The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-02-01

or exertion OF extraordinary character,
and exclusion from the usual social re-
lations, inevitably tend to make the
more disorderly among them reckless
and cruel. Gambling and drinking
are about the only diversions accessi-
BILE, and both are INDUCED in with a
zest quite unknown to the quieter cir
cles OF civilized parts of the country.
Even among the worst cowboys
thieving is rare, and the outrages with
which they are charged in this line are
usually committed by men who re-
semDle them only in being mounted
and armed. There attaches TO the name
an unconscious association with the
cowboys of the Revolution, whose only
calling was to steal cattle and every
thing else they could and run off from
either side along the ''debatable
ground between the British and Con-
tinental camps. The cowboys of the
west have, on the contrary, regular
business, which the greater number of
them follow with quite as much fidelity
as the average farm hand or ''drover"
of the east.
1t is no, to be denied, however, that
the eX ions TO this rule are suffi-
GENTLY striking TO attract the attention
of the lovers of the picturesque in cur
rent reading-newspaper or other.
Occasionally band OF the cowboys
will take it into their heads, in an in
terval of leisure, to 'clean out" y
neighboring town. For one of these
excursions they ''load up" with whis-
ky. gallop at nightfall into the streets.
and race down them, firing right and
left at any one whose appearance indi-
Gates degree of luxury which, in the
interest of their ideal democracy,
should be suppressed. Then they visit
the liquor saloons or gambling bells,
which are only too frequent, consume
what they like, and drive out the occu-
pants. A few weeks ago squad of
five rode into Ute Creek, Colorado, and
perceiving n Mexican trader with the
high-sounding name of Don Macedio
Arragon, made some impudent demand
of him. He refused it, snatched his
shotgun and retreated down the road
When the cowboys followed and fired
on him he returned the fire, killed two
of them and wounded n third, and then
ioii, shoo III ioui pioCVF' liz iihSCicu
twelve hours and died, and the MUIR
derers escaped. At Deadwood band
recently undertook to ''clean out"
Mexican gambling saloon, but two of
them were killed, and the others fled.
On lonely ranch in Colorado little
company of them quarreled over their
cards. In the first moment the oil
lamp was thrown down, and despe-
rate fight with knives and pistols went
on in the darkness, until four men were
left lifeless on the floor, slippery with
blood, and only one escaped, badly
gashed and shot, to tell the awful tale.
Terrible rs such occurrences are, they
are the incidents of mode of life
which necessarily draws many of the
more hayward and violent of the from
tier population. and though they stand
out in holder relief they are not proofs
of a greater brutality or q lower type
of manhood than the ARRAYS which
take place on the excursion
boats from our own city. Indeed bad
as are the worst of cowboys. the class,
as whole, are better than the gangs"
which infest portions of the river wards
of New York, the neighborhood of the |
Thames Embankment in London, or
the quarters. dceentriques of Paris. |
And what is more, the worst Of the |
former are sure to disappear, while the
latter grows in number and violence
with the progress of civilization. -
Weekly.