, 1922-10-22
As a Dry Farmer.

opcu ut VEIN Ut OdmuIios urllleu IoE
oil on the site of Newcastle and later
had general direction OF the plating (,
of the town and the erection of the
first permanent buildings. he also dry
farmed at the Mount, Zion ranch in
the vicinity of his first camp. This
vas the first dry farming I'm IA big way
in Wyoming. This farming enterprise,
which was highly successful, had a
tremendous effect on the farming de-
velopment of that section of the state.
The project and enterprise rs a whole
brought the opening and development
of all Northeastern Wyoming from
Newcastle to, Sheridan
His First office.
1t was entirely natural that the peo-
pie of the new town Of Newcastle
should look to the man who was in
strumentai In the founding OF their
town for their first mayor, and so Mr..
MOndell, under protest. vas elected to
his first office. A little later, in the
midst of his ~engrossing duties in con-
nection with the management OF the
mines, the extension or the railway
northwest toward Sheridan. drilling
for oil with the first standard rig ever
erected In Wyoming, be was nominate
ed against his W protest as state
senator from what was then Crook
county. While lie took little part in
the campaign. he wis elected and
erved so acceptably through his first
session that at the following session
OF 1893 he wns elected president of
the state senate. and in the contest
over the United States senatorship
that followed was, the latter part Of
the session, the party candidate for
senator.
Congressman.
In 1894 Mr.. Mondell was a candi-
date for governor, and had an album
dance of votes to secure his nominal
ton, but at the last. moment. before
the nominations were to be made, an
agreement was entered into whereby
Mr.. Mondell was nominated to Con-
gress and w. A. Richards became the
nominee for governor.
Equipped for Job.
The young Congressman, who had
never been east of Chicago and whose
regular schooling was limited TO n few
short winter terms of country school,
nevertheless entered upon his duties
well equipped. He had seen the prac-
teal workings of the land laws on
h Iowa homestead and through the
entire West, and had had n post
graduate course in his wyoming ex-
perience. He knew farming and stock
raising from every angle, from expert
ence and observation. He knew coal
mining from the standpoint of both
II miner and the operator. He knew
all about the Gil a laws, and much
about the conditions under which oil
occurs in Wyoming. He had had an
unusually broad, practical. general ex-
perience in life. He knew the prob
lens of labor because he had himself
labored in many fields. He knew
some, at least. of the problems of bust
ness through the various and impor-
tant business responsibilities he had
been charged with. In addition, he
had been a great reader and "a stu
dent in many lines as opportunity Of
fered. 4
First Accomplishment.
His early service in Congress at
once demonstrated his knowledge of
conditions and his ability to accom-
plish results. The metal posts with
brass caps which are the markers of
the geological survey are the results
of n of his first efforts in Congress.
They are now used on all the surveys
Uncle Sam makes. The Department
of the Interior decided hat the min
eral placer acts should no longer apply
Z, oil lands, so there was no law un-
der whics. oil lands could be held and
taken. and Congressman Mondell in
troduced h bill under which oil lands
were held and patented for many
years. In his first campaign through
the state. he had noted the need of an
agreement with the Indians, and of
legislation which would make possible
the development of the springs on the
Big Horn River within the Wind
River Indian Reservation, and he in
augurated the movement that eventu-
ally gave the state the mile square
containing the Big Horn Hot Springs
and which led to the building of Their
mopolis.
Free Silver and Defeat.
In the midst of Mr.. Mondell's first
term came the Bryan free silver cam
paign of 1896, in which he was de-
feated by a majority of less han three
hundred. AT the close of this term
Mr.. Mondell returned to the care of
his local interests in Wyoming, but
within a few months was appointed
Assistant Commissioner of the Cen
eral Land Office at Washington. in
which capacity he served for eighteen
months.
Assistant Commissioner, General Land
Office.
During his service as Assistant
Commissioner Mr.. Mondell was not
only instrumental in increasing the eff
ficiency of the Land Office service,
but largely through his influence the
office modified the policy of strict
construction which had characterized
the preceding Democratic administra-
ton of the office and substituted a
policy of more liberal and equitable
consideration of the claims OF settlers
and entrymen. During this service he
was Instrumental In securing the adop-
ton in the Public Land survey of the
iron posts and markers which had ell
ready, at his instance, been adopted
by the Geological Survey