The herders went with the sheep. All over the range the feud
between the sheepmen and the cowmen was bitter and implacable.
The issues in those quarrels rarely got into the courts but were
fought out on the ground. The old Wyoming deadline of the cowmen
against intruding bands of Green River sheep made a considerable
amount of history which was never recorded.
The sheepmen at length began to succeed in their plans.
Themselves not paying many taxes, not supporting the civilization
of the country, not building the schools or roads or bridges,
they none the less claimed the earth and the fullness thereof.
After the establishment of the great forest reserves, the
sheepmen coveted the range thus included. It has been the
governmental policy to sell range privileges in the forest
reserves for sheep, on a per capita basis. Like privileges have
been extended to cattlemen in certain of the reserves. Always the
contact and the contest between the two industries of sheep and
cows have remained. Of course the issue even in this ancient
contest is foregone--as the cowman has had to raise his cows
under fence, so ultimately must the sheepman also buy his range
in fee and raise his product under fence.
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