The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-26
RANcHMAN THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
How the New York Police Commissioner
Impressed the Wild West,

(Ffom the Omaha World Herald.)
Theodore Roosevelt has two ranches
here in the Bad Lands of Dakota. One
is situated eight miles up the Little
Missouri river from Medora. This is
known as the Chimney Butte ranch,
but the cowboys call 1t the Maltese Cross
ranch, beca use all of its cattle are
branded with the eight-pointed star.
Thirty miles down the river from Medo-
ra is the Elkhorn ranch, also owned by
Mr.. Roose velt. There are fine buildings
on the Elkhorn, but the New Yorker pre-
fers to live on the Chimney Butte, al
though the house Is one-story affair of
logs with three rooms, kitchen, liv-
Ing room, and a room for the owner and
his ranch manager. Sylvane erris.s
Medora Is not much of town now,
but il has history. Twelve years ago
the late Marquis do Mores, who was re-
GENTLY killed in the Soudan by the
Mahdists, established the town and
named 1t after his wife, who before her
marriage was Medora Won Hoffman, of
New York. Pretty nearly everyone
has heard of the great scheme of the
marquis. He was going to raise bis own
cattle, slaughter them in his own abat-
toirs, and sell the meat in his own
stores in every city in the land. He
tried, he failed and he left Medora.
Roosevelt came here year before the
marquis and started to do some refor M
ing. The bad men, who abounded here
abouts in those days, were just ready
to kill him when de Mores waited along
and monopolized all the attention. The
Erenohman at once became more obnox-
ious than the New Yorker, and the
would-be killers concentrated upon hi m.
But de Mores killed two of them and
wounded half dozen more, making the
first active move against the toughest
gang of cattle thieves in the Northwest.
After de Mores faded away some of the
former members of the gang made spas
| of things, and they were aided secretly
| by the then sheriff. Roosevslt showed
them that he had good stuff in him.
He called a meeting of all the ranchers
| in the county, the sheriff was sum-
moned, and with his hand on his gun,
Roosevelt practically told the official that
he was liar and horse thief. 1t was
SWAo Aoh ooko W uno III tu1s couD6ry,
but the sheriff saw that he was against
q bad man, took his medicine and re-
signed. That was big feather in
| Roosevelt's CAP. Prior to that he had
besn regarded az New York dude, who
was all teeth and eyeglasses.
Ia other ways he showed that the ways
of the country were not too Hard for
| him. He made 1t practice to buy the
buckiest, ugliest cow pcpies he could
ind In the country, and when the boys
kicked against riding such nasty beasts
| be would pick out the toughest one in
the lot and ride 1t. Often he was thrown,
but eventually he conquered. Once he
had four ribs smashed in by the first fall
the brute. II Now York dude could
ride the horses, the cowboys argued that
they should be able to manage them.
It was the same with shooting. Roose-
velt cannot see dozen yards away with
| out his Eyeglasses, but he can do some
fancy shooting that wopld win applause
in Wild West show. Ho is not 80 good
with a revolver, but in long range work
with the rifle there IL no one on the two
| ranches who can beat him. He is good
man ut wrestling, and il handy with the
gloves, being well up in the tricks of
| both sports. In friendly bouts he has
| taken some Of the biggest men on the
| ranch, and has shown that he is no ten
der chicken.
These qualities have won him the re-
spect Of the community in which he is
now living, and they are the only quail
ties that count for much in ranch life.
A man might be most estimable in many
things, but If he lacked courage and
oouldn't ride, shoot or fight, he wouldn't
be much thought of.