Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-03-08
THE CoW-BoY.
n Chapfer o,s THIS Interesting Prodssf Q,
the Wesscrn Cattle -Rsnges.

a Chepter o,s THIS Insresdng Pyodas, Of
the Wesscra Cattle Rsnges
wichita (Kan.) Cor. Chicago Tribunel
The cowboy Of the great West is o
distinct character and type Of frentiers-
man, produced by the Texas cattle trade
which began in Kansas soon after the
war, with headquarters at Abilene. Kan.
The trade originated from the necessity
Of having good shipping point for cat
tie near the Missouri river, and at the
same time contiguous to unlimited
range, and, although since that time. as
railways have been built. the cattle
trnde has shifted over the State, the
cowboy, while increasing in numbers,
has lost none Of that distinctive charac-
ter and method which has made his name
terror upon the frontier and linked
him inseparably with all new cattle
towns In the West His reckless daring
and deviltry have marked ont for him u
distinct and startling page in the history
of the border. After new town has
got q good fair start and begins tie
boom, it only needs cowboy raid to
open frst-class and well stocked
graveyard The cowboy has no hopes
of heaven or fear Of hell
Yet the real employment of the cow
boy is innocent enough, and consists Of
riding q small, wiry mustang OF bucking
proclivities, and following an immense
herd of cattle over an unlimited range,
his special duties being to see that ncse
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 pursues his herds upon
the plains Of Western Kansas, among
the gentle slopes Of the Cherokee coun-
try, in the Indian Territory, along the
lonesome deserts of the Panhandle,
amid the foothills of Colorado, and in
the wilds of New Mexico and Arizona,
Injured to the saddle, exposed to all kinds
of weather, and all sorts Of people, from
the Greaser to the Apache. To all APP
pearances the cowboy 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 .s.-.-..
The typical cowboy wears white hat
with gilt cord and tassel, high top
boots, leather pants, a wooleu shirt,
coat and no vest. On his heels he wears
pair Of jingling Mexican spurs as large
around as teacup. When he feels we'll
(and he always does when full Of what
he calls kansas sheep dip"D, the aver
age cowboy is 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 town, yelling like C,m.
anchcs. This they call cleaning ont
town." After repeating this operation
several times, and before the stampeded
recover 10 repel the attack, they dash
away and are seldom, il ever, captured.
All frontier towns that have ever had
any Texas cattle trade have had this
same experience. In 1874 the cowboys
in large numbers attempted to raid
Wichita, and were only driven off by a
very determined resistance ON the part
of our shotgun brigade. For a long
time the cowboys held possession of the
town Of Abilene, Kas., until Wild Bill,
the Indian fighter and scout, became
Marshal Of the town. Wild Bill killed
six Of the most desperate cowboys of Alb.
ilene in single night. Thereafter he
was respected and fearel by the cowboy
element. Wild Bill was at last mur-
dered by cowboy, who got the drop on
him, and died as he had lived, with his
boots or"