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-!D- <br />Ra,tch •.aas the center of most of this activity while ocher <br />smaller rustlers such as Isom Dart took part in the raiding. <br />Along with the rustlers, outla•as of some fame, such as Butch <br />Cassidy (George Le Roy ?artier), the ?iatt [garner Gang, clza La;, <br />and other desperados, used the "H. le" for a hideout. <br />Brown's Hole was not the only area of cattl.: activity. <br />The entire Little Snake River Valley was soon occupied by <br />ranchers, including Ora Haley's Two Bar outfit which tried <br />to drive out smaller ranchers. Additionally, the Axial Basin <br />was settled during the early 1900's. Cattle were being ri:n by <br />23 <br />the Iles brothers, George and Tom, by 1906. They became the <br />predominant figures in the-basin and were a major influence on <br />the development of tha Axial region. Along the Yampa Fiver,. <br />~ names such as Cary, Jim Norwell, Pat Cullen, Si Dawson, and <br />• others were well--known for thei_ large ranches and the use of <br />breed Herefords to improve the quality of meat cattle. This <br />industry was the most important agricultural enterprise under- <br />taken along the river valley. \ear ffeeker, the tiThite River <br />was used for cattle as was the Piceance Basin.' Herds were <br />driven down Douglas Pass and south from 1•feeker via Rio Blanco <br />into [he rail line at Rifle and Grand Junction. The common <br />problem that all cattlemen faced was the fact the rail trans- <br />portation was not available. Long hard drives meant lower prices <br />and while the Pinion Pacific in 47yoming and the Denver and Rio <br />Grande along the Colorado River did provide markets, cattlemen <br />still needed closer railroads.. <br />The great fear of local cattlemen was the invasion of <br />