San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-21
COPYRIGHT BY AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION

count or the affair the COWBOYS grew
furious with rage.
"We've stood this thing long enough,
boys" said Ropes, "and it's about time
we'd showed these settlers who's run
ming this part of the country"
''That's the talkr" came from several
of the cowboys. Were ready to com.
mence war whenever you say the word. >
81 know it," answered the cattleman,
"and | think the time has come for &C
ton. But this is not all-there are other
offenses 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 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 &c
home to Texas"
Were 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.
sour first move" said Ben Ropes with
a gesture of determination, Twill be to
burn the settlers cabins and drive them
from the country!"
That's the ideal" 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 shat 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 nc
such disease as Texas fever known
among cattle, and that the disease com
planned of was a 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 OF
Spanish fever, and to claim that they
brought the disease into the state wa:
absurd and unjust.
On the other hand the settlers claimed
that the germs of Texas fever were car
ried in the hoofs of the Texas cattle, and
while it did not appear as disease
among them, it readily developed into
such when transmitted to cattle of native
breed.
This theory was supported by over
whelming evidence to the effect that
wherever Texas cattle were driven, the
nat .e',1~ttla. were attacked with the
evidence. Hos' to raze on the land
anu Ray nao oe L.. And thus
''''-' >ded the warn 10
he say 80
iayl 49,