Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-09-04


your flesh Orecp with horrorl OF what
iiorcc dramas have they. been tho
theatrc, what wild burlcsquc, what
Wholesale tragedies, ~ piieOus or APP
palllng as wsnton aud oausclcss.
Here In rascossl. which was a favor
lite point for Mexican sheep mon TO
bring their wool 20 sell. and hcAdquat-
tcri Ter tho LIZ, LIT, LIN, Flying Pan
TAuchor, MT, Turkey Track, Y $
Quarter Circle, Il d i $ and dozen
other ranches, and therefore the place
for all the cowboys to buy their outfits,
spend their money, drink and buck The
tiger there was naturally an onot-
NOUS amount OF whisky sold, and pack
OF wolves, professional gamblers, always
awaiting the advent oil cowboys, singly
or in dotaohments, into town.
Among these gontry there were
sOme famous Tor noiorlOusl characters.
Ono OF tho best known was Alexandra
Bertrand or sam Patch, u ErVnch Ca.
madam, and a man OF family and oduca-
tion.
There was Old Thief Johnson, othci-
wise Six Toed Pete, whose first sur
namo came from the TACT that he was
tho most skilllul ami notorious thief at
poker his iNyorite gnmo-in all the
Panhandle, and the latter nickname
from his being club footed; Jim Mcln-
tyre ono OF the handsumost men ! over
saw, ruther ON the John Oakhurst style,
tall, elegantly built,with brilliant dark
grey eyes that looked black, and black
hair and mousmchc rhure Wore also
smoky Jim, Tex, Big Eyed George and
Shecny Ike,
Waco and the Catfish KID wero
professional gamblers, but possessed
many side accomplishmentsNand did
not cupilne themselves slavillN TO any
one limo. They were both mNeriuk
braudurs, cattle and horse thi9A and
all around bad men, The CttGsN Kid
died finally Ia the ponitoniary, Aerc
he was with much difficulty scnNor
sixteen years for the cold-hpodcd NY
| der and robbery Of poor old isolNhtrr
sleeping IN % lonely corral, and Waco
| Is now an outlaw and fugitive from
| Justice, having killed man and com.
iuittod various o.hor crimes. Old jew
sam, tho faro bank fond, also hNd
| many othcr roles. lu VAS and Is yot
| besides n general all-r0und gambler,
IA sort OF iaiir, knife and lead peucil
and ghoo string mau, peddl 'r. carry
| ing pack and walking bumotimca al
the way from California, Through Ari-
coma and New MvXicoto th1 Panhandle,
THE RANGE or AMJsEHlNIs
was limited especially those On which
| the little cluator OF ludios could HIrii-
cipatc. Through The winter the Niti-
ON ranches, one after another would
| rive dances. and 10 Those Iascosa went
ON massc. in buggios, hucll-bnards, way
| ons and ON horseback Tho company
] WIS obliged 10 dance all niWht I'm sole
| doiensc for In the little ranch houses
! Of that day there was not room for 20
/ many beds-not 10 mention the hod-
ding. Ia tho onrlicr days whom lun-
hor- hauled across country from
| Dodge City-was almost anything a
| thousand, the houses pretty mitch all
had dirt lloors; aud 10 was n curlpusly
incongruous scene the satin and lace
dresses OF the indies ana tho expensive
| getups OF tho men, dancing about
over 4 dirt noor TN the atmosphere
wis 30 thick you could scarcely SOC
Your partner and everybody coughed
and slce1ed and wopt AZ this stage Of
the proceedings, some genius usually
got a bucket Of wutor and wet down
tho floor, making IL u sort Of DOGGY aud
heavy" alter which the dancers la
bored about Ia more or less depressed
! wv SUM lNaNAhN' NNfhNa VI AhAAh 'AAi
daylight
About twice ycur there were horse
races on the straight hni-mllc track
out southeast Of town. These were The
greatest Of AL occimious, and everything
that could walk, or had any means of
being hauled on carried, turned out
There wero tho little bunch Of ladies
with their husbands, all iho mon, COVE
boys from 20J miles about, respondent
Ia the bsst clothes, hats. boots and tQg-
gerry that money could buy (those were
the days Of high wagcsl, bravo in silver
spurd, silver iiligroo hatbandH and
ivory and silver mounted SIX shooters,
tho gamblers always immaculate, tho
Moxicans with their bright eyes and
flashing teeth, thcir soft spanish and
qnlck, eloquent gsstioulati0n and hnd-
died by tasmselyoa the paliahs Of Hog
town, mostly horBoback, Ia haullRg hab-
its Of acarlot and purple and orange,
with plumes and wells aud stroam1rs,
and iaieerable, palntod faces.
These we're generally COW pony races,
each horse ridden by In owner for a
woopstalses, or purse, and the side bot
ting was something immense.
From limo TO time some wandering
fakir tramp yeniriloquiut and prosii-
dlgitttgur, brokondpWn actor or Land
OF sLroling players fantastic tIayoaty
on theatrical troupe would drift Into
Tascosa, and give an entertainment In
the "hoioln dining room or the court
house: and every living thing In town
would be- present II The manager had
any sort Of cye W business he made ono
feature Of Che show tho voting " o
ffty cont album or work box 10 the
prottleht young lady by her friends
present, at dollar vote. Then tho
boys would "go broke on their re-
spcetiye candidates, and tho show pcO-
pie would tako In hundreds Of dollars.
Onco there was a romnant-a mutt
lated figlgment-Oi q circus came 10
town. u consisted Of a camel. which,
like Jack Falstan, was 'oll and Ike 10
die a dyHpopiic and hopeless and
despairlng elephant Of inferior bic and
weak constitution, dojenied burro
with stripes painted on IL Sd the man
nor and style Of " zebra, and seeming
10 take The shameful and iimsy attempt
az forgery much to heart some dis.
heyeliud coyotes prairie chickens and
rabbits. But H. advent was hailed
with unbounded cnthuaiasmi ior
among tho performers were two an
cieni ladies Of severe Gothic arcliteo-
tlre. mink aeshiugs and Hpanglcsi who
rode upon tho fat old horses on the Tip.
~ .b.fr fs.,a and gmilod icalfullV ana