PASSING OF THE FEDERAL PASTURE 



outs," where the wind had whipped loose 

 sand from certain spots, leaving great cavi- 

 ties, and piled it up elsewhere. Such in- 

 tervening land being absolutely useless save 

 for the sparse feed upon it, and unavailable 

 to an outsider for lack of water, what more 

 natural than that the man should fence 

 across from one freehold to the other? He 

 would then sell four-fifths of his saddle 

 horses and buy registered bulls with the 

 money, and have his cowboys raising hay in 

 place of raising "hell." Such obvious gains 

 soon made fencing more or less general. 



Thousands of miles of fences had been 

 built prior to the "no fence" law of 1885. 

 By sufferance a large part of these remained 

 till 1891, since which time the Interior De- 

 partment has been insisting on their re- 

 moval. In response to innumerable entreat- 

 ies a reprieve was granted first till April 

 i, 1892, and then till July i. The Depart- 

 ment has since been making every effort to 

 execute the law. 



It being evident that the government was 

 resolute, influential cattlemen began plan- 



55 



