The Dickinson press., 1915-10-09
DAN ZIMMERMAN
MOVES HIS CATTLE


last week appeared the following ar
ticle which will interest many Stark
and Hettinger county readers Of the
PRESS:
D. B. Zimmerman, the cattle man,
formerly of Dickinson, N. D., but who
for several years past has made his
home at Somerset, Pennsylvania,
where he is an extensive owner of
coal mining properties, was in Fort
Yates last week on business with
Superintendent Convey of the Stand
ing Rock reservation, in connection
with making final settlement of graz
ing fees for running cattle on the
reservation, since his lease was
terminated at the instigation of form
er Superintendent Kneale, about two
years ago. .
MI. Zimmerman, who is reputed
to be the largest individual owner of
cattle in the United States, is owner
of the DE-, TT, Comet and a number
of other brands registered in North
Dakota, and has run thousands of
cattle on the Standing Rock and
Cheyenne reservations during the
past Is years. This week will fin
ish the loading and shipping of the
remnant of his once great herds from
Walker, where he has made head
quarters for several years past. The
cattle not ready for market will be
shipped to the Cheyenne r~eserva-
ton, where he has secured a large
lease, or to Montana, Arizona or New
Mexico, where he controls thousands
of acres of range, in addition to his
large holdings in Texas.
In commenting upon his removal
from the reservation and reviewing
the events leading up to the termi-
nation of the leases of himself and
other large cattle owners, Mr.. Tim
meRman took occasion to state his
opinion of the shortsightedness and
small calibre of former Superintend-
ent, Kneale. To the editor of the
Pioneer he gave out the following
interview:
"You can say for me that while
I have no personal feelings in the
matter and am done with the Stand
ing Rock reservation forever, I go
on record for saying that it is a
$4,000 to 100000 head of cattle 60
to waste, simply owing to the biased
judgment of M man, who for a
brief time was put in a job many
sizes too large for his ability. The
action of Mr.. Kneale in advising the
Indians not to renew tribal leases
on the reservation, and his econ
mendations to the Indian Department
at Washington-which I am glad to
say have been ignored-lost the In
dams thousands of dollars. In fact,
his action deprived the Indians Of
food, as the lease money was to them
a considerable source Of revenue.
Prairie fires a year ago swept the
range and did damage from which
it will not ecove for years. When
the @cattlemen were here they kept
fre-drags handy and worked inces-
sanity to keep out confagration, and
usually confined the fires to small
areas::
"The trouble with a number of
men put in a responsible position, like
that of superintendent of a reserva-
ton, in many cases is that they are
over-awed by their own Importance.
This kind of a man impresses no one
but himself, and fools nobody. That
l am glad to say is not the case of
Mr.. Covey, the present superintend-
ent. I neve met him before, but in
making settlement, I found him to
be business like and gentlemanly. l
am also pleased to note that under
the new policy of the Indian Depart
ment leases are being made to the
smaller responsible ranchers, and this
will mean much in the future to the
reservation and Sioux county,"
And then with a look of genuine
sorrow Mr.. Zimmerman, American
cattle king, the last of the old cow
men who laid the foundation for his
immense fortune along the west
bank Of the Missouri river in North
Dakota, looked west across the mighty
river as the train went east from Mo-
bridge-took a long gaze at the river
bottoms, buttes and coulees, where he
rode range rs years ago.
That Mr.. Zimmerman is a man of
clear vision cannot be denied, and
all familiar with conditions as they
have existed on the reservation will
heartily endorse his conclusions. 1t
is a pleasure to occasionally meet a
man with the courage Of his convic-
lions.
"Old Dan" as Mr.. Zimmerman is
Familiarity known among all the old
Gov %punchers and Indians, is the most
democratic Of men. His millions have
not gone to his head, and his dol
lars cause no n envy. He is a man
endowed with wonderful business abil-
ity, and has hosts of friends all
through the Dakotas who are sorry to
see his interests transferred to other
states.