Allow me, however, to say that I will in every practical way, assist in carrying out any and every reform that is offered, bearing upon the interests of the beef trade in the west. I will, if possible, be at the meeting.

Very truly yours,

A. H. SWAN, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The associations of later days, however, have taken a wide sweep, as stated above. An endless fire has been kept up against the railroads in particular. The cheapest kind of a politician could get a rapturous hearing before such a body. We have seen such members applaud the rankest business heresies who knew better, who merely joined the throng because it was popular, not because it was economically right. Further, we have seen men get up on the platform as honest critics of great business corporations when every one of their audience knew that they mounted the ladder of success by devious means. There is scarce a ranchman in the West who has not transgressed the land laws of the country, who has not prevaricated as to his numbers of stock; many of our leading citizens today were a few years ago handy with their rope and branding iron. Now they are fearless critics of their neighbor, very religious followers of the paths of rectitude and honesty. Under these attacks the railroads have suffered severely for which the country is paying the piper. The packers thrive on criticism and under their administration, as far as practical results are concerned, the stockyards they control are admirably handled. Personally I am not in favor of so much concentration in one collective party's hands, but you must give the devil his due. The work, the aim of our various cattle associations from the St. Louis convention in 1884 to the present time have in the main been destructive, not constructive. This is not to say that some good has not been done, that many honest men have worked hard to accomplish results, but practically the results have been barren of good. Most of the meetings were vents for surplus steam to be blown off-not a bad thing in its way. Theory is one thing, practice another. Quite a few years ago,

when the attacks on the packers from western interests were most violent, a co-operative company, backed by range live stock men and aided by some farming associations, organized a commission house at Chicago, Ill., and Kansas City, Mo. It was not long lived but during its existence a dispute arose as to the inspection of cattle. The packers tried to force ante-morten examination against post-mortem. If such a rule passed it would have been a deadly blow to our live stock interests, as it would practically have shut out the shippers and left the packers in control. On the platform they denounced them but in the yards they were friendly, opposing the Live Stock Exchanges who fought and won a battle engineered by the combined strength of the packing interests.

This was the most unkindest cut of all

For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitor's arms,

Quite vanquish'd him; then burst his mighty heart;
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,

Even at the base of Pompey's statue,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell.

CHAPTER XXVI

Y first introduction to Chugwater, the headquarters of the Swan Land & Cattle Co., was in the fall

M

of 1884. Mr. Henry G. Hay and I had business north of that point. We started early in the morning from Cheyenne and after stopping two hours at Snow's ranch, we made the above point early in the afternoon. The house today has not been changed but slightly since those days. The situation is delightful. It stands in Chug valley, facing eastwards, looking down the valley which is guarded by low hills and bold rim-rock. In winter days the wind sweeps down with angry roar, but in summer time when the cottonwoods, box elders and willows put on their garb of green and the rich meadowlands are verdant, it is a beautiful place. No wonder that the Red Man loved its shaded banks and cozy nooks. Here in late September, the green of summer tinged with the gold of autumn, a varied crowd had gathered. About a dozen men were at supper, among them the late Colin J. Mackenzie, chairman of the company, Mr. Finlay Dun, the secretary in Edinburgh, and the redoubtable Swan. They retired to a back room immediately after the meal was over and that was the last we saw of them. I had a slight acquaintance with Mr. Dun, had seen but never spoken to Mr. Mackenzie and by this time I had got fairly well acquainted with Swan. In their way they were strong men and in Wyoming they were little tin gods. "Portmore,” as the chairman was called in Scotland after the property he owned, was a fine-looking man, an aristocrat by birth, but affable, suave, courteous and warm-hearted. He was an optimist and carried away by the initial but transitory success of the Swan Company he got tangled up in all sorts of schemes, partly through Swan and partly because being associated with various companies that made favorable show