The Closing of the Open Range214的范围的结束

21.4TheClosingoftheOpenRangeFencingtheOpenRangeFarmersmovingintoWestTexaswantedtofencetheirlandtoprotecttheircropsfromstraycattle.Someranchersalsotriedtofenceintheirland.Butbuildinglongfenceswasdifficultbecausewoodwasscarceontheopenplains.FencingtheOpenRangeJosephGlidden,afarmerinDeKalb,Illinois,answeredthischallenge.Afterhiswifeaskedhimtocreateafencetokeepthedogsoutofhergarden,hedevelopedbarbedwirein1873.Thesebarbskeptcattleoffthefenceswithouthurtingtheanimals.FencingtheOpenRangeGliddenquicklyopenedafactorytomakehisproduct.Soon,inexpensivebarbedwirewasreadilyavailable.ThesharpwirefencesevenwithstoodstrongTexaswinds.Oneadvertisementtoutedbarbedwireasbeing“lightasair,cheapasdirt〞.Theinventionmadethelarge-scalefencingbotheasyandinexpensive.Bytheendofthe1880’stherewerebarbed-wirefencesinnearlyeveryTexascounty.ThismarkedtheendoftheopenrangeinTexas.TheRangeWarsWidespreadfencingledtoconflictinTexasintheearly1880s.Ownersofsmallpropertiescomplainedthattheywerebeingsurroundedbythefencesofgiantcattlecompanies.Fencingbecamesoextensivethatpublicroadswereblockedandmaildeliverywasinterrupted.TheRangeWarsManylargeranchersfencedoffwatersourceseventhoughtheydidn’towntheland.Rancherswholettheircattleroamfreecomplainedthatfencingcuttheircattleofffromwatersources.TheissuebecamecriticalTexaswashitbayadroughtin1883andcattlebegantodieofthirst.TheRangeWarsBeforelong,rangewarsbrokeout.Underthecoverofdarkness,rancherssnippedthebarbedwirefences.AGainesvillefarmerfoundanotethatread“Ifyoudon’tmakegates,wewillmakethemforyou.〞TheRangeWarsInColemanCounty,cuttersdestroyed500milesofbarbedwirefences.Otherranchers,usuallywealthycattleoperators,struckback.Theyhiredguardstoprotecttheirfences,andgunfightssometimesbrokeout.TheRangeWarsFencecuttingsoonbecameanimportantpoliticalissue.In1884GovernorJohnIrelandcalledanemergencysessionofthelegislature.Afteraheateddebate,itpassedalawmakingfencecuttingillegal.Thelawalsorequiredagateinevery3milesoffencetoallowpassageforroadsandrailroads.Inaddition,thelawbannedpeoplefromfencinglandtheydidn’townorlease.ThegovernorsentouttheTexasRangerstoenforcethelaw.TheRangeWarsCattleranchersalsocameintoconflictwithsheepranchers.TheSpanishhadintroducedsheepranchingtoTexasintheearly1700’s.Bythetimeoftherangewars,mostsheepranchinginTexastookplaceinthestate’ssouthernandwesternregions.TheRangeWarsCattlerancherswereangrybecausesheepateallthegrassallthewaydowntotheroot,makingituselessforcattle.LegacyoftheOpenRangeTowardtheendofthe1880s,theopenrangebegantodisappear.Aftertheintroductionofthewindmills,farmersandtheircropswereexpandingontotheplains.Sheepranchingwasalsoexpandinginthelate1800s.LegacyoftheOpenRangeGreaterdemandforwoolentextilesinNewEnglandalsoledtoariseinwoolprices.Texasranchers,particularlyinregionswithdryclimatesandmore-ruggedland,begantoturntosheepherding.Manycattleranchersresentedthesechanges.LegacyoftheOpenRangeThecattleindustrychangedinotherwaysaswell.Severewintersinthe1880scausedthedeathsofthousandsofopen-rangecattleandthuscutdownthenumberofcattledrives.Manyrancheswentoutofbusiness.Manyranchershadexpandedtooquicklyandallowedovergrazingoftheirlandtooccur.Yearsofheavyusehadstrippedthegrassanddamagedthesoilitself.LegacyoftheOpenRangeSomecattleoperatorssoldtheirlandtofarmers.Thenewtrendslimitedjobopportunitiesforcowboys.Inaddition,theextensionoftherailroadlinestoTexaseventuallyendedtheneedforlongcattledrives.Newlyinventedrefrigeratorcarscouldmovedprocessedbeeftoeasterncities.Largeranchesremained,buttheeraoftheopenrangewasover.LegacyoftheOpenRangeDespitethedeclineofthecattleera,theindustrycreatedanimportantlegacyinTexas.ThroughouttheworldpeopleassociateTexaswithcowboy