The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-14
A UNIQUE AND FORMIDABLE BAND
OF FRONTIER FIGHT
ERS.
We AND PICTURESQUE.
Copseryators of Law and order I'm N
Commonwealth That Equals an
Empire in Area.

appear.
in Texas, and its members and veter-
ans enjoy peculiar privileges through
out the state.
The original rangers were organized
in 1886 by Sam Houston. They helped
to bring about Texan independence
and subsequently to defend the frontier
against the assaults of indians and
Mexicans. From that time to this the
Texas rangers have existed in one form
or another. A company Of 80 former
rangers is now fighting for the freedom
of Cuba, and ar organized force OF
rangers under the pay Of the state
helps to maintain order in the wilder
parts of Texas.
When the civil war broke out, Con
Terry, an old ranger, organized the
famous body Of men known as Terry's
Texas rangers, composed almost en-
tirely of former rangers and frontiers
men. They fought from Bull Run to
Appomattox and lost rs per cent of
their original muster roll.
Soon after the close Of the civil war
the Texas legislature provided for call
ing out 1000 rangers to protect the
frontiers against hostile Indians. 1t
was formidable little army thus pro-
vided, and for some years thereafter
the rangers formed a strong body of
troops.
The various state troops Of Texas
from 1865 to 1883 effectually followed
12S parties Of Indian marauders had "a
fights with Indians and MeXicans, kill
ed 80 Indians, wounded 81 and captured
6, killed u Mexicans and wounded 5
and recovered nearly 5000 stolen
horses, mules and cattle and citizens
&. carried off by Indians and desperadoes.
During those years 1896 citizens were
killed and 81 carried off by Indians or
Mexicans, Is rangers were killed and
q 900 horses and mules 43, 400 cattle
and 2, 400 sheep and goats were stolen
There were in addition many minor
outrages which the rangers were called
upon to redress.
Conditions had so far changed in
Texas by the year 1889 that the rang
ers were no longer needed for defense
against hostile Indians, as Indian raids
had ceased. But the force, now re-
duced in numbers. was still active in
the suppression of deSperadoes along
the border, some of them raiding Mex
leans, others native products, and all
more troublesome from the fact that
Increased vigilance on the Mexican
side of the Rio Grande tended to con-
fine the operations of such persons to
Texas. The rangers made in the years
l6S9-90 579 arrests. mostly of desperate
criminals, among them rs murderers,
q 100 cattle thieves and % robbers and
burglars. Although Mexican outrages
had decreased in numbers and the In
dams had utterly disappeared from the
state, the rangers from December
1892, to November 80, 1894, made more
than 900 arrests
The Texas rangers of to-day and of
recent years have been officially de-
signated the frontier battalion The
present organization was cut down last
year from IA men in each company to
Z, "a mere handful" says an old rang
er, "but they are all aces" The whole
battalion now musters only 100 men,
This dwindling body of heroic and adj
yenturous traditions is held in vast re-
spect throughout all the border coun-
ties of Texas, and every border youth
OF mettle wishes to serve in the rang
ers. An old ranger may have almost
anything that the border counties have
to. bestow, and 1T is from among the
retired rangers that sheriffs and other
county officers are usually chosen
- Any unmarried man over Is years of age
is eligible as ranger, but it is an exceed
1ngly difficult matter to get into the or
ganization. Courage. physical soundness
= first rate horsemanship, precision with fire.
arms and steady habits the requisites
one year. The ranger furnishes his horse
accouterments and arms while the state fur
nishes food for the men, forage, ammunition
medicines and medical attendance. The paw
of captains is 800 month, of sergeants $50
y q month, and of privates $50 month The
force is made up of young men, sober, we'll
+. ordered and, as rule, fairly well educated.
The rangers of to-day attend to business in
the same thorough fashion their predeces-
sors, and in small bands of six eight men
they pursue and capture the worst despera-
does of the border counties.
eS I'VE live. in the saddle and the sky is our
roof, say the rangers, and this is almost
literally true, for the greater part of their
time is passed in the active pursuit of GRIM
inals. The raiding ranger takes a horse
where he will and may arrest or search in
any part of Texas
Although the organization of the rangers
) is military, they distinguished by no uni
form. Most Of them wear long boots fan
: mel shirts and the broad brimmed Texan hat.
Each man wears a belt with a six-Shooter
on one side and bowie knife on the other,
while each carries a repeating rife. Taste
and vanity occasionally suggest special adorn-
ment and a rangers hat NAV be a costly
affair.
Quanah. the Comanche chief whose braves
the rangers put to flight in 1870 now lives in
Northern Texas He recently described the
battle; to a young ranger. = Exams
1.-The rangers" said Quanah, rode out on
the prairie, tied their horses to the saddle
horns by their brides and opened fire on as.
My men fell fast We fired and tried To- eEin
+. horses. Then the rangers lay behind stheir
dead horses and killed us like grass. eWe
: tried 10 rush them. Twice we tried and
failed. After much time they did not fire SO
: fast. We thought powder and bullets all
gone. Then, as were going to charge
again, they all stood up. They took off their
hats and yelled. We were much slocoed''
(deceived). At last charged but you
rangers don't fight like palefaces, but like
devils. We killed "a, but you killed US like
grass"
There were 6S rangers against 200 Co.
manehes in this fight.
One of the latest notable exploits of the
rangers was the capture of the Bill Cook
gang of cutthroats operating in Texas and
Indian Territory G.. B. Fullerton, one of
the rangers who took part in the capture.
describes it. thus:
Zone evening we received telegram
werded Bring boys and saddles: hot work
This came from Bellevue, Tex. on the Fort
Worth and Denver road, go miles southeast
of Amarillo We packed up our saddles. nut
our guns in good order and took the train
We left the train Just before reaching our
destination so as to prevent suspicion as to
our movements. The man that sent the call
for help met us and said he had located out
in the country bunch of men that had been
acting strangely. We waited till dark and
sent to tbs Hyery stable after horses Then
we rode on toward the place where the
strangers were.
I'VE lay near the house until daylight and
captured one of the desperadoes who was
acting as q sentinel He did not wish to go
to be hell of a fight. So we tied him to
g tree and advanced. The outlaws did not
Know We were near until we raped on the
door and asked them to come out and see
now pretty the weather was. Their reply
to this polite invitation was several shots
through the door. We then opened fire. and
those within replied. Finally q ball from
one OF our guns struck the magazine of a
laws. and piece of the broken magazine cut
1eep gasn In the outlaws chin.