Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1892-03-05
LYON COUNTY TIMES.
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his face Ropes thrust the letter into his
pocket; then rising from the table he
walked into an adjoining room, where a
half dozen cowboys were engaged in
playing cards and amusing themselves
in other ways characteristic of those who
live on the frontier.
whats the matter, Benz" asked one
of the men, glancing at the red spot on
the cattlem&n's face, caused by the blow
he had received at the Travellers Rest.
| "Been havin set-to with some one?'
A bitter oath escaped Ben Ropes lips.
"Ive been having a little trouble with
old Riggsby," he said, his face assum-
ing an angry aspect as he spoke, land I
reckon thar's going to be trouble over it
before long"
"Whatl he didn't strike you, did he?'
"Yes; and I'd "a put bullet through
his onery carcass if it hadn't "a been for
that puppy of a boy of his, who knocked
the pistol from my hand"
These words caused sensation among
the cowboys, and they speedily collected
about the speaker, anxious to hear the
particulars of the encounter.
When he had finished giving his ac-
count of the affair the cowboys grew
furious with rage.
"We've stood this thing long enough,
boys" said Ropes, land it's about time
we'd showed these settlers who's rum
ming this part of the country"
'That's the talk!" came from several
of the cowboys. Were ready to COM
x,o,,oa x.,o, ,apax,a,. Won co =, tho xryord
81 know it," answered the cattleman,
'and l think the time has come for ac-
ton. But this is not all-there are other
ofenses which we must avenge, and the
sooner we do it the better. The settlers
are shooting cattle all over this part Of
the state. Only today received word
from my partner up in Bourbon county,
and he says they made a raid on
his drove of cattle night before last, and,
after stampeding the herd, shot down
over twenty fine steers. Are we going
to stand this Or not? If we do, then we
had just as well quit business and go
home to Texas"
"We're not goin ter stand it," declared
the men with one accord.
''Then we have got to commence war
on the settlers at once, and this declara-
ton was sanctioned by the men with a
cheer.
''Our first move" said Ben Ropes with
gesture of determination, twill be to
burn the settlers cabins and drive them
from the country
That's the idear' came from the
crowd.
"And the place to open the attack"
continued Ropes, sis at old Simon
Riggsby's."
A burst of applause followed the cattle
mans words, and hard look came over
the faces of the men that BODIED no good
to the inmates of the Travellers Rest.
At the time of which we write there
was most bitter war in progress be-
tween the settlers and cattlemen. The
cause of the trouble-or one of the causes,
for there were many-was the bringing
into Kansas of large droves of Texas
cattle. These cattle were of different
breed to those owned by the settlers,
and in localities where they were herded
the native cattle owned by the settlers
died in great numbers from what
was called Texas or Spanish fever.
This disease, it was claimed, was trans
mitted from the Texas cattle to those of
native breed, and to prevent the spread
of the disease, the settlers in some To-
calities resorted to extreme measures to
keep the Texas cattle out of the country.
But the owners of the Texas cattle
were stubborn and aggressive and re-
fused to heed the warning of the settlers.
Besides, they claimed that there was no
such disease as Texas fever known
among cattle. and that the disease COM
planned of was species of merrin and
not contagious. In support of this
theory they produced abundant proof
that no Texas cattle were ever afflicted
with the disease known as Texas or
Spanish fever, and to claim that they
brought the disease into the state was
absurd and unjust.
On the other hand the settlers claimed
chat the germs of Texas fever We're car
riei in the hoofs Of the Texns cattle, and
while it did not appear us disease
among them. il readily developed into
such when transmitted to cattle Of native
breed.
This theory was supported by over
whelning evidence to the effect that
wherever TeXas cattle We're driven, the
native cattle Were attacked wish the
Sever if allowed 10 Craze on the Land
: over which they had passed And thus
matters stN5l - the ooapiar Of our story.
ITO BE CONTINUED