The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-21
JOHNSON'S DEBTOR.
It Was an Extraordinary Job to
Collect from Him.

It Was an Extraordinary Job to
Collect from Him.
"When O. NJ. Carter, now president
of tho American Loan & Trust COM
pany of Omaha. sold his post traders
outht at the Rose bud Indian agency in
South Dakota to Charles Stemwinder
johnson, as Ed Hall used to call him,
there were some accounts on the books
which he threw in as uncollectable."
1t was Col. George Barry starting an
other story of his frontier life in the
cafe at the Lotus club the other even
ing after the coffee, says the New York
Sun.
well, one time, after he'd got pretty
fairly well used to the redskins and
some of the surrounding territory, it
struck johnson one day that it would
be good thing to collect some of
those uncoliectabIe bills. Every cent
he got out of them was clean
profit. The worst man on the whole
list was O Frenchman named Buche,
who was ranging some cattle over
toward the head waters of the south
fork of the White river. Carter had let
Buche run up bill of one hundred and
sixty dollars, and he couldn't get
cent of it.
Courts. the head clerk, who had
been at the post for years, told johnson
that if he could collect Buche's bill he
could get every dollar every other man
on the Rosebud owed him. Well. one
day johnson got Buche at the agency,
and jollied him along until Buche actu-
ally agreed to pay.
81 tell you vat, Zhonson,' the
Frenchman said, 4 got some cattles
opon ze reevaire. II gif you some of zem
cattles.'
"'All right, Buche,' johnson said.
Jack Arkwright an I'll 60 up an get
'em some day before long
$50 they had drink and Buche went
away. In ten minutes he'd changed his
mind about the cattle and concluded
not to pay the bill. He bounced back
into Johnson's store and excitedly ex-
claimed:
80 Thomson, keepszose cattles my
self don't tsink gifts you Eose cat
ties Zosefs my cattles.'
"'Al right. Duche. You can keep
! your cattle said Johnson. But the
cattle you gave mo are niue. an Jack
Arkwright an I'll 20 up an get 'em
next Sunday
Z" u det you ain goin' get zose cattles.
Nevaire! Zose is my cattles- Eh?;.
keep zem. / know. Eh? You see me?
i am Buche. Zose is my cattles. So. 1
keep zem. Vat you can do? Nozzing!
/ know. Eat is q good 'ead. Zere is
worse 'eads as Eat in con-n-gress. Eh?'
And out of the store he strobe.
johnson saw him once or twice after
that before the next Sunday and each
time said:
cattle
"Buche raved around the agency and
swore by all his vigorous oaths that
he'd fll johnson full of Winchester
holes if the trader made an effort to
get the cattle. So on Saturday John
son went to the agency building and had
Jack Arkwright sworn in as a deputy
United States marshal There isn't
very much law on an Indian reserva-
ton. and in most cases might is right;
but Arkwrights long official title had a
terrifying sort of sound to the half
breeds, and Jack thought himself only
second in importance to the president
He had Mexican, Indian and negro
blood in his veins, and was as fine
specimen as you'll see in many days
travel in that country OF stalwart men.
Besides that he didn't understand how
to be afraid of anything, and he be-
ieved that six-shooter was made for
use rather than ornament
Well, on Sunday morning johnson
and Ar1wright. with his commission as
deputy marshal and a herder, started
FOR Buche's headquarters seventy-fve
miles away on the river, leaving Ruche
boiling around the agency and swear
ing all sorts of things They rode
pretty hard, and made about sixtv-fve
miles before sundown. They hadn't
much more than gone into camp before
Buche came by riding like whirlwind
with Winchester balanced on the sad
die in front of him.
BE down in the morning, Buche,'
shouted Johnson. an get my cattle
With an angry shout. Buche rode on
toward his camp. Very early the next
morning Johnson's party started They
made the ten miles TO Buche's camp ia
about an hour, and couldn't find sign
Of life.
well. I'm gprmed.' said Jack Ark
wright, IL the d. Frenchy hahn. hid
his cattle in the buttes-
"They separated ard began TO hunt
for the cattle. While they were at
work Buche came riding up at furious
gar. from the Nebraska line 1t turned
out afrerwarsi that he'd been over after
the Cherry county regulators To help
him fight the cattle thieves But the
frs. person he-met after he got across
the line was . man whom he owed for
a wagon The man spotted him FOR the
money. and Buche fed for the reservar
ton again
Well xhen Jack Arkwrigh. saw
Buehe coming he pulled out his cola-
mission n deputy marshal and rode
down to meet the excited Erenehn-Au-
LOoA nete. DuCssc' Ae sAcsses, -
he go. within hailing distance. here's
my commission as marshal
The Freedman turned and ran IS
/ hard rs his pony could go
81 wont hear no papers, he shouted
J don't vunt no p2peu~
We'll, sir, heIl-to-split over the
prairie went those two men. Buche
: shouting shnt he wouldn't hear Ark