, 1908-01-29

ON PLAIN
Continued from page IL

Continued ron page IL
little thing would fan it into flame
again. | am not saying violence would
have been resorted to. Most of US
have lived in the community a quarter
of a century. We have been good,
law-abiding citizens, with moral char.
acters and untarnished names to de
fend. We have families and our boys
and girls are growing into citizenship,
The probabilities are that we would
have suffered a great injustice rather
than resort to an unlawful act.
Uncle Sam Stepped In.
But happily the problem was solved
for us, and solved in the only way this
range problem can be solved, namely,
by the government taking control ana
giving to each OF us-sheepmen and
cattlemen-what is just and right. The
Medicine Bow forest reserve was SET
tie and a certain portion to sheep. We
are assured of permanent summer
range for our cattle. Nobody can take
1t away from us. 1t has made our bus
mess certain. We can stock up to the
full capacity of our ranches and be as
sured of having pasture in the sum
mer. There is no rustling. We have
gathered closer in the reserve than we
ever did on the plains. We used to
lose from 3 to 10 per cent when we
ranged between the rivers.
Relations Pleasant.
Our relations with the reserve Of
icials have been pleasant. They have
always been willing to cooperate with
US in anything tending to improve the
service and our best interests. We
are allowed 500 worth of material free
each year. 1t is figured at 25 cents a
cord and a cord makes d big two-horse
load, so you see a ranchman is en-.
titled to eighty loads of material ev-
cry year without charge. Nobody ever
uses half of it, but if he wants more
he can get it by paying for it. There
was some opposition to paying a graz
ing fee at first, but after realizing the
great benefit the reserve was to us,
everybody is now willing to pay.
That Ruthless Destruction.
You read in the resolutions passed
by the Albany County Wool Growers
association about the young trees
ruthlessly destroyed n scattered
along the railroads. The forest re,
serve officials do not allow anybody to
cut young trees. Any tree hat mea,
sures less than ten inches in diameter
four feet from the ground is left stand
ing. 1t is the aim to cut only what is
mature. | have not been all over
where the Carbon Timber company is
cutting, but from what l have seen l
know the timber is not being destroy
ed. All of the tree is utilized. If the
tree is big enough, a sawlog is taken
from the butt end, then two or three
ties, and the top is made into mining
props. The tree is cut close to the
ground, the brush is piled up and ev-
erything looks neat and clean.
Difference in Operation.
There is quite a contrast between
the ground over which the Carbon
Timber company is cutting and the
patented land three or four miles this
side upon which a sawmill is
operating. At the latter place the only
object is to get everything that can
be gotten off the land today with no
thought of tomorrow. Everything that
will make a AKA II feet long is cut.
What small trees are left are most of
them killed by being barked in snak-
ing logs, broken off or slashed down
with an ak if in the way. l don't be
lieve any member of the committee
that framed those resolutions spoke
from personal observation. Ii they
had been oyer the ground they could
not have made any such statements.
Protection From Trees.
We all know that before this be-
came a reserve forest fires destroyed
millions of feet of lumber every year.
The last big fire at the mouth of Doug.
las creek the year before the reserve
was established, burned more timber in
d week than the Carbon Timber com.
pany will cut in their ive-year con,
tract, and it was started by a Mexican
sheepherder. Nobody here would be
willing to go back to the old condi-
tons. The forest reserve has added
to the value of every ranch on the Big
and Little Laramie rivers.
That Petition.
There is something strange about
the petition circulated in Laramie. /
talked with several parties who had
signed it, but no one seemed to under
stand what 1t was about. One told me
it vas a petition endorsing the Mondell
purchase bill. Another that the gov
eminent should give to the states all
leasing fees. and still another said it
was an anti-lpaSe DetitiOn hut what