Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-21
CHANGE IN CATTLE COUNTRY
Big 0attleman Soon to Give Way to the
Small Herd Owner.
MERCHANTS BEGINNING TO SEE LIGHT
Cattle Bsrons Have Been Misleading
the Public on Amount of Land
Required TO Pasture Each
Head of Cattle.

CODY. Neb.. Feb. 2O.-That there is 60
ing to be a great change in this part of the
state in the near future is apparent to the
most casual observer. The day OF the
big cattle interests, the fencing Of govern
ment lands. the hiring of persons to make
fraudulent homestead filings to cover up
the best lands. must nqw give way to the
hand cream separator, mich COW and the
honest enforcement of the Kinkaid $40 acre
homestead law. The general practice of
lawlessness heretofore in vogue will not
be tolerated further by the government.
The efforts of the large cattle interests who
have been gobbling up the best lands in a
fraudulent manner. to try to create the i'm
preston that IL requires forty acres to
support one steer, is being disproved by
the special agents of the land department,
who are figuring up the acreage of each
enclosure and examining the returns of
live stock given in to the assessors. 1t is
not generally believed that these people
gave in more cattle than they owned and
II they did not, the figures show much
less acreage per head and in every part the
waste of grass is enormous.
| The business men of the small towns are
| beginning TO learn that a number of small
| ranchmen will be of much more value TO
the country than a few big concerns. For
| example, one large concern that runs 5000
| cattle. buys most of its supplies in Chicago,
while IL fifty small ranchmen owned 100
cattle each, there would be fifty families
to buy goods from the merchants. Fifty
such families could produce enough cream
| for the market to bring into the community
from $. 500 to 5000 per month. II is clear
that 5.O0O cattle owned by fifty persons
would require no more grass for support
than would the same number of cattle
owned by one person.
Some sample Appeals.
fair sample of the way those who
have been making use Of these lands
which they claim are of no value but
which they are trying to get by any
means. lawful or unlawful, look upon the
efforts of the government to stop the prev
alent lawlessness, is demonstrated by the
letter of Mr.. Woodruff Ball. who owns a
ranch near this place. The letter of Mr.
Ball has been widely published in Ne
braska. Among other things he says:
The attitude of the administration has
made the square deal' by-word in west
| ern Nebraska.
In other words, the enforcement Of the
law is sneered at, Again he says:
They received the big Stick If ever
| in the history of this country there was a
bold faced attempt on the part of the ex-
| this was the case.
Because the president wants officials who
will enforce the law, Mr.. Ball criticises
his action. Again:
What we ask is relief from obsolete
and antiquated laws. remedial legislation
that we may go ahead building up this
country that is ours by conquest captured
frop wilderness and made to support
not law breakers, but a type of citizens
that go to make the backbone of this ma
ton. If Secretary Hitchcock will turn his
| stand
operate with him. We are willing to &C.
quire this land legally, either by purchase
or lease.
Notice the words ours by conquest
The above paragraph is comical in view
of the fact that Mr. Ball is charged by
the special agents with having fenced ir
about 1900 acres of government lands with
cedar posts and barb-wires, and with be
ing guilty of subornation of perjury ir
hiring persons to file homesteads on the
best lands in his pasture.
End Not Yet.
If Secretary Hitchcock will turn his hand
toward leaving Mr.. Ball alone. he will
cooperate with him." Again:
The end is not yet. There are more Of
! cover that conditions may be made more
chaotic. titles upset land values deprecated
land is flied to Overlooking with specia
4 agents and secret service men directly con
| trary to law for, by whose authority are
| treasury department men detailed to serv
ice with the interior department? Intimida
ton is practiced wholesale and immunity
| promised IL only one will make an aft
davit or go to court and testify agains
these ruthless cattle barons. This is. in
deed, a noble example of a free and pa
ternal government.
No. 1.-The end is not yet" That is wha
is making trouble for those who are beinl
investigated None but guilty men are be
ing driven to cover" The only titles
being upset" are titles" that were oh
tanned in a fraudulent manner. Those whit
will make an affidavit go to cour
and testify" are making lots of trouble
just now for guilty persons. and 1t is gooC
for the state that this is true. Lawlessnes
must give way, and Nebraska will no
be injured by such charge.