Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-01-21
LIFE ON THE BORDER.
NOT so PLEASANT IN KANSAS
ABOUT THIRTY YEARS AGO.
some of Mr.. Weights ExperIences--His
Ranch House Was Riddled With Bull
lets and Arrows Stuck all Over the
Walls-Family Escaped Unhurt,

| A"euly Ouu years ago DOuBe Clty,
han., was the toughest town on the
western frontier, and man-killing was
an every night occurrence. The vic
tins were usually cowboys crazed with
liquor, who ran up against some dad
man gambler, the sure shot sheriff,
or another cowboy quicker with his
gun The remains of these mis-
guided men were quite informally
buried with their boots on" in a
trench dug in the famous Boot Heel
cemetery on the hill, no stone being
set up to mark THE memory or identity
Of the corpse below.
Today Dodge City is almost as quiet
as the cemetery, and has but one
highly respectable prohibtory state
liquor saloon.
1here are many men there who can
tell thrilling tales of those troublous
times, but there is much interesting
material in the talk of an old-timer,
Mr.. Robert M. Wright, who did his
shooting at Indians in the defense of
his wife and property when Dodge City
was but a government outpost and
cowboys had all they could do to keep
their scalps. The Indian and frontiers
man are fast passing away, and soon
there will be no one to tell from real
life" stories of the adventurous days
along the border, doubly interesting
because they are true and relate to
real flesh and blood. Mr.. Wright is
now well along in years and has retired
from active business. His memory is
good, and he is not averse to talking
Of his pioneer day experiences.
Il moved to Fort Dodge in 1866"
, said Mr.. Wright, land soon after, with
Mr.. James Anthony, purchased the
Cimarron ranch, about 25 miles west
OF there. Just previous to this the
Indians had killed two men on the
ranch while busy making hay. Anth-
ony was an old overland stage driver
who had had many adventures with
the Indians on the plains, and rather
enjoyed them. We got together some
experienced men and went to making
hay. Scarcely a day passed but what
the savages were around trying to do
some deviltry. They let us alone for
a whole month once, but that was be-
cause they had cholera. 1t was perfect
ly awful that summer on the plains,
for the cholera carried off settlers,
soldiers, government employees, Santa
Fe traders, emigrants and Indians in
great numbers. lived through an at
tack Of the disease.
I'm course of time the redskins killed
off all our horses, and we were COM
PEELED to purchase a big span of mules
from the United States Mail Company,
for which we paid $500. Anthony felt
very proud of the pair, as he had often
ridden behind them while he was
messenger on the Overland route.
1.-THE first morning they were sent
to the hay camp, Anthony was in the
corral stacking. After awhile he came
into the house looking as proud as a
peacock, and said to me: Hear that
machine! Amt Puss and Jenny MAX
ing 1t HUMP But the sound did not
seem natural to me, so | grabbed
spyglass and assembled to the lookout
on the top of the building. Just as |
suspected, there were Indians on both
sides of those mules, pounding them
with their bows, and making them
run, while the boys in the camp were
shooting as fast as they could load
,rptpnfinu tha J,.iu
was fleeing for his life, with score of
red devils after him, whooping, yelling
and shooting. His two revolvers were
strapped upon the machine, which he
had left in hurry and there was
nothing for him to do but streak it for
camp.
1.-THE Cheyennes Arapahoes and Kio-
was were committing many depreda-
lions along the Arkansas river the
summer l started my ranch at Spring
Bottom" said Mr.. Wright. with me
were my wife and two children, my |
partner, Joe Graham, and hired man. |
AS we expected to be attacked at any
moment, Graham went to Fort Lyon |
after supplies so that we could stand |
a siege. The night of his return I |
left for Point of Rocks, 20 miles down |
the river, to take back mule which
he had borrowed to help him home with
his supplies. At daylight the next
morning my ranch was attacked by
about 300 Indians. Fortunately, the
folks were not taken by surprise and
they gave the redskins hot reception,
killing one and wounding number
Of their ponies. My wife placed her
little ones on the floor and covered
them with feather beds. Then she
busted herself loading the guns for