Gunnison news-champion., 1909-01-08

aided st v hate -lss--s go aer-f enfsr-
ed n,as-iesi- s,n The re-crVe ctrrhax
Saw Toath mountain iron he head
81 >tsi's . gaica srvssd ~ Acs,S-
Hosxn ranch .s sssth ea.f -Ilie
be-s alleged hssase-tead- ARE taken
40 sls,ag 9sschs- y seEc large springs
or s,jsca water - suii sstgraliy cs,a-
tired ali adJaceIst range. - all of hi-
osce csttle rsner - new absolutely
in the hands of the -he,-lsa.n
Ibe-. claims wer. Protested un
ground ol non -r..-ij.ace aud a. yscr-
maaesi improvements. ia hppss- sd
s.eissax thrm trt,m acquiring range
right-. They had net coaI,lied with
tn. homestead laws IN am way. Ee'f
ali trDui,ic aad cNpeb~e was uf un
avail a. = Land Diiic. at Meat
rs,-e has decisi.-d IA their fsVor 7 be-s
NeNicau- had not cultivated the
land. made no ditche- or anything
bst horsl.r- shack-
Til. snow never fall. ~ deep pu
these particular claims nor 18th. aiti-
tude az great a. at Perry sBd No
bDnoHxh ranches where ~ hiTe lIf.1-
plc i've ali the year round year after
year l am informed thai Mr. Gptt-
he'll the priacipal sheeP and MeNieau
owner over there. viii deieut ANY
appeal 10 Washington through bi-
pull with hi- Hebrew TREAD S.aa-
tor Guggcuhnim
All the above that l have written
you - not with the hppc or cNperta-
tion pi hslping any stock men ~ be-
have becn Ranging OB tine RESERVE.
All that part of the reserve j. nov
irretrievably lost 10 the cattle inter
eeis The lew who still use " viii
hold any rights To that range only
through the Tolerance OF rc-srv,. oiii
cisls. | should also like To point
out To you aud all stuce meu
who u-c the free range south of
IOm,chi creek the danger II the
sbeepDen sr. allowed to go GA un-
mole-tcd adding n little more grazing
territory and taking up ali water
ing places as alleged homestcads
every year. Last year they went
farther over that way than ever he
fore. and now flushed with success in
this homestead business ] hear they
are boa-tiDg OF taking in all that
grazing country. II nothing il done
| Iomichi creek will soon he the divid-
ing line. We cannotexpcct any hing
from the reserve management in the
way of Justice. but the free range
that 10 and always has been "A cattle
range should he protected Their
tactics Tor gaining "a range are good
trst take up springs and watering
places tn = gives them some right
To the adjacent range.
] hope YOU will lay this mat
ter before all the users OF the
range routh oi Gunni-on. So that
some line oi policy can he taken be
fore this fine free range is lost to the
cattlemen.
This question ot range interest :
cannot be confined to county bound
aries but must he considered and ad-
iusted to ma tural range divisions as
made 10y watersheds.
Saguache county stockmcn Ian
over into Mineral, Rio Grande and
Chafiee counties for part OF their
ranges. while the north aud west
parts or watersheds OF Gunnison
county are used by stock men living
in bordering counties
~tpckmen are reasonably secure in
range right in tiunnison Reserve with
the present supervisor. But super
visors are often changed aud ii one
| with n sheep leaning gets in over
there all this may be changed. while
the open free range il Yet open to all
and likewise the only part OF the
range lett Vet subject to former
range conditions. In all justice to
range users all the country on west
side Of Continantal Divide of the Co
chetopa Reserve should be under the
supervisor at Gunnison.
This letter puts the range situa-
ton before our stockmen in the light
News Champion had ALWAYS con-
tended it would eventually result.
! The forest reserve aud contemplated
leasing Of the public lands which il,
is intended TO forerun, is a tyranni-
cal government of carpetbaggers,
where the verv homes aud livelihood
of our ranchmen and the prosperity
of our community IS dependent up
on the whim OF outsiders, whose
personal interests are inclined to be
against Us 1t recalls the conversa-
tion had with Supervisor Craig in
June, 1901 He was telling how
forest reserves would settle the sheep
question and the endless range wars.
lie was asked, "lou say that under
forest reserves. If the government
SAYS, no sheep there will be no
sheep?' Yes sir" Then If the
government says sheep there will
be Sheep \ reluctant. Yes sir. ="