The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-03-03
WITH FIRE AND BULLET
Dt,ADLINE IS DEFENDED
Bloody Battle Ground on Powder Riy
er Unvisited by Dove of Peace
-Gentlemen's Agreement

Sheridan, Wyo., Post: Two weeks
ago sheep wagon belonging to the
Waisner outfit was riddled by bullets
tired by two raiders who crept up a
gulch within twenty-five yards of the
wagon, emptied the magazines of
their guns, the bullets tearing their
way through the front part of the
wagon, wounding Henry Bund, a
herder. in the shoulder, and injurins
& horse. The raiders then disappeared
as quietly as th"v came.
Only lew nights later sheep
wagon ana commissary wagon be-
longing to Jack Allemande, big
Johnson county sheepman, and a
brother of Joe Allemande, who died
at Tensleep, in raid which sent five
raiders, to the penitentiary, was bur-
ned and the two wagons belonging to
u. d. Metcalf suffered same fate. A
wagon belonging to Keeline & Son
is known to have been destroyed, and
report has it that three wagons be-
longing to this firm were burned.
All these raids have taken place in
in little stretch of country not more
than forty to fifty miles square. 1t
is located on the middle reaches of
the historic Powder river, and includ-
es the corners of Sheridan, Crook
and Johnson counties around which
narrow furrow has been run which
marks line over which a sheep
man drives his t1ocks at his peril.
This is the deadline-the famous
line of demarkation between the kline
and the wooleys It's location, fixed
by a gentlemen's agreement becomes
immovahle and impregnable. Much
has been said and written regarding
this deadline but as yet it is matter
little understood.
These lines have been established
in various parts of this and other
states of the northwest, but in north
western Wyoming there is only one
and this, instead of separating two
vast territories, is simply drawn
around little patch of range land in
which the cattle feed and from which
the sheep are excluded.
At joint meeting of cattlemen and
woolgrowers held in Buffalo, Feb.
1, 1908, the line was established.
Prior to that time number of set
tiers had made their homes along
Powder river, Crazy Woman and
Wild Horse creeks and tributaries.
Each of these settlers had their little
herds of cattle. Presently the sheep
began to encroach upon their range.
And as result many conflicts took
place.
During the early winter of 1907-8
many sheep wagons were burned,
horses shot, sheep killed and few
men wounded. No one knew when
he was safe, and both sides to the
controversy wanted peace. So con-
by some thirty cattlemen and a score
of woolgrowers.
This meeting was held in the court
house, the matters in dispute were
discussed and an amicable agreement
was reached. The agreement was
for a division of the territory in the
district where the trobles had been
occurring, and to accomplish this di-
vision COMMITTEES were appointed.
On February 3, these two commit
tees met and formulated contract,
which was reduced to writing and
signed by both committees. Copies
aof this contract were delivered both
parties. In many ways it is a unique
document. This agreement provides
that as various disputes and disa-
greements have heretofore arisen
between the sheepnen and cattlemen
using the open range in the vicinity,
and that it is to the mutual interest
of all concerned that the line be-
tween the ranges of the sheepmen
and cattlemen be definitely determin-
ed and established.
1t was therefore agred that a line
should be drawn and recognized
between all cattlemen and all sheep
men interested in said range of the
lower Powder river and vicinity as a
boundary between said sheep and cat
tie range, and the said boundaries
are then described by metes and
bounds.
1t was also agreed that the lines so
established should be recognized by
all parties concerned as the true
boundary line between the sheep and
cattle range and any sheep then
within the cattle range as described
were to be moved out Of said range
as soon as they could conveniently
be moved, and thereafter no sheep
were to be ranged or grazed within
said lines.