WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 983 



what unassisted nature produces, while none are willing to manage 

 with a view to preserving and maintaining the value of the range. The 

 increasing trouble and cost of keeping sheep in eastern Oregon and 

 Washington, consequent upon homesteading and other means of ob- 

 taining ownership of the public lands, is pressing sheep husbandry 

 back from the lines of railroads and from districts suitable for grain 

 production. From this cause sheep are most easily purchased in north- 

 eastern Oregon for stocking the ranges of Montana and the Dakotaa. 

 Those inclined to cling to their wool-growing pursuit move southward 

 in eastern Oregon or west across the Columbia Kiver into Washington. 

 There they meet with strong opposition from the cattle and horse 

 grazing interests, because the larger animals can not live on ranges 

 which will support sheep very well. Cattle, especially, will not stay on 

 a close-fed sheep range if they can get to other ground. This is the 

 reason why the pioneers of these different grazing interests are always 

 opposed to each other as two against one. In the counties where the 

 range is not yet fully occupied with sheep, the sheep-owners there in 

 advance quite naturally oppose the coming in of others, especially 

 flocks invading their counties from other counties. 



These troubles about ranging stock upon the public lands increase in 

 number and variety as the country becomes fully stocked. Another 

 element of disturbance is the presence of foreigners in the range coun- 

 try (generally with sheep), who are there only to gather wealth and go 

 away with it. This evil is not as great in Oregon as it was ten years 

 ago, and not nearly as bad as it is now in southern California; but still 

 it helps to give emphasis to the desire for some plan for disposing of 

 the vast amount of arid lands, which can not possibly be reached by 

 irrigation, to those who will use it for grazing purposes. For twelve 

 years past the writer has been of the opinion that every interest, na- 

 tional, State, and local, requires that these arid pasture lands should be 

 secured to those who will use them for pasturage purposes on merely 

 nominal terms, whether by lease similar to the Australian method, by 

 sale, or by grant in such quantities as would enable a man of average 

 industry to support a family from their use. The peace and permanency 

 of wool-growing, as the pursuit to which these lands are best adapted, 

 requires that means to secure private control should be adopted as soon 

 as possible. The stimulus of individual interest will have to be called 

 into activity before the depreciation of these lands can be checked. 

 Twelve years ago the wool-growers of the Columbia River Valley gave 

 no heed to a suggestion of private ownership of range. Xow almost 

 everyone assents to the proposition. The suggestion applies to the 

 high mountains as well as the dry plains. 



Hon. E. B. Gambee, of Umatilla County, writes, under date of June 

 6, 1891, a letter, of which the following is an extract: 



As you are aware, there are vast areas of mountain lands that are totally unfit for 

 homes, and only suited for grazing purposes during the summer months. Thes* 



