.
While sheepmen have always protested
that they were being treated unfairly by
the forestry oficials. the immediate cause
of the protest lie the loss Of a large num-
Der Of sheep owned by residents OF this
county, while being driven TO the range
allotted them within the forest reserve In
the vicinity of Bear Tooth mountains.
The sheep were taken to the reserve under
the direction OF a forestry onicial, who
would not allow even the slightest devia-
ton from the trail pointed out by him.
AS a result the sheep encountered poison
weed to such an extent that from $50 to
$50 head died out Of each band.
Losses Are Heavy.
Among those who have suffered losses
are: W. B. Sleeper no. David Taylor lB.
Mcw1lliams & Hargraves Z75, M Nuckols
175 Thomas Hogg 3S. Several other bands
taken over this trail suffered in similar
manner. but the exact number lost has
not been ascertained. A conservative esti-
mate places the total loss at 1900 head.
representing a money value Of at least
$500
But the worst is yet to come" said
w. B. Sleeper of Meeteetse, II have let
ter from one of my herders notifying me
that the men refuse to take the sheep
down from their mountain range over the
trail by which they assembled on account
of the certain loss of many more, not
only from poison weed, but from the dam
age sure to result from taking band Of
sheep down the side of preclpltous noun
tain covered with broken granite and slide
rock. A sheep crippled from such a drive
will not stand to be trailed 100 miles home.
and must be left to die along the way"
sheep Ranges Remote.
The petition, which is peing signed By
every woolgrower in this part Of the state,
recites that the sheepmen Of this county
have been Disseminated against by for
estry officials in the distribution OF the
range within the reserves: that residents
of this county owning sheep have been
allotted ranges SITUATED III IeIlObe anu
almost inaccessible places, while vast
sections of good range nearby have been
designated as cattle ranges and only COM
parative few OF these animals allowed to
Craze thereon.
For instance" said Mr.. Sleeper, 81 am
informed that with the exception OF few
on Carter mountain, not a single sheep
has been allowed on the forest reserve
from the Shoshone river to the Grey Bull,
a distance of over 16o miles, most of IL
natural sheep range, on which the Hogg
& Taylor outfit formerly grazed 1900 head
Of sheep. Residents OF this county, men
who own ranches and make their homes
here, who could reach this tract within
twenty-five or thirty miles. were compelled
to take their sheep over 100 miles In the
vicinity OF Bear Tooth lake, and pay the
government for the privilege of six weeks
era sing The range there is poor and
all sorts Of Inconvenience were encoun-
tered in getting there. At one time
Montana authorities attempted to hold the
owners for violating the quarantine reg
ulations, but II was later shown that the
sheep were just inside of the Wyoming
line"
The local wool growers association will
forward the petition and protest to George
s. Walker secretary of the national as
ISOLATION, and It is expected that body
will carry the matter to Washington.