Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-20
Cow Boys.
Something About the Famous DesPera-
 does ofthe Frontier.

does or ne Frontier.
 LHichita (Kan.J Letter in Chicago Tribuns.T
 The COW boy of the great West is a distinct character and type of frontiersman, produc- ed by the Texas cattle trade which began in Kansas soon after the war with headquar- ters at Abilene Kan The trade originated from the necessity of having good shipping point for cattle near the Missouri river. and at the same time contiguous to unlimited range, and although since that time as rail- ways have been built, the cattle trade has shifted over the State, the COW boy, while in creasing in numbers, has lost none of that distinctive character and method which has made his name terror upon the frontier ard linked him inseparably with the history of all new cattle towns in the West His reck- less daring and deviltry have marked out for him distinct and startling page in the histo- ry of the border. After new town has got a good fair start and begins to boom, 1t only needs COW boy raid to open out 8 frst-cIass and well-stocked graveyard. The COW boy has no hopes of heaven or fear of hell
 Yet the real employment of the COW boy is innocent enough, and consists of riding a small wiry mustang of buckIng proclivities and following an immense herd of cattle over an unlimited range. his special duties being to see that none of the cattle stray away and to steal any stray animals which may be un- branded and brand them with his employers name When sober he naturally shuns ciyili- zation. He pursues his herds upon the plains of western Kansas among the gentle slopes of the Cherokee country, in the Indian territory, along the lonesome deserts of the Panhandle, amid the foot hills of Colorado, and in the wilds of New Mexico and Arizona, inured to the saddle, exposed to all kinds of weather and all sorts of people, from the Greaser to the Apache. To all appearances the COW boy is the mildest hammered man that ever scuttled ship or cut throat" But when their pay day comes and they reach the nearest town and imbibe some of their liquid crime" then stand from under, for then they fight, gamble, and shoot at friend or foe.
 The typical COW boy wears a white hat with a gilt cord and tassel, high top boots, leather pants, woolen shirt, a coat and no vest On his heels he wears a pair of ing ling Mexican spurs as large around as tea cup When he feels well (and he always does when full of what he calls Kansas sheep dip") the average COW boy is 8 bad man to handle Armed to the teeth well mounted and full of their favorite beverage, the COW boys will dash through the principal streets of 8 town, yelling like Comanches. This they call s'cleaAing out town" After repeating this operation several times, and before the stampeded c1tizsns recover to rePel the at tack, they dash away, and are seldom, If ever, captured. All frontier towns that have ever had any Texas cattle trade have had this same experience. In 1874 the COW boys in large numbers attempted to raid Wichita, and were only driven of by a very deter mined resistance on the part of our shotgun brigade. For long time the COW boys held possession of the town of Abilene, Kan, Un- til Wild Bill, the Indian fighter and scout~ became marshal of the town Wild Bill killed six of the most desperate COW boys of Abilene in a single night. Thereafter he was respected and feared by the COW boy element Wild Bill was at last murdered by a COW boy, who got the drop on him, and died as he had lived, with his boots on" Last summer the COW boys from the Indian territory raided Hunnewel- Kan, and in the affray which followed killed a beautiful and accomplished young lady of that village. few weeks since the COW boys raided Cald- well, Kan, killing Mike Meagher. the mayor of the city aud dangerously wounding several ofthe citizens of that place: After the fight they made good their escape into the Indian territory, and have not yet been brought to justice. They are, indeed, blessings which brighten as they take their flight Mike Meagher was as brave a man as ever sighted rife Many town on the frontier has started its first graveyard just after COW boy raid Wild Bill and Mike Meagher are only two of many COW boy victims. Their name is legion Among the COW boys in the Caldwell raid was Comanche Bill, at one time a noted scout and Indian fighter, now a renegade and fugitive from justice and asso- ciate of the worst characters who congregste in the Indian territory.