, 1908-01-21
SOME PLAIN TRUTHS.

DFlng them dnylHlub'
During the past decade the entire
nation has been jumping ahead by
leaps and bounds. What has Laramie
and Albany county been doing? II
assessed valuation of own lots and i'm.
provements in the city of Laramie for
the year 1895, according TO he return
made to the state auditor, was S1,22l,-
624. The return OF the same class vi
property in the city of Laramie for tne
year 1906 was 81, O74,45O. A sheer
less of $l47,174.
Doesn't look very good does ~
The auditors report for the year 1907
has not been printed, hence figures for
that year are not quoted.
What has caused this decline in the
value Of property in Laramie? Why
have we remained stationary or gone
backward while other cities have gone
forward at a tremendous rate?
A city is dependent to a very large
extent on its country trade. Without
population in the country there Is Ho
country trade. What is the condition
of the country trade about Laramie:
Have we gone forward in population Or
backward?
The vote of the Albany county pre-,
ciucts in 1890 for congressman was
6g2. In 1906 the vote had dwindled to
543. Is it any wonder that real estate
values in the city OF Laramie also
dwindled? The one is a certain barou'
eter of the other. Had it not been
for the tact that the rolling mill was
reopened in Laramie and the Union
Pacific shops worked to a larger eX-
tent than usual, the year 1907 would
not have been any Improvement over
1906.
Does the remedy for this stagnant
condition lie in letting things alone?'
Are the present land laws adequate to
bring about settlement of the public
lands in this county?
During the past year SO homesteacs
have been proved up in Albany county.
or approximately 5000 acres. There
is open for filing in this county d
the public land laws about one and
a half million acres. Divide 5000
into l,5OO, 900 and you have the time
it would lake to settle the county ur
der the present homestead act. Three
hundred years is longer than most CT
us will live.
The lands that may be taken under
the desert act are practically all gone.
Their is little water to be had for
new desert land entries. 1t may also
be said tina the land for homestead
entries is nearly exhausted, for there
it not a mile of running stream open
to entry in the entire county that IS
worth having, The water courses have
been taken by the stockmen and
they are fenced SO that nj man may
water his stock at any of them who
has NOT secured decided land cover
ing a portion of some OF them.
Unless some inducement can be OF
fered the people Of the east to come
and settle upo our lands, what is the
use of the board Of trade spending
money in advertising our agricultural
resources, or our state spending S.
900 in literature, for the state is about
in the same condition Albany county is
in. Carbon county is in even a worse
predicament.
What is the best proposition that
has been suggested and supported by
any considerable number of the peo-
pie of the state?
Ten years ago State Engineer Ell
wood Mead stated a plan in condensed
form that has not been improved upon,
as follows:
IF each c%ultivator of 100 acres of
irrigated land were given a right to
lease four sections of grazing land,
II would only absorb a small fraction Of
it. In Wyoming, more than three
fourths would still be left to be leased
to range stockmen. l think it ought
to be so leased, and 1 am confident they
will soon be as DESTROYS of exercising
this privilege as the farmer now Is.
The open range business should hs
broken up, because it has always been
a cruel and hazardous business. The
gamble against death by cold in Janu-
airy or starvation inApril ought to cease.
Every owner of cattle or sheep on these
western plains ought to provide both
feed and shelter, as a security against
the storms of winter. II ought to be
broken up in order that every stock
man might know in summer where MS
6ocks or herds were to spend the WIN
ter. in order that the men engaged
in these industries may have a fixed