The Portland daily press., 1898-09-07
"repDY" ON THE FRONTIER.
His Experience as Hunter in the North
west.
(Bismark, N. D.. Correspondence OF
Chicago Record.

(Bismark, N. d.. Correspondence Va
Chicago Record.)
Comment of the cowboys ana plains
men On the big cattle ranges where
Roosevelt has passed brief par5 Oh HIS
time for each of a number OF years pas'
shows that Roosevelt is popular Win Tue
rough riders on their native soil. lie mas
lived among them, eaten and slept with
them, hunted with them and been
thoroughly one of them as. is possible. 10
them he is always ''Teddy" and they are
proud of his distinction as soldier.
Roosevelt was one of the first OF the
eastern men TO realize the possibilities of
profit in the cattle business in the West.
With. plenty Of money, taste for plains
life and as much endurance and courage
as any rough rider, he invested in
bunch of cattle, placed them on ranges in
charge of Ferris and Merriield, his
western foremen, built two ranch houses
and passed portion of each year in them.
He came for sport, experience, relaxation
and material for magazine articles. He
secured all he came for and he sold out
his interests this year to his foreman, 8.
NJ Ferris of Medora, after having paid
expenses and secured return of his origi-
nal investment. He was we'll satisfied
with his western experience and feels a
warmth of affection for the scenes of his
many experiences in the West. which may
bring him back there again wien the war
is over.
Roosevelt and De Mores were contem-
Both were wealthy, courageous, fond of
outdoor sports and the wild life of the
plains. They were alike in some respects
and in others utterly dissimilar. The
difference between the men was the diff
erence between the Anglo-Saxon and the
Latin Both had the same courageous
nature, but Roosevelt's bravery was the
cool intrepidity of the Saxon while DO
Mures's was the fiery and impetuous
courage of the Frenchman. AS "a result
of his desire for excitement De Mores
found his death on barren plain in AT
RIGA, and that Roosevelt did not find his
before Santiago was due to some good
fortune.
Roosevelt had two ranches in the Red
Lands, where he came every year when
his affairs in,the field of business and
politics would permit. He came, as he
told his men, to be one of them. He was
treated on the ranch as any other ranch
hand. One of his first experiences on tho
ranges was OH u round. up as a cowboy.
He Jared there Just as the other men
Jared who were drawing S35 month. He
had his "string'' of horses with the round
up and performed the same duties as the
cowboys. In the morning he was called
with the men-aS usual thing at
o o'clock made his way to the rope corral
into which the large band of horses We're
driven, roped the animal which he desired
TO ri le for the day, saddled it, and, after
hasty breakfast, started on long
mornings ride Nor was he favored in
the matter of horses He took the same
kind of animals as did the rest OF the
men-the majority of them half-bro ken
bronchos, more inclined to buck1ng than
to passive servitude. Not infrequently
he Yves tu1nbled over the head of a vicious
mustang whose bucking abilities over
matched Rooseyelt's riding by several de-
grees But the discouragements Of cow
punching were not permanent, and he
as no sooner thrown off than he was on
again and ready for another trial.
Nothing suited him better than hunt
ing through the rough brakes and precipi-
tous cliffs of the country after deer or
mountain sheep. He was made Of the
right material for successful hunter ex
cept that his eyesight was poor and forced
him to wear glasses, and the frosting of
these in winter made it inconvenient for
him to take quick aim. But, noJwith-
standing this disadvantage, he was
known as a lucky shot. He got as much
game as did any of the experienced men
who accompanied him.
On enc occasion, while hunting with
Foreman Merritield, the two came upon
large cinnamon bear. Both men were
we'll mounted and the distance was SO
short that Merrifeld suggested that he
rope the hear, drag him about for time
and then kill him at their leisure. Merri-
field even started to loosen his rope for
the purpose of carrying his suggestion
into effect when Roosevelt objected, say
ing that, while he was after game, heihad
no desire to be a witness to the antics OF
a roped be ar, which might prove the
yeriest Tartar ever captured.
From the Bad Lands Roosevelt usually
continued his trip to the Rocky Noun
tains, with their larger game. He has
shot several grizzlies. His preparations
for these trips were always the same as
would have been those of an old-time
plainsman. No luxuries were permitted,
but every necessity which experience and
hunted in all parts of the United States
and has killed every kind Of big game on
the North American continent, having
been in the West when the buffaloes were
numerous The last buffaloes that were
killed in the western part of the state
were shot within half mile Of his
Maltese Cross ranch, at the crossing of
the Little Missouri river.