Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-10-04
THE COW-BOT.

TIE COW-RUT.
4 Chapter IN This Tat resting Product II
the West.ra "a lee ngcs.
Tw ciista tKan) Cor. chicago Tr,tn,el
The cowboy oil the great West il .
distinct character and type Of frontiers
man, produced 10y the Texas cattle trade
which began in Kansas soon after the
war, with he tdQnarters At Abilene, Kan.
The trade Originated from the necessity
Of having a good shipping point for cat
tie near the Missouri river, and At the
same time contiguous 10 unlimited
range, and. although since that time, as
railways have been built, the cattle
trade has shifted over the State, the
cowboy. while increasing in numbers,
ha lost none cf that distinctive chxrac-
ter and merhod which has made his name
. terror upon the frontier and linkt i
him ins,parably with all new cattle
towns IN tue Vest. IBIS reckless daring
and devitry have marked ont for him
d stinct and startling page in the h story
Of the borler. Alter q new town has
got gooa fair start and begirs t 9
boom, it m,ly nee,ls u co"boy raid to
open a first class and well stocked
graveyard. The cowbo, has no hopes
Of heaven or f,nr OF he'll.
Yet the zeal employ ment Of the cow
hey is innocent enough, and consists Of
riding small, wlry mustang Of hucking
procl.vities. and following an immense
herd ef cattle ov r al unlimited range,
his special duties being to see that mono
OF the cattle stray away, and to steal any
stray animals which may be unbranded
and brand them with his employers
name. When sober he naturally shuns
civilization. He phrsnes his herds upon
the plains of Western K.n.as, among
the gentle slo rs Of the Cherokee coun-
try, in the Indian Territory, along the
lonesome deserts Of the Panhandle.
amid the foothills Of G, dorado, and III
the Willis Of New Mexico and Arizona,
Injured to the saddle. exposed to all kin Is
Of weather, and ALI sorts Of people, from
the Greaser to the Apache. 10 all APP
pearauces the cowboy is "the mildest-
mannered mui ti.at ever seuttled ship
or cut "a throat" bat when their pay
day comes, MID they reach the nearest
town and imb!be some Of their liquid
crime" then stand from under, r then
tn y fight, gamble and shoot ut friend
or foe.
The typical cowboy wears white hat
with gut cord and ,asseI, high top
boots, leather pauts, ~oolea SHIRT, y
coat aud no vest. o. his heels he wears
pair of jingling Mexican spurs ms large
around us teaeup. When ne feels well
(nlid he always does when full OF what
he calls Kansas sheep dip'). the aver
age cowboy is bud man to handle.
Armed to the teeth, well mounted, and
full Of their favur.te beverage. the cow
boys will dash through the principal
streets Of town, yelling like Cam-
ancl,es. This they call "cleaning ont q
town." After repeating this opel alton
several times, and before the stampetied
recover to rep.l the attack, they dash
away and are seldom, ii ever, captured.
All frontier towns that have ever had
any Texas cattle trade have bad this
same exp rience. Ia 1874 the cowboys
In large Luniers attempted 10 raid
Wichita, and were Gully driven off by a
very determined Resistance ON the part
OF our shotgun brigade. For iung
time the cowboys held possession Of the
town Of Abilene. Kas, until Wild Bill,
the Indinn tighter and scout, became
Marshal Ut the town. Wild Bill killed
six oil the most desperate cowbay. OF Ab-
ilene in q single night. Thereafter lie
Was respected and feared by tho cowboy
element. Wild Bill was ut last MUIR
dered by a cowboy, who got the d'op on
him, and died Us Lc hal lived, with his
boots on.