The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-06-03
FORMER RANCH
OWNER TELLS
EXPERIENCES
Driven Out of North Dakota
BY Federal Government
Indictment, He Says
OPERATED IN BAD LANDS

An indictment for fencing govern
ment land--now said not to be un-
usual--drove A. c. Huidekoper, at one
time one of the largest ranchers of
western North Dakota, out of the
state, he intimated in letter re-
ceived by L. F. Crawford, curator
OF the State Historical Society, in
which Mr.. Huidekoper responds to a
requests to jot down memories of
his days in the Bad Lands" for
historical record.
MIR. Huidekoper had thousands of
cattle and horses in the western
part of the state at one time.
Then | was indicted for illegal
fencing" wrote Mr.. Huidekoper
after detailing experiences in the
state. 'At the trial | was prepared
to show by authenticated surveys
that l had not an acre of govern
ment land enclosed. 1t was useless,
the mandate had come from Wash
ington to the court at Fargo, con-
| Wet Huidekopcr and make an ex-
ample. The next day the Associ-
| dleu TeSS lluSHcu lHe HC"S
Huidekoper convicted of i'll egal fem
cling, and so after all l had done
! for North Dakota | was kicked out
! sold the herd to Campbell and
Reed of St. Louis and the land to
| Fred Pabst of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| suppose there are hardly Il dozen
people living in Billings county that
even know that there was fellow
| by the name of Huidekoper once
lived there
Mr.. Huidekoper wrote that ne
went to the environment of the Lit
tie Missouri, September, 1881, tt
make buffalo hunt and visit Frank
Moore, post trader at the canton
ment, and Howard and Alden Eator
at the Custer Trail Ranch"
AT this date the Bad Lands o.
North Dakota were especially fitted
for a national game preserve" HI
wrote. Buffalo, elk, antelope
mountain sheep, mule and white
tail deer, silver tip and brown bear
mountain lions and bob cats wer'
there. The streams were filled will
beaver. 1t was hunters paradise
Well, the opportunity was lost
range.
mir. Roosevelt was there and fail
ed but the big Texas outfits like tn
SIT, Ok and Hatch Knife found tn
finest fattening grass in the world
1.-The Marquis de Mores expended
more money in Billings county thai
l did but he remained there a limit
ed time and when his industry fail
ed that ended it, continued MI
Huidekoper. my first investment il
Billings county was putting in 100
head of cattle with the Eaton boy
on the Custer Trail ranch. Afte
the hard winter of 1867 l sold m.
cattle and started the Little Mis-
souri, Horse Company l starte'
with about 800 head. The founda
ton stock was imported from Franc
and bought from the best breedin,
farms of this country.
From this beginning l bre'
about 5000 head of splendid horses
l bought $4,000 acres of land at
cost of over 100000. l leased 500
acres of school lands. My purchas'
was made from the Northern Pacifi
Company. The sections alternate
with the government sections s.
that | could not get my lands in
solid block. When the fencin,
proposition came up l went t.
Washington and tried to exchang
half of my holdings for simila
amount of government land so as t.
consolidate my interests. Judg
Van de Winter said it was thu
proper thing to do but the admin
istration said mo-
"For over 20 years 1 improved m.
stock, erected fine buildings, AM
one stable at Gladstone, N. d., use'
for fitting full-blooded stock, would
accommodate 600 horses"
Mr.. Huidekoper, whose lives il
Meadville, Pennsylvania, quit hi
ranching business about 1903, Nj
Crawford said.
ORGANIZE RASERAIJ LEAGUE