The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-10-03

lected here from the Territory and Texas,
and some of them shipped East from here;
but the larger number is driven down the
East. The grazing is excellent on the
Arkansas bottom, and no farms between
this point and Great Bend to interfere with
the range of the cattle.
Several Texas cattle drivers came in to
| Granada while | remained there, jolly, stall
wart men, who seemed to be full of rough
humor, and equally willing for fight or
frolic. One strapping tall fellow, who
seemed to be stranger in town, had a
Springfield rifle he wished to sell, but fail
ing to find purchaser, he strapped it on
his saddle, remarking there was to be a
race somewhere on the edge of town and
he would bet it on that. He asked the
clerk of the hotel in half subdued tone,
and confiding manner, with a sly leer, if
he could direct him to the place "them
| gals stay'6," and giving his pony jag
with one of the immense spurs on his heels,
cantered round the corner in the direction
the clerk pointed, with his rifle under his
thigh in the jolliest of moods.
If it were not for whisky we would
seldom hear of the wild doings of the
Texas cattle men on the frontiers. They
come in from the dry, lonesome plains,
where their society for months has been
only cattle and the ponies they ride; and
when they reach one of these border towns,
with saloons prepared for their reception,
with music, liquors, dancing girls, card
tables and faro banks; and to those rude
hungry spirits who have been deprived of
every social amusement for months, this is
perfect elysium, an enchanted realm.
Soon drink maddens their wild brains, for
every dance ends with a treat for self and
girl, and ahalf dollar passes over the
counter. jealousy and quarrel are almost
the natural result, and the ready revolver
is appealed to as arbiter in the case.
The Government has large warehouse
here, from which supplies are distributed
to the outlying posts. Large quantities of
wool are brought here to market by the
Mexican OK and mule teams from New
Mexico, who haul dry goods and groceries
back, consequently an army of Mexican
teamsters are always camped round this
place.
The nearest church is at Las Animas,
tifty-six miles higher up the river on the
west, and on the east the next nearest is at
Hutchinson, two hundred and sixty-three
miles distant. North and south, every
where the wilderness of the plains stretches
for hundreds Of miles without habitaton.
The nearest approach to church was the
sound of large bell in one of the ware
houses, which awoke the Sabbath morning
and sent chime over the prairie, remind
ing one of home and civilization. A dearth
of the worlds news is here. The Las
Animas Leader with stale news week old,
and the ST. Louis Republican five days after
it was printed supplied the old news of
the day, while one old copy of The Days
Doangs furnished coarse humor for the
guests of the hotel.
The buildings here aud those which
compose all similarly situated towns, are
constructed in the most cheap and tlimsy
manner, of lumber in sections, lined with
paper in place of plaster; and when the
railroad moves on the houses are taken
down and follow on to the next available
point.
On my first arrival here the great sensa-
ton was the Indians. The first massacre
in this quarter, the present season, had
occurred about month or six weeks before.
4 broke mountaineer was returning East
with his family and all his household goods
packed in two horse wagon. While
camping here he drove his wagon out
about eight miles from town to get some
wood. While chopping wood a party of
Indians pounced down upon the poor fell
low. Where he was found he was in his
wagon, mutilated and scalped, his head
being split open with his own axe. He
was armed with good rifle and had evil
IDENTIFY fought till he was shot down by the
savages. One of his horses was found
dead, shot in the harness, and the other
was missing, the Indians doubtless, having
the impression here that the Indians muir
der numbers of persons, whom they find
struggling about the country, who are
never heard of. Those killed near the road
are generally found. About a week before
| arrived at Granada the Indians had MUIR
dered four men who had left that town
going East Two days before they were
bounced upon by the savages, the people
of Granada tried to dissuade them from
their hazardous purpose of travelling I'M
protected through SO dangerous region,
but they persisted in going forward. One
old man was found who had been tortured
The red devils had fastened him to the
ground and piled dead grass and buffalo
chip on his breast and set the pile on fire.
He was gray headed and they did not take
his scalp. The day | reached Granada,
nine Indians chased a boy and fired at him
twice. but being well mounted he escaped
y ranch man, evidently with a good stock
of experience, who was hating at Granada,
said that his experience was that the longer
white men lived among the Indians, and
the more thoroughly they grew acquainted
with their treacherous, savage nature the
more they feared Them. Even though they
married into the tribes, they became more
suspicious and less inclined to trust the
savages as they grew in age and gained in
experience. And this is the general verdict
among all Western people who best know
the Indian and his utter worthlessness.
a great deal of sentiment has found its
way into print concerning the buffalo and
the noble and much abused red man. Our
opinion, after careful examination of the
question, is that the buffalo, as a game
animal is of no Importance whatever, and
eats the grass that would keep two cows;
and while the latter would be of value as
part Of the food supply of the country, the
buffalo is of little Or no use at all. Again;
the buffalo is the chief food supply of the
Indians who follow and live upon the herd,
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