Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-23
FIERCE WARS OF
THE RANGE IN
NEW MEXICO
ONLY HOMESTEADERS CAN
END THE H0STlLITIES
Story of the Bloody Conflicts
of Sheep and Cattle Men in
San Juan and the Estancia
Valley.

the Sncep ana cdttIefnen OF the Soutn'
west were those Of san Juan county
and in the Estancia valley, according
to John L. Cowan. who writes a mos
interesting article for the Sunda,
Magazine on Wars Of the Range
Concerning New Mexico's share in the
perpetual conflict which. in his opin-
ion. is to be ended by the advance Of
the army of h~omesteaders. Mr.. Cowar
saws:
The f~iercest of the range wars Of
New Mexico took place in the terri
tory now organized into san Juar
county, bordering on the Navajo In
dian reservation. In 1877 or 1875 the
cowboys conceived the project of driv-
ing out the sheep herders entirely
and apprOpriating the public lands OF
that region to their own use. The wal
went on Internationally for two OF
three years. the sheep men being
gradually driven back until II looked
as if the cowboys would prove success
full. Unfortunately for them, they
made the mistake of killing a consider
able number Of sheep that belonged
to the Navajo Indians. The latter
were not slow about telling their
troubles to the Indian agent at Fort
Defiance, and threatened to go out on
AAAf 10 INNAA nv AAAtAA ~ RAHH -
righted. So 1t happened that the ex-
ultant cowpunchers found a detach-
ment of United States troops at their
heels.
Retreating from the Navajo reser-
walton (Which they had invaded un-
wittingly). they were met by Colonel
Max Frost (n0w known as the blind
editor of Santa Fe"), with a strong
force Of the New Mexico national
-....l ..U q. 80. lection FY.t.n nANraF-
nor Lionel a. sheldon. to enforce
peace. Seeing that the Jig was up.
the cowboys surrendered and were
taken to Santa Fe fas prisoners,
charged with numberless crimes.
while .Ae Indians and the rejoicing
sheep herders divided the bountiful
supply of fresh beef left behind.
When the Santa Fe railroad was
being built across New Mexico some
Kansas city stockmen invaded the
territory with the idea that il would
not be difficult to drive the sheepmen
from the Estancia valley, which had
been a sheep range for three hun
bred years. They established them
selves along the foothills of the Man
2ano mountains, gradually pushing
their lines farther out upon the plain
until the s%heepnlen were goaded into
resistance. Several inconclusive fights
occurred, with the duNNlldRt lfdIluB
10 the side of the intruders SO far
that the sheep owners proposed a
compromise and a division of the val
icy. TO this the cattle interests re-
fused assent. They believed that they
were In a fair way to secure posses
sion of the whole region; and the
range war went on.
Geronimo rs u Peace Maker.
one day a fierce fight was in prog
ress, with the prospects hat as usual
the cowboys would hold the field,
when Providence interviewed in the
person Of the bloody Geronimo and
his full force of nearly four score
braves. The Apaches were not friends
of the sheepmen; but they had had n
surfeit Of mutton and were hungry
for beef. SO they shot such of the
cowboys as hesitated too long about
running. and killed as many of the
CATH as they wanted, stampeding the
rest.i That was the first and last time
the battle interests invaded the Es-
tanch valley. which remained one Of
the Greatest sheep ranges of the
southwest until the completion of the
Santa Fe Central railroad n year or
two ago. The sheepmen now witness
a more terrible invasion han that of
the cattle kings. and bow helplessly
before the steady advance of the army
OF ho~mesteaders; and the great n
at the foot OF the Manzanos Will soon
be q part of the open range no longer.
The most natural question is. What
are the Officers of the law doing while
the wars OF the range are raging
Generally they are attending strictly
to their own business. That is the
very wisest thing for them Ia do.
They are the common enemies, n
both ~cowpunchers and sheep herders
win go cunning for them the moment
81 Is known that they are on the
ranges for the purpose Of interfering
I'm n quarrel that is regarded as no
concern OF theirs. Anyway. what Is
the use Of their risking their lives In
order to a%pprehend men h cannot
possibly be convicted of any crime?
Sclf-defense can nearly always he al
legged az the motive FOR any killings,
hut even when brutal, p-remeditated
and unnecessary murder Is proved no
Western jury VIII convict. II seems
20 be a frontier variation Of the un-
written law that n sheepman has an
inaiienable right to Kill a cattleman.
and vice versa. n same region
isn't big enough to hold them both.
An Anomaly.
TO tho ordinary l~aw-abiding citizen
tile range wars seem anomalous and
strangely at variance with American
civilization. They cam understand
how IL happens that these bloody. vim
dictive and prolonged conflicts are
waged between rival interests Of IN
wealth and vast political influ-
ence over lands 10 which neither has
the shadow Of a claim. The sheep
men assert. with some show Of reason,
that they have as much right 20 make
Use Of the vacant public lands as have
she cattlemen. But the cattlemen al
iege that whereas cattle will Craze
the same lands year after year
doing them any Injury, the
sheep eat off the grass down 20 the
hari-baked soil. pull out the roots.
and then with The sharp h0ofs trample |
anything that may be left into atoms
never can sprout up again.
Uuquestionably sheen are close
-raz4-s but Il g. worthy of notice I
in New Mexico and Arizona there
are sheep ranges that have been pas |
.pred continuously for more tina /
three hundred years. and that have
more sheep on them and better pas
.Ire than ever before in the memory
1f men. Il is apparent. therefore,
fh1- sheep are far from being 80 de-
tructive as the champions Of y cat \
ne interests would have the public be- 1
iieve. The further assertion that no l
raHarHA. ..H..a Ha-r#aHMa g.. ~ aud :