Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-11-22
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I
poor homeseekers. Naturally it was TO
the interest of the cattlemen to keep
homeseeliers out of the country, for so
long as the land remained unsettled
/ just so long did it furnish rich, free
pasturage for the great herds of cattle.
In their efforts to keep the pioneer
settlers from taking up claims and
building homes the cattlemen very Oft
en- went beyond the limit of the law. In
fact, in many instances they ignored
the laws altogether and were governed
in their actions simply by their per-
sonal wishes and their power to enforce
them.
Out in Ness county there was a big
cattle ranch owned by wealthy syudi-
cate. The manager of this ranch, man
by the name of Roberts, was one of the
coolest blooded and most unfeeling
wretches that ever lived He cared for
nothing save his own interests and the
interests of his employers. II was
dead set against homeseekers, and no
matter what their condition might be,
nor how much they were in the right,
he never yielded an inch to them.
The ranch comprised several hundred
acres of the best government land in the
county, and in time homeseekers began
to hover about it and covet the rich
prairie. But Roberts warned them to
keep off, threatening to burn the wagon
and kill the horses of the first man who
should attempt to enter a claim on the
grazing lands of the ranch. He went
further, and hired the toughest and most
laWless set of cowboys he could find,
and to them he gave instructions that
they must keep tie range clear of set
tiers, no matter to what lengths they
were forced to go in order to accomplish
that end. The cowboys nodded know
ingly, touched their pistols significantly
and remarked that they were there to
obey the boss orders.
Several attempts were made to enter
claims on the range, but the cowboys
were always promptly on hand to dis
courage anything of that sort, and after
they had thrown out a few hints regard
ing the "unhealthiness" of the location,
and the general advisability of seeking
a home elsewhere, the would-be settler
was persuaded to move on. After awhile
the character of Roberts cowboys be-
came notorious, and the homeseehers
gave them and their range a wide berth
Thus for a long time the range was
not bothered with settlers. and the cat
tie continued to Craze the grass and
turn it into money. Roberts saw the
lands all about him taken up for homes
and he congratulated himself on his
foresight and his promptness to act
in taking care of his own interest.
Things had been going on in this even
way for some months when one morn
ing Roberts called his cowboys about
him and said:
81 have received letter calling me
east, so | shall leave the ranch in your
hands l shall probably be away two
or three weeks, but | think can trust
you boys to look after things all right.
I'll give Jake Kline the management of
the ranch and l shall expect the rest
of you to obey his orders, Keep the cat
tie together and keep those settlers off
the range"
Wen manage things all right, Mr.
Roberts," Jake said. We'll take care
of the cattle, and if you find any settler
on this range when you get back he'll
be a dead one"
Roberts had been gone about a week,
when one evening some of the cowboys
saw an old covered wagon rolling slow
ly across the prairie behind a pair of
small, scrawny mules. They watched
the wagon and at last saw it stop at the
foot Of "A little mound, right in the cen
ter of their best grazing land. a man
got out, embarrassed the mules and
turned them loose TO Craze. Old Jake
liline's attention was called to the wag-
on and forthwith he sent man to in
form the owner Of it that he must move
on.
This message was delivered promptly,
and with more force than elegance. The
homesceker however, received it quiet
ly, not to say inditferently, and re-
marked that he'd see about it.
You want to be seeing about it pret
ty sudden, then" the cowboy said, "be
cause we won't stand any foolshness.
We'd just as lieve make a bonfire of
your wagon and coyote feed of your
mules rs not"
"I'l leave here when l get ready TO
GO" the man replied, "aud not before"
The cowboy rode back and reported
to old Jake. The latter's eyes flashed
with anger in moment and he swore
a string of the most horrible oaths.
80 the chap thinks he'll go when he
gets ready, ehl" he cried "Maybe he
will, but if he does, he'll get ready pret-
ly soon, for ! tell you he won't be long
about going"
lie then called his whole force and
rode down TO the wagon. The settler
was sitting on the ground with his
back against a wheel, his knees drawn
up and his arms folded over them. His
head was bowed down, and his whole
attitude was that of the deepest dejec-
| tion. The cowboys had approached
to within a few steps of him before he