Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-24
" FRONTIER FOLK"
From the New York Herald.

Vi SaPlain Neorge Dootn, entitled
Frontier Folk" will appear in the
International Review for July. Cap
tain Booth has had many opportuni-
ties of knowing his subject, for he
served as aide on the staff of General
Miles in several of his recent cam
paigns. What, he asks, do we mean
by the frontier2 ? and what by frontier
folk ? He answers
The terms came into vogue when
tolerably well defined lines marked the
onset of civilization at the far West,
and all beyond was wilderness. Yet
to-day, with settlements scattered all
over the territories, the phrase loses
none of its significance. 1t still has a
geographical import, and another,
deeper than the geographical, suggest
ing peculiar civilization and a certain
characteristic mode of life. 1t does
not bring to mind those prosperous
colonies, whose lands surveyed, secured
by good legal titles and freed from
danger OF savage inroads, have q perm.
inent population busily engaged in
founding homes. 1t takes US rather to
the boundaries of the Indian reserva.
tions, along which scattered camps and
settlements OF white men are fringed /;
TO lands which, though legally open to
settlement, are constantly menaced by
Indians to those strange, shifting
communities which, sometimes, like
Jonah's gourd, spring up in q night
only to wither away in day.
Mr.. Booth on the whole concludes
that even if social distinctions are not
very fine among these people they
still are happy. Here we have the
nomads of civilization, pushing on
from one point to another all their
life. He may be farmer, road
agent" n trapper or a horse thief.
There are no superhuous refnements
in their society. The citizen is either
an elegant gentleman " or liar and
horse thief. Horse thieves are hung.
In fact, homicide on the frontier as
campared with horse stealing, is a pee.
cadillo. The horse has positive value;
the thief a negative one. Justice does
not pursue the man who slays his fel.
low in a quarrel; but If il grasps the
stealer of purse on the prairie or Of q
horse from the herd his last day has
come. Yet he always has the chance
of escaping capture, and of playing in
other frontier cities the rote OF elegant
gentleman on his earnings. reimburs.
ing himself in a professional way and
he may continue in this career even If
suspected, provided he does not ply his
vocation in those communities which
Re horrors with his presence when not
engaged in prosecuting his business.
Persona! violence, is, however. mostly
confined TO instances where it is for the
profit of the aggressor. The traditional
free fight or killing q man at sight is
rare, probably much rarer than in the
Southwest. Benton, the head of navi-
CATION on the Missouri, was the place
where, according to the story, the early
morning visitor at the barroom before
it had been swept out, expressed his
surprise, although he knew the soil TO
be good for vegetables, at the excellence
of Its fruit, judging from the large size
of the grapes he saw upon the floor,
when he was informed, "stranger,
them's ewes |" the results of the prev.
ious evenings an usenent. Yet in two
visits to Benton, the writer saw not the
least sign of violence even in amuse
ment. although he would be sorry 10
have some Bentonians around his camp
at night If the horses were not well
guarded or to meet them on the prairie
without sufficient protection.
When they get a chance to sell out
at a profit, whether it be mine, a
claim or farm, they do so at once
and go on further into the wild. They
are proud people and have terms of
contempt for travellers unlike them
selves. A tourist is called tender
foot" which is very scathing. If you
retort by calling the nomad :" Mis-
sourian," you have touched. bottom in
the way of insult. The miners and
prospectors he finds a much more
agreeable class than the farmers. A
popularity of the growth of the
mushroom frontier cities is the early
appearance of the lawyer on the
scene. How these legal limbs manage
to worry army officers is told with
evident feeling. These officers, by the
way, are not idlers.
It is q common mistake 10 suppose
that an army officer on the frontier
leads an idle life. Rarely IL more than
one of the three officers OF the company
present with it, and this one must
accordingly attend every day to all the
company duties. The other two officers
may be detailed on special service, such
as commissary or quartermaster's duties
land the latter in new post will be no
sinecure) or attendance on court mar.
tial, or searching where lime can be
found or they may be on the sick list.
or guarding the wagon train which
brings supplies to the post, or absent on
the leaves which are granted after con.
tinuous service. II IL not infreqent for
cavalry to be six or eight months on
campaign without seeing q permanent