the passing of the frontier-第20节
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The barb…wire fence； which was at first used extensively by the great operators； came at last to be the greatest friend of the Little Fellow on the range。 The Little Fellow； who under the provisions of the homestead act began to push West arid； to depart farther and farther from the protecting lines of the railways； could locate land and water for himself and fence in both。 〃I've got the law back of me；〃 was what he said； and what he said was true。 Around the old cow camps of the trails； and around the young settlements which did not aspire to be called cow camps； the homesteaders fenced in landso much land that there came to be no place near any of the shipping…points where a big herd from the South could be held。 Along the southern range artificial barriers to the long drive began to be raised。 It would be hard to say whether fear of Texas competition or of Texas cattle fever was the more powerful motive in the minds of ranchers in Colorado and Kansas。 But the cattle quarantine laws of 1885 nearly broke up the long drive of that year。 Men began to talk of fencing off the trails； and keeping the northbound herds within the fencesa thing obviously impossible。
The railroads soon rendered this discussion needless。 Their agents went down to Texas and convinced the shippers that it would be cheaper and safer to put their cows on cattle trains and ship them directly to the ranges where they were to be delivered。 And in time the rails running north and south across the Staked Plains into the heart of the lower range began to carry most of the cattle。 So ended the old cattle trails。
What date shall we fix for the setting of the sun of that last frontier？ Perhaps the year 1885 is as accurate as anythe time when the cattle trails practically ceased to bring north their vast tribute。 But； in fact； there is no exact date for the passing of the frontier。 Its decline set in on what day the first lank 〃nester〃 from the States outspanned his sun…burned team as he pulled up beside some sweet water on the rolling lands； somewhere in the West； and looked about him； and looked again at the land map held in his hand。
〃I reckon this is our land； Mother；〃 said he。
When he said that； he pronounced the doom of the old frontier。
Chapter IX。 The Homesteader
His name was usually Nester or Little Fellow。 It was the old story of the tortoise and the hare。 The Little Fellow was from the first destined to win。 His steady advance； now on this flank； now on that； just back of the vanguard pushing westward； had marked the end of all our earlier frontiers。 The same story now was being written on the frontier of the Plains。
But in the passing of this last frontier the type of the land…seeking man； the type of the American； began to alter distinctly。 The million dead of our cruel Civil War left a great gap in the American population which otherwise would have occupied the West and Northwest after the clearing away of the Indians。 For three decades we had been receiving a strong and valuable immigration from the north of Europe。 It was in great part this continuous immigration which occupied the farming lands of upper Iowa； Minnesota； and the Dakotas。 Thus the population of the Northwest became largely foreign。 Each German or Scandinavian who found himself prospering in this rich new country was himself an immigration agency。 He sent back word to his friends and relatives in the Old World and these came to swell the steadily thickening population of the New。
We have seen that the enterprising cattlemen had not been slow to reach out for such resources as they might。 Perhaps at one time between 1885 and 1890 there were over ten million acres of land illegally fenced in on the upper range by large cattle companies。 This had been done without any color of law whatever； a man simply threw out his fences as far as he liked； and took in range enough to pasture all the cattle that he owned。 His only pretext was 〃I saw it first。〃 For the Nester who wanted a way through these fences out into the open public lands； he cherished a bitter resentment。 And yet the Nester must in time win through； must eventually find the little piece of land which he was seeking。
The government at Washington was finally obliged to take action。 In the summer of 1885； acting under authorization of Congress； President Cleveland ordered the removal of all illegal enclosures and forbade any person or association to prevent the peaceful occupation of the public land by homesteaders。 The President had already cancelled the leases by which a great cattle company had occupied grazing lands in the Indian Territory。 Yet； with even…handed justice he kept the land boomers also out of these coveted lands； until the Dawes Act of 1887 allotted the tribal lands to the Indians in severalty and threw open the remainder to the impatient homeseekers。 Waiting thousands were ready at the Kansas line； eager for the starting gun which was to let loose a mad stampede of crazed human beings。
It always was contended by the cowman that these settlers coming in on the semi…arid range could not make a living there； that all they could do was legally to starve to death some good woman。 True； many of them could not last out in the bitter combined fight with nature and the grasping conditions of commerce and transportation of that time。 The western Canadian farmer of today is a cherished； almost a petted being。 But no one ever showed any mercy to the American farmer who moved out West。
As always has been the case； a certain number of wagons might be seen passing back East； as well as the somewhat larger number steadily moving westward。 There were lean years and dry years； hot years； yellow years here and there upon the range。 The phrase written on one disheartened farmer's wagon top； 〃Going back to my wife's folks；〃 became historic。
The railways were finding profit in carrying human beings out to the cow…range just as once they had in transporting cattle。 Indeed； it did not take the wiser railroad men long to see that they could afford to set down a farmer； at almost no cost for transportation； in any part of the new West。 He would after that be dependent upon the railroad in every way。 The railroads deliberately devised the great land boom of 1886； which was more especially virulent in the State of Kansas。 Many of the roads had lands of their own for sale； but what they wanted most was the traffic of the settlers。 They knew the profit to be derived from the industry of a dense population raising products which must be shipped； and requiring imports which also must be shipped。 One railroad even offered choice breeding…stock free on request。 The same road； and others also； preached steadily the doctrine of diversified farming。 In short； the railroads； in their own interests； did all they could to make prosperous the farms or ranches of the West。 The usual Western homestead now was part ranch and part farm； although the term 〃ranch〃 continued for many years to cover all the meanings of the farm of whatever sort。
There appeared now in the new country yet another figure of the Western civilization； the land…boomer； with his irresponsible and unregulated statements in regard to the values of these Western lands。 These men were not always desirable citizens； although of course no industry was more solid or more valuable than that of legitimate handling of the desirable lands。 〃Public spirit〃 became a phrase now well known in any one of scores of new towns springing up on the old cow…range； each of which laid claims to be the future metropolis of the world。 In any one of these towns the main industry was that of selling lands or 〃real estate。〃 During the Kansas boom of 1886 the land…boomers had their desks in the lobbies of banks； the windows of hardware storesany place and every place offering room for a desk and chair。
Now also flourished apace the industry of mortgage loans。 Eastern money began to flood the western Plains； attracted by the high rates of interest。 In 1886 the customary banking interest in western Kansas was two per cent a month。 It is easy to see that very soon such a state of affairs as this must collapse。 The industry of selling town lots far out in the cornfields； and of buying unimproved subdivision property with borrowed money at usurious rates of interest； was one riding for its own fall。
None the less the Little Fellow kept on going out into the West。 We did not change our land laws for his sake； and for a time he needed no sympathy。 The homestead law in combination with the preemption act and the tree claim act would enable a family to get hold of a very sizable tract of land。 The foundations of many comfortable fortunes were laid in precisely this way by thrifty men who were willing to work and willing to wait。
It was not until 1917 that the old homestead law limiting the settler to a hundred and sixty acres of land was modified for the benefit of the stock…raiser。 The stockraising homestead law； as it is called； permits a man to make entry for not more than six hundred and forty acres of unappropriated land which shall have been designated by the Secretary of the Interior as 〃stockraising land。〃 Cultivation of the land is not required； but the holder is required to
