None claimed it then in fee; none wanted it in fee.

The grasses and the sweet waters offered accessible and profitable chemistry for all men who had cows to range.

The land laws still were vague and inexact in application, and each man could construe them much as he liked.

The excellent homestead law of 1862, one of the few really good land laws that have been put on our national statute books, worked well enough so long as we had good farming lands for homesteading--lands of which a quarter section would support a home and a family.

This same homestead law was the only one available for use on the cattle-range.