Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-06-30
ALLEGED COWBOYS

In few days an alleged Cowboy
is TO be executed in one Of the Missis-
sippi valley states for a murder com
mitted last year by gang OF such fell
lows attached to the "Wild West" end
OF circus, The law should always
suddenly and not affectiondtely place
its strong arms around such creatures.
And this leads TO the observation that
in ninety-nine cases out Of a hundred
these gangs of show cowboys" who
perform such outrages as the one
under consideration never saw a herd
Of cattle on the western plains, and
that they are simply a lot of toughs
hired to masquerade Ia the costume of
the ideal cowboy. The fact is, that
all the bad men" from the West, Of
the cowboy and scout element, have
been long time In the East in the
show business. In the city Of Chey-
enne, the capital of Wyoming,
for instance, long-haired, buck
skin-clad bad man" would be more
of curiosity than he would be in the
east, and the cowboys throughout the
territory are numerously young Eng
iishmen and the youth of Eastern
cities of good family, who are there
for health and adventure, the free life
OF the plains, and they, more than any
other class affect the sombrero and
big spurs, chapararas and pistol belts,
which give personal picturesqueness
and satisfy harmless desire to appear
bronzed and heroic when shey get
back home. These are assisted by
few hired men, who do the hardest
part of the ranch work, and are, for
the most part, only dangerous TO
steers, while punching them into cars
for the Eastern market with their
barbed proddiDg-poles, and are not
nearly as dangerous to the settlers as
are the toughs Of almost any metro |
polls to its quiet citizens. ANY |
number OF these "whooping cow
boys" may be seen at :the stock
yards OF any Eastern city any day,
their distinguishing characteristics of
dress and manners being greasy,
broad-brimmed hats, very dirty over
alls, and an appalling style Of Intense
profanity. The cowboy Of sensational
drama and yellow-backed literature
1.-The Nomad of the Plains" the
Terror From Bitter Creek" and all
that--never did exist very extensively.
He was more or less myth, and what
there is of him abides mostly on the
very confines of civilization, the Dor
ders OF Mexico and here and there in
Arizona.
1t Is getting to be ancient history
that suggests the cowboy as a cross
between a hyena, a bloody brigand
and a devastating cyclone. His
mode OF life keeps him out of church
and he doesn't have an opportun-
ity to obtain great deal of
polish. He carries no gun and seeks
no quarrel. He is good rider and d
knows lhow to hold his authority on
The quarter deck Of bucking bron-
cho. He can throw lasso with
unerring aim, and knows how to !
brand maverick. He is is neither u
saint nor sinner, specially, any more y
Shan people generally, but is usually a d
yood-hearted, jovial fellow. who at g
ENDS to his business about as other !.
hired men do, and his life make him 1
'ather independent and self-reliant.
The show cowboy is the bad mani
Who should be punished for his crimes. d
nd the circus manager who gives him u
n opportunity to thus shoot down p
'omen and children and the innocent
enerally, should be held to strict &C. C;
punt. The circus with the "wild 81
Test" attachment should be made to II