The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-06-09
Texas Rangers.


| The general impression in the North
OF the Texas Rangers is that they are
lawless, dissipated, reckless and des-
perate-nearly as bad, as the thieves
and rascals they are employed to sup
press. But they are very different from
the popular notion of them, if we may
judge from letter recently written
from Texas by man who claims to
know all about them. The Rangers
live on the frontier Of the State, spend
two-thirds of their time in the saddle and
are continually hunting and fighting
the worst characters, the greatest des-
peradoes of the country. Their expe-
riences are of the widest, most roman
tic, most melodramatic kind, and would,
literally related, delight the average
boy of the period more than the high
est favored dime novel. This body
was organized twenty odd years ago, by
the people of Texas, for the protection
OF their southern and western from
tier from the inroads of Indians and
Mexicans, and breaking up the gangs
OF horse and cattle thieves and stage
robbers SO inimical to life and property.
1t consists of $50 men, divided into six
companies of 20 to 80 each stationed
100 miles apart, from the Red river to
the Rio Grande. They are known as
the Frontier Battalion, and are under
the supervision of Adjutant General J..
Is. Jones, each company having a Cap
tain and two Sergeants. A Ranger must
possess great endurance, undisputed
courage, wide experience in frontier
warfare. and must be, besides dead
shot. He must be able TO trace bands
of rowing Indians or depredators over
hill and prairie, through brush and riv-
er bottoms, for without this accomplish
ment he would be of little value. He
must provide his own horse or horses
and of the best. too-a Winchester car
bine, bOwie-knife, large Colts re-
volver. belts, cartridges and blankets.
He wears no uniform, but his attire is
generally a blue woolen shirt, buckskin
or corduroy trousers, high-top boots,
with huge spurs, and Mexican SOM
brerO. The Rangers have rendered ex-
cellent service to the State and to law
aud order, generally. They have ex-
pelled, captured, or killed many of the
most dangerous rutfians with whom
the Southwest has ever, been infested.
The service is, Of course, full of peril,
as may be xeen from the Adjutant,s re-
port that ono-fourth of the members of
the battalion are killed or disabled in
every year of what may well be namod |
their active campaigning. Tho num-
Der of criminals and outlaws has been
greatly reduced since the organization |
of the Rangers, without whom law and |
order would be disestablished, sheriffs
would be powerless. stage routes unten-
able, and peaceable citizens driven from
the frontier. AS soon as the battalion
learns of the presence of raiders in the
State they are in their saddles armed |
and equipped, go dashing off, sparing
neither their horses nor themselves un-
til tho offenders have been overtaken
and punished. The garrisons at vari- I
3us Government posts IRE of little avail
except to repel invasions of large bod
es of Mexicans or Indians. In all or
iinary cases the frOntiersmen have to
depend on the skillful, dauntless, ubi-
luitious Ranger. -5 1.uaW