Evening star., 1898-05-19
Altogether the Rough Riders

VI iueT- Altogether the ROugh Riders
promise to be the finest volunteer organi-
Zation raised in the present war.
A dispatch from San Antonio, Tex. says:
Ihe troopers of the 1st United States Vol
unteer Cavalry, or Rough Riders, that have
Deen throng1ng into this city during the
past week are wild ard picturesque lot
In the western element of this motley
crowd OF troopers there are as noted char
acters as among the dude millionaire con-
tlngent from New York.
There is Rocky Mountain Biz Jenkins,
from Montana, who has been on many a
bear hunting trip with Mr.. Roosevelt in
times OF so-called peace. A piece of his
leIt ear Is gone, there is long, deep scar
over MS right eye where an animals claw
has struck in. Rocky Mountain Bills"
whole appearance is that of being constant
~ ioaoed Tor bear, with hilts of knives and
QUITS Oh revolvers sticking out of every
pocket and from every angle of his anat-
omy. But Bill says he hasn't got his war
armament yet.
Then there is "Broncho George" Brown,
from Arizona, who lives in Skull Valley
He has record of five men to his creuif
Ihis means that he has dropped" that
many in righteous causes, for cattle steal
ing, cheating at cards, incivility to women
etc. Broncho Georges" patriotism is nm
doubted. When the stage driver brought
MIN word fortnight ago that Roosevelt
had issued call for troopers he got up
from his dinner, jumped on his widest
broncho and set Off bareback, through
Devlfs Gate and Dead Mans Gulch and
over the Parieta Mountains for the nearest
recruiting station, Whipple Barracks, at
Prescott.
Broncho George is believed to be the
widest rider of the west. He owns a herd
OF thousand wild horses, and it is his
boast that ha never mounts a horse that
mas ever been ridden before He rarely
uses either saddle or bride A moose
thrown over an animals neck and then
twisted around the jaw is his sole riding
equipment, except when going on particu-
iarly long jaunts
Brorcho George mas slight cast In his
off eye, which to a stranger gives him a
fierce aspect, and his habit of resting his
right hand on the handle of his Colt in mis-
hip pocket haightens this effect
Then there is Dead Shot" Jim Simpson
from Albuquerque, n. NJ, who has the
reputation of outshooting all the dead shots
of the range. He can put a rifle bullet
through jack rabbits eye at a distance Of
thousand yards while riding wild horse.
He can bring down Indians at every crack
when they are SO far off that most people
cant see them. and he has secuted all
through the Navajo country for the troops
at Santa Fe.
"Lariat Ned" Perkins from Trinidad Col,
has a faculty of twisting a rope at long
range around a fleeing steers horns or legs
with as much accuracy as Jim Simpson can
shoot a rife. In fact his lariat is almost
as deadly a weapon in mis- hands as a gun.
He proposes to take his rope along to Cuba
and pull some of the Spaniards out of the
parapets of Havanas fortifications.
The short, slim, quiet-looking fellow with
high-heeled boots from Wyoming is Robert
Wilson, but nobody ever calls him by any
mama except Fighting Bob" He has dis
persed a score Of gangs of cattle thieves.
He doesn't expect this Cuban proposition
will be half SO exciting keeping the
'rustlers' off his range, but he's in 1t be-
cause Roosevelt and his country call him.
From surrounding parts of Texas squads
of cowboys nave been coming into San An
tonic all the week. They come mounted,
booted, spurred and armed. AS each COM
pany dashes with a mighty dust and Jingle
of bit chains into the camp on the sandy
outskirts Of the town, ii "unlimbars' with
the quickness of an artillery company and
is biyouacked In five minutes.
The different contingents of cowboys,
plainsmeL. and mountaineers from widely
separated sections of the great west are.
of course, wholly unacquainted with one
another. But the air Of comradeshIp al the
camp is something delightful. 1t is like the
meeting of delegations of politicians from
distant states at a big convention. The
common object makes a theme for CONVEX
sation and a tie of good fellowship. 1t is so
infectious that even the dudes from New
York feel at home. These famous club men
are really trying to adapt themselves to
their surroundings. The cowboys tolerate
them good naturedly, but it is plain 10 be
seen that the mention of the fact that they
are multi-millionaires simply causes the
COWBOYS to curl their lips in disdain. Brawn
and daring are the only qualities that claim
respect in this military camp