[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 113 (Monday, September 20, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9380-S9381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
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NORTH DAKOTA STOCKMEN'S ASSOCIATION
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, later this month, the North Dakota
Stockmen's Association will hold its Diamond Anniversary Convention in
Medora, ND. I would like to recognize this organization, which has
served our State's ranchers and cattle producers for the past 75 years.
On June 6, 1929, a group of cattle producers gathered in Watford
City, ND. The men all grazed cattle on the Fort Berthold Indian
Reservation and they
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all had a problem with cattle rustling. Andrew Johnson, a Watford area
cattleman, was determined to do something about it. He established a
reward of $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction
of cattle rustlers. The men at the meeting contributed $5 each to start
that fund.
This group called themselves the Western North Dakota Stock
Association. They would later change their name to the Western North
Dakota Stockmen's Association, and finally they took the name they hold
today; the North Dakota Stockmen's Association.
This year the North Dakota Stockmen's Association is celebrating its
75th year of operation, and that $1,000 reward still stands.
Today the North Dakota Stockmen's Association has more than 2,700
members from across the State. From education efforts that help new
ranchers get a start in the cattle industry to brand registration and
enforcement of the State's livestock laws, the Stockmen's Association
plays an important role in all aspects of the ranching industry. And,
as those of us in elected office know, the North Dakota Stockmen's
Association is a strong, effective voice on behalf of its members.
In addition to serving its members, the North Dakota Stockmen's
Association plays an important role in the communities in which its
members live. The association worked with other members of the beef
industry in North Dakota to host a Beef Industry Appreciation Day
during the 2004 North Dakota State Fair. The association served free
beef dinners to active duty military, Reserve, and National Guard
members, and their families. The association offers college
scholarships to young people who are interested in studying animal or
range science, preveterinary medicine, farm and ranch management, and
other subjects that help maintain a healthy farm economy.
I thank the North Dakota Stockmen's Association for their hard work.
I wish them continued success and congratulate them on their 75th
anniversary.
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