The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-04-28
WEDNESDAY, APRIL %, 1909.
STOCKMEN VS.. SETTLERS.

In discussing publicity methods by
which settlers may be brought to Mon.
tana, q thoughtless or pre1udiced cri-
tic occasionally makes the absurd al
legation that the livestock interests
have discouraged immigration to this
state, and retarded the development OF
its agricultural our The &C.
alton is Imade in q general way,
without presenting specific informa.
ton to support it, and does gross in
justice to Montana citizens who have
played their part in building up the
state and who would place no obstacle
in theipath of others.
1t 10 true that, for the past forty
years, many portions of Montana
have been devoted principally to graz.
ing grounds for livestock, but they
have always been open to occupancy
by any citizen swho vas prepared to
put them toibetter or more profitable
use. There has been no organized
movement among Montana stockmen
to exclude settlers from the public do.
main, or TO discourage efforts to de-
monstra ate the merits of any part of it
IS land that will make profitable re-
spouse to the labor Of the %agricultur.
ist. The stockmen have simply oc.
cupied the land temporarily, until its
value for other purposes became re-
cognized, just as has been the Ease in
the early history of other common
wealths.
In primitive days, the plains and
valleys of.Montana were the favorite
grazing grounds of vast herds of buf.
falo and other wild game, that we're
hunted by the Indians for sport and
profit; then came the white men, at.
tracted by the riches to be derived
from hunting and trapping and trad.
ing with the Indians. The discovery
of gold in the early sixties brought a
rush of people to the territory, and a
few enterprising citizens concluded
that the business OF supplying them
with meat products would be more
profitable than mining. They engaged
10 the butchering business, and at
first brought in their live. cattle from
Utah and other places, but it was
subsequently, discovered that livestock
could withstand an average Montana
winter without serious loss, and the
growth of the Montana livestock in
dustry followed.
Montana %stockmen have performed
an important and commend able public
service in utilizing the forage crops
of the public domain that would other
wise haveigone to waste.k The annual
crop of native !grasses on Montana
ranges has been converted into meat
products that increased the food
supply of the United States and other
countries, and the community has
been immensely benefited by the in.
dustry. Some Of the stockmen have
become wealthy from the profits of the
business, while. lothers have gone
bankrupt because of heavy losses. 1t
has been o legitimate enterprise in
which some have met with success and
Others have failed: it has formed a
chapter in,.the history of Montana
that is beingtfollowed, in the natural
course events, by other developments.
To allege that the Montana livestock
industry is a menace and hindrance
to the development tot the agricul.
tural of the state, is q fool
ish Misrepresentation that reflects up.
on the intelligence of those who make
such a statement. The Montana stock.
nan has been the advance agent of the
agriculturist, and as the latter ap.
pears upon the scene his predecessor
recognizes the changed conditions as
something he was powerless to pre-
vent, even if he were disposed to resist
the onward march of progress.