East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-07-12
TERRIBLE BARBAR|T|Es Of RANCE WARS

/ wounds, except one cowboy, who is
now cattle owner near the seat OF
the war in the Big Horn country.
The FIcrcest Range War.
The fiercest of the range wars of
New Mexico took place In the terri
tory now organized into San Juan
county, bordering on the Navajo In
dian reservation. In 1877 or 1878
the cowboys conceived the project of
driving out the sheepherders entirely
and appropriating the lands of that
region to their own use.
The war went on intermittently for
two or three years. the sheepmen be-
ing gradually driven back until 1t
looked as II the cowboys WOULD prove
successful. Unfortunately for them,
they made the mistake OF killing a
considerable 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 the warpath unless their
wrongs were rlghted. SO 1t happen
cd that the exultant cowpunchers
found a detachment of United States
troops at their heels.
Rctrcating from the Navajo reser-
walton (Which they had invaded un-
wittingly), they were met by Colonel
Max Frost (now known as the
blind editor of Santa Fe"), with a,
strong force of the New Mexico ma
tional guard and n commission from
Governor Lionel A. Sheldon to en-
force peace. Seeing that the jig was
Up. the cowboys surrendered and
were taken to Santa TIE as prisoners
charged with numberless crimes,
while the Indians and the rejoicing
sheepherders divided the bountiful'
supply of fresh beef left behind
Wher the Santa Fe railroad was
being built across New Mexico some
Kansas City stockmen invaded the
territory with the idea that 1t would
not be difficult to drive the sheepmen
from the Estancia valley, which had
been sheep range for three hundred
years. They established themselves
along the foothills of the Manzano
mountains, gradually pushing their
lines further out upon the plain un-
til the sheepmen were goaded to re-
sistance.
Several inconclusive fights occur
red, with the advantage leaning to the
side of the intruders so far that the
sheep owners proposed compromise
and division of the valley. To this
the cattle interests refused assent
They believed they were In a fair way
to secure possession of the whole re-
gion; and the range war went on.
Geronimo as a Peaccmaker.
One day a fierce fight was in pro-
gress, with the prospects that as usual
the cowboys would hold the field
when Providence intervened 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 a 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 cattle as they wanted, stamped
ing the rest. This was the first and
last time the cattle interests invaded
the Estancia valley, which remained
one OF the greatest sheep ranges of
the southwest until the completion
of the Santa Fe Central railroad
year or two ago. The sheepmen now
witness a more terrible invasion than
that of the cattle kings, and bow
helplessiy before the steady advance
of the army Of homesteaders: and
the great range at the foot of the
Manzancs will soon be a part of the
open range no longer.