Putnam patriot., 1911-03-24

brought iHfo tlfp fVnlu D@ hl7 tet''N'
 sec .Lize WpfherfprL's girl. and ms eyes at onre sought and found her A
 look of surprise and pleasure at once
 ht his face
 Gregg was the greedy west checked and restrained by the law Every
 man in the room knew thai he was
 hitter oppopeilt of the forest service and that he had t in' for the ranger. and some of them knew that he was throwing more sheep into the forest than his permits allowed and that clash with RedheId was sure to come.
 It was just like he burly old lrlsh-
 man to 20 straight 10 the table where his adversary sat.
 yirginia's eyes fell before the gaze of these two men. for they had none of the shynesS and none Of the ihdirec- fion of the ruder mcu she had mel.
 Redfeld did not soften his words on Greggs account OD the contrary. ne made them still more cutting and 10 the line.
 ..The mere fact that live near the open range or q national forest does not give me any ri4hfs in the range or
 forest" he WIS fug as bfeSs LOOK
 his seat. Il enjoy rhe privilege or these government grazing grounds. aud I ought to be perfectly willing 10 nay the fee These forests are the property of the whole nation. They are public lands and should yield revpnue to the whole nation. II IS silly to expect the government 10 go on enrichng few of us stoekmen al the expense of others. l see this. and accept the change
 After you've got rich at it said Gregg.
 well. haven't you2" retorted Red field Are you so greedy that nothing will stop you.
 Gregg growled out, I'm not letting any of my rights slip. I'll have your he1d Mir. Supervisor. III carry my fight to the secret3rv-
 "Xery well" returned Redield. .'earry it to the president if you wish. simply repeat that your sheep must correspond to your permit and if you don't send mp and remove the extra number will do it myself l don't make the rules of the department. My job is to carry them out
 By this time every person in the room was tense with interest. They all knew Gregg and his imperious methods Some of the cattlemen in the room had suffered from his greed. and. while they were not partisans of the supervisor. they were glad to see him face his opponent fearlessiy. Iize delivered parting blow: "Rul- frog. you and me are old timers We're on the losing side We belong to the good old days when the Fork was mans town and 10 be shot up once a week kept us in news. But them times are past. You cant run the range that way any more. Why. man. you'll have 10 buy and fence your own pasture in a few years more or else pay rent same as l do. You stockmen kick like steers over paying n few old cents head for five months range; you'll be mighty glad to pay dollar one of these days. Take your medicine that's my advice" And she went back to her cash drawer. Redtelds voice was cuttingly con temptuous as he said quite calmly: You're all kinds of asses. you sheep men. You ought to pay the fee for your cattle with secret joy. So long as you can get your stock pastured tand in effect guardedl by the govern ment from Iune to November for 20 cents or even 90 cents per head you're in luck. Mrs. Wetherford is right. We've all been educated in bad school. Uncle Sam has been too lazy to keep any supervision over his pub lie lands He's permitted us grass pi- rates to fight and lynch and burn one another on the high range ito which neither of us had any right. holding back the real user of the laud-the farmer
 Gregg was silenced. but not con vinced. Its a long lane that has no turn" he burst out. You think you're the whole United States army. Who gives you all the authority" Congress and the president"
 There's nothing in that bill to war rant these petty tyrannies of yours"
 What you call tryannies l call de- lending the public domain" replied Redfeld If I had my way I'd give my rangers the power of the Canadian mounted police. Is there any other state in this nation where the roping of sheep herders and the wholesale butchery of sheep would be permitted: From the very first the public lands of this state have been refuge for the criminal, a lawleSs no mans land. but now. thanks to Roosevelt and the chief forester. we at least have force of men on the spot to see that some sem hlance of law and order is maintained, You fellows may protest and run to Washington. and you may send your paid representatives there. but you re sure tn lose As free range monopo- lists you are cumbercrs of the earth, and all you represent must pass before this state can be anything but the by word 1t now is
 The whole dining room was still as
 he finished. and Lee Virginia, with a girls vague comprehension of the mans world. apprehended in Redfield's speech lurge and daring purpose. Gregg Sueered Perhaps you intend
 to run for congress on that line of | talk
 l