The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1897-05-19
THERE rs NO "W1LD WEST"
The Tough Characters arc Found in the
Eastern Cities.

The Tough Characters arc Found in the
Eastern Cities.
A travelling correspondent Of the
Chicago Times Herald, writing from
Glendiyc, thus faithfully describes
the conditions in Montana as regards
law and order and the character Of
the people. He says:
Where is the wild country now?
/ What has become Of Alkali Ike and
Broncho Bill and Sour Dough Tim
and Liver Eating johnson? Do they
any longer exist outside the pages Of
the eastern comic weeklies, where
they figure with tiresome rcitcration?
[ stopped on my way to the Pacific
coast in this Montana cattle town of
Glendiye. The 1900 souls who dwell
here live on the trade of the open
ranges, save for the little business
which comes from the headquarters
of railroad division. Glendive is
the capital of the county of Dawson,
which is a little larger than the, state
Of Connecticut. Court is in session
today and T walked' into the court
honse this morning thinking some in
tercsting criminal trial might be up
for hearing. The smooth-faced Judge
in his black frocked coat, looked like
a New England parson. Half a
dozen attorneys occupied the hard
wooden chairs withi1a bhc bar. After
going through the probate docket,
his honor announced that as there
was 20. criminal business it would not
be necessary to call jury. asked
the sheriff what this meant.
"Oh," he replied with evident
pride, "this is the second term Of
court this year at wlaich there has
not been a single criminal case to
Try. We have a very orderly cuul>
munity in our country"
The truth about the vast plains
county that stretches eastward from
the nanlis Of the Rockies to the
wheat fields of the Dakotas is that it
is a region where crimes are far less
numerous in proportion to popula-
lion than they are in the denseIy set
tied regions OF the eastern and mid
die west. Cities breed criminals,
not the open country, where hardy
men ride all day in the pure air,
looking after stray cattle aud sleep
wherever night oyertakes them,
with only their saddles for pillows.
The rude, manly life Of the ranges
does not produce deprayed magma
tions or thoughts Of violeuce. When
the cowboy gets his pay he likes to
ride to the nearest town to see the
people and find some variation in his
lonely life, but his worst otfcnsc is
usually taking too nluch whiskey III
the saloons. If he drinks ut all he
|
sobers up in day or two and goes
| back to his range work, rs earnest
and industrious a young citizen as
could be found on the farms of Him
ois. In his saddlcbags on his return
across the vast brown plains will gen
orally be found Il good stock Of pipes
and tobacco and two or three novels
hot often flask of whiskey.
Where, then, if not in the cattle
country, arc to be found the sombrc-
rocd rut1ians, with pistols and knives
in their boots and cartridges bcltcd
around their waists who fire. at the
decantcrs in barroOnas and at the silk
hats Of tcndcrfoot str&ngers-thc
villianous whiskcred despecadocs
who with tramps and Jews, make W
most Of the stock in trade of oul
eastern comic illustrators? I do not
know. Possibly down in New Mexico
or Arizona. ] have been all over
this northern cattle and mining
country for fifteen years, and | never
discovered any Of them. When
first trayerscd the northern tier o.
states-then Observation-Disclosures the
first railroad was built through them
| carried a pistol. but I found 1t ;
useless encumbrancc, dangerous tt
myself, and in subsequent journey
never troubled myself to take an,
sort Of weapon with me. | have
meyer seen a man hurt or witnessed
any sort Of Il row during fifteen year
of travel in the DaKotas, Montana
Idaho, Washington, Oregon ant
British Columbia, and I would fec
much safer to strike out across noun
tains or plains alone on a broncho ant
unarmed than | would to walk VI
Clark street at night in Chicago.