The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-09-09
Humiliased COWBOYS

INUNDATED COWBOYS
There have been a great many
stories told of the reckless daring
and abandon of the cowboy. he is
an American production, and at the
sound OF the word cowboy the mind
reyerts to some Western locality
where law and order are unknown.
and are supplied by a rude set of
cenveEtionalities, the non-observance
of which means violence without
process Of trial The typical COW
boy must be fearless, ready 10 shoot
at a moments warning, wild in his
makeup and language, and ready
to perpetrate joke on a "tender-
foot at any time.
But there is often considerable
bragadocio in the cowboy, and a
good illustration of this fact was
told Sentinel reporter by station
agent, who had lived in the West
for many years and had been in the
employ Of various railroads in To-
calities where cowboys were numer-
Gus.
Il have seen a good many daring
deeds performed and course Jokes
perpetrated by cowboys" said the
agent, bu. | will tell you of a little
incident where the wind was taken
out of three cowboys by a determin-
ed, fearless "tenderfoot." 1t hap
pened last spring. | was then sta
tion agent and telegraph operator
for the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company at place near the Mon
tana line. Ii was not much of a
places as it consisted of only a depot,
a house or two, and a saloon.
-One morning travelling man ar
rived at the depot by stage from up
north somewhere. He was below
medium height and rather slight. but
was very neatly dressed and wore a
silk hat. He was travelling for a
New York jewelry house. He was
about an hour early for the train
east, and he opened his grip on the
platform, took out a brush, and
busted his clothing and shoes. He
then drew out an old newspaper,
leaned up against the side of the de-
pot with one foot projecting in front
of the other, and began reading.
Meanwhile, however, three cow
boys had sauntered up to the depot
They all eyed him closely and
watched his operations. When he
began reading they huddled togeth-
er and talked awhile in an under
tone. Presently one of them-a big
six-footer-left the group, and began
to saunter carelessly about the plat
form with his head in the air in
specting the posters on the building
and cornices. When he got around
where the travelling man stood, he
lifted his brogan and planted it
firmly on the jewelry mans foot.
No apology was made. The travel
ing man merely looked up, drew
his foot back a MON ent, then
placed it back where it was. The
cowboy passed back to the other two.
They all chuckled and joined in the
lOw-toned conversation.
soon the cowboy started out
again ON a similar round, gaping at
the roof. When he reached the trav-
cling man he tried TO bring down
his coarse boot on the extended foot.
The travelling man jerked his foot
back suddenly, and the brogan
came down with 4 thump on the
platform. Another conference and
followed. Finally thecow
boy set out on the third round. Just
as be was about to raise his foot to
plant it on that Of the travelling
man, the latter looked up quickly
and said:
See here, this is nv foot, and it's
going to stay there. You step on it,
if you want to, but / want to tell
you that before you can get of of it
| will kill you"
Such a volley staggered the cow
boy He looked at the foot and then
at the small possessor, and finally
moved off without stepping on it.
Another consultation followed.
The travelling man calmly read
his paper few minutes, and then
took from his satchel three apples.
He looked at them a moment and
threw them into the air,
and then quickly drew a revolver,
fired three shots, splitting each ap-
pie into a dozen pieces before they
reached the ground. He replaced
the cartridges in the empty cham
bers of the revolver, and returned it
to his pocket.
THE cowboys witnessed the act
with out saying a word, and soon,
cowed, turned and left
the depot. The travelling man told
rle after they had left that be would
have killed the three of them had
the fellow stepped on his foot again.
and | think he would, az he spoke
quick as lightning. He then showed
me a medal be carried, which he
won as being the most rapid and
one of the best shots in New York.
The story simply illustrates that
there is sometimes a great deal Of
fictitious valor and daring about a