Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-08
JACKSON OF JACKSON'S HOLE
Facts About the Original Freebooter Of the
Teton Foothills.
GAY LIFE IN HIS MOUNTAIN LAIR
Stock Lifting Reduced to a Fine
Point, and While the Herds Held
Out IL. WAS Flush Times for
the Rcd-Hcnded Terror.

One OF the first things I did after arriving
west, willie still a boy, says a writer In the
Anaconda Mont) Standard, was TO join a
band Of cowboys and aid in taking a herd Of
Minnesota cows to the Sioux, stationed at
what was then Fort Standing Rock. l Joined
the party for the sport that was In it and to
write a series Of newspaper articles regard
Ing a country then new. but now thlckly
settled. | went for the fun Of the thing, but
was not long In ascertaining that | was
about to be the most disappointed youth in
seventeen counties, and now, as | think of
the trip. about the only thing l got out of it
was some useful experience and a start on
the highway to good health. But then this
ID another story that may be worth the tell
ing at some future period.
On this memorable trip | was associated
with a wild, hardm-scarum young man
named Jones, who, with the balance OF the
party, took a perfect delight in playing
tricks upon the "tenderfoot kid who was
myself. II was my constant desire to "even
up" with Jones, and finally the time came to
do so.
In the band of cattle was an especially
valuable Jersey, being carefully watched that
she might be presented TO the quartermastsr,
OF whose good Offices the contractor stood in
need. In the widest and most inhospitable
part Of the country the Jersey was missed,
dUu Jblc was ulItClFu ~ ldht II DdCh
trail and not return unless he brought the
COW with him. He supposed that he would
~overtake her In a day, but he was gone
three days. and he was the maddest man to
be found in the whole Of the Dakotas when
he showed up at camp. 1t was my duty,
after each meal, to take a supply Of pro-
visions and Place them in a conspicuous place
near the camp fire for the use of Jones, who
was presumed to be close at hand. The
opportunity for revenge was so strong that |
nnnId mt pVp1n II and pG a rpglIlt .Innpg
had mighty slim eating for the next three
days. Had l thought that he would have
been gone so long I might not have carried
the matter so far, but truth compels me to
state that Jones did not eat during his
absence enough food to serve as a square
meal. Eggs being so cheap in Minnesota, a
whole barrel of them was taken along. Con-
sequently we had Eggs Of ripe and mature
age In every conceivable style, until the very
word was sufficient to gag one. Accordingly
] left Jones a nice fried egg at every sta
tion, and candor and truth compel me to say
that In one or two instances | carefully
laid the egg upon a nice, well dried buffalo
chip. Bat for the interference of the men
Jones would have murder as soon
as he reached our camp and this story re-
manned unwritten, and, needless to add, as
far as the story Is concerned. askindness to
thousands Of readers. 1t was long years
after before I met Jones and then he was
In trouble. He asked my assistance and |
cheerfully gave it, for l had suffered pangs
Of regret every time l thought of his long
ride on an egg diet and the too severe
punishment | had Indicted. The story he
told me is this:
Soon after he last saw me he started for
Montana and in due time joined a stampede
to the Big Horn mountains. Here. one day,
he was confronted by a party of about thirty
MEN, at the head of whom was the notorious
"Teion Jackson" after whom the now cele-
brated Jackson's Hole was named. and the
most arrant freebooter who scudded the
plains, Jackson and his party had with
them a large band of horses, and, recognizing
Jones as one who suited their tastes. strongly
invited him to winter at their rendezvous,
which Jones speedily prepared to dc. The
highest mountains Of the Rockies surround
The basin which Jackson called home fC. |
eight long winters. 1t was approached
through a deep dcfle opening into a sink or
basin of some twenty square miles. where
grew the succulent bunch grass in rich pro-
fusion. Willow and cottonwood afforded
abundant shade and shelter, while streams
fed by rivulets aud warm springs gently
meandered through the undulating valley and
freely watered the broad ami extensive
meadow lands.
Here it was that this lawless chief with
his followers, often numbering thirty as
hardy and desperate characters as himself.
brought their bands Of stolen horses and kept
them to fatten during the winter months.
Only two canons through the mountains
Afforded an opening in the Hole, and these
were so narrow that In winter they were
practically impossible. BY November they
became so deeply filed with snow that 1t
was foolhardy to attempt their passage.
Even the expert snowshoer was efectually
barred out, for he dare not brave the dangers
Of shifting snow and the unseen holes eaten
out by the warm springs, which had lured the |
intrepid intruder to their ~yawning depths and
to sure death in times agone. Such was
Jackson's Hole. where for eight winters Jack
son himself held full sway, complete monarch
of all he surveyed, a chieftain to be feared by |
hia nnap ne wall nc tho horse rafSnr. fnr ILL., I
and miles around. Secure he was during the
long winter. No herders were needed to keep
the stolen -tock In hand and In the long log
cabins that served their purpose well, the
jolly crew held high carnival. No one could
possibly enter the, retreat from either side
without the knowledge of the band, so adj
mirably was the habitation located, and. in
deed, there WAS little danger of any one doing
so In those days, when 1t would require a
larger posse than any sheriff could muster
and involve danger from the elements which
few cared to face.
Perfectly secure then, with their ill-gotten |
steeds fast fattening on the rich grass. the |
men gave themselves up to the pleasures Of
the chase and feasted upon the fat flesh of the |
game which was always in sight Of the
cabins outlook. When there was no need IA |
hunt, they gambled and drank whisky which
Jackson amply provided. Shooting matches
horse races and other enjoyments served 70
enliven the tedlum OF life at Jackson's Hole
while the danger added a Zest to existence
Thus the long winter was enjoyed in true
freobooters' style in constant carousal. Tho
only work to do during the winter was speed
lily done. as soon as possible after the arrival |
of the last band at the rendezvous. It con-
sisted in rounding up the horses and then APP
plying the red bottom Of a frying pan to the
brands necessary to obliterate. So after TIE
animals treated in this manner were again
caught up and their wounds thoroughly sstu-
rated with grease, thus causing the hair to
grow In the spring time and removing every
trace Of the brand. When II was possible TO
do so, an expert with the branding iron placed
additional markings on the animal so far as
20 make Il impossible for an owner to recog-
n.ze his mark.
In May the horses were rounded up, d.
vided into small bands, sleek and fat, and
they were taken slowly In d fferent directions |
20 various points and disposed Of. Allies the
thieves had In many a small town, aud II
was comparatively easy to sell the animals. |
This accomplished, the men met at a frontier
town. divided their gains. purchased a winters
supply OF provisions 10 be dispatched to the
Hole" by the men whose duty II was to
stand guard during the summer, aud then
began the summers raid. The men who sue
ceeded In stealing tho most horses had Of
course the most money. and there was SUI |
fclent incentive In the business TO lead some |
OF these men as far as northern Colorado. |
The majority, however, confined their preda-