I was wondering when this would come up. The Cattle Acts are a direct result of Wyoming's being the first state to enfranchise women.

How's that? you ask. Quite simple, really. The women of Wyoming became incensed that their men were spending so much time herding sheep, which meant they weren't spending time "herding" women.

So they got together, piled into their Ramblers, and passed the Cattle Acts. These acts authorized leasing Wyoming open range to cattle ranchers at a ratio of five to one over sheep; their hope was to wean their men from there sheep habits. Didn't work though. My great-uncle Tate made a fortune selling footstools to cattle ranchers.

Then he blew his entire fortune. He invented and spent a fortune marketing a new kind of compass, called Tate's Patent Compass, but it never worked properly. Hence the phrase, he who has a Tate's is lost.


TEd