Arizona state miner., 1927-02-26
RUSTLERS BACK ON
THE RANGES, Say
STATE COWMEN
Cattlemen Concerned Over
Activities of Rustlers who
Kill Cattle on Ranges and
Sell Meat to Small Distri-
butors.

Cattlemen of the range lands of
southeastern Arizona are on the
verge of re-enacting the days of the
''necktie party" and the two-gun
"Mahatma' of the early cow towns.
Cattle rustIing, commonly thought
to belong to the west of forty or fifty
years ago, has recently worked such
ravages on the larger stock outfits
of southeastern Arizona, that it re-
ceived paramount attention at the
State Cattle Growers association con-
ference held at Douglas last week.
Because of the increased tendencies of
cattle rustlings in the state, the con-
ference went on recorL, requesting
immediate appropriation to enable the
live stock sanitary board to put more
deputies in the field to inspect the
animals being sold and to guard
against rustling. This report was made
by E. B. Stanley, animal husband
man of the University Of Arizona.
Kill On Range
Present day rustlers are making
their kills on the range and vending
the meat to small meat dispensories,
it is stated. In several cases it is
told the ruStlerS WA4 pass several
animals by the inspectors with the
same hides, to avoid questioning and
to evade the law.
Representative to the recent Cattle
Growers conference see through dis
cussion of tne cattle rustling problem
and gave appearance that the trouble
was even greater than it was in the
early days of range cattle. exploita-
ton, Stanley stated. 1t may be re-
called that only few months ago two
car loads of rustled cattle were load
ed and shipped from the state into
California markets, in contrast to early
methods of running the stolen cattle
over the border, he said.
The fact that the cattlemen are
seriously concerned with their losses
and a means to alleviate the thorn in
their side is shown in statements said
to be made by them. There has been
a man camping on my ranges for over
year, and l have never seen him,
one rancher is said to have told the
cattIemen. 81 haven't tie time to trail
and catch him, if he be a rustler,
in the act of killing and stealing my
beef Furthermore his word would
be as good as mine without witnesses.
And if l meddled too much my home
may be burned, and again l may be
put ont Of the way myself
Such blunt statements as, I'm
about ready to oil up my old car
bine and take the TRAIL" not only
speak of the old open days when
the gun was the law, but tell more
accurately of the actual present day
conflict on the range.
Need More inspectors
The present number of sanitary in
spectors which could catch the Illegal
meat wholesaler are so busy at the
loading points that they are unable
to function as efficiently as they
should, Stanley said. The increase
Of meat vendors to reach practically
every small grocery and market has
made it impossible for the present
number of inspectors to reach all
places. The condition has increased
rustling through such an encourage
ment.
Another thing which has entered
into increased rustling is the improv-
ed highway, according to Stanley
Reports have been made in which
the rustlars have been said to make
their XIII, drag the naimal tD "a truck
and make off with it. Again they have
been traced N driving their prey to
rough country where they are unmo-
Tested, and there make their kill and
getaway.
Its going to be tough for the
inspectors in my country" ONE of the
cattlemen is said to have told the
conference "It's so rough the birds
have trouble getting about" In such
country the rustlers are little bothered.
1t has been only few years since
the cattlemen were prompted to or
ganize in lieu of bringing a halt to
extensive rustling practices. One
instance is recorded where the ranch
ers of Cochise and Graham counties
pooled their own money to pay gun
men to rid their ranges of the rustlers.