Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-01-01

Ryan, the pro-
81. L.- prietor andman.
~ ager of Ryan's
e~Vrno q Ranch, set his
c@|%~A employees at
N work, fencing
H. 90 n in large body
IXN of the best Gov
N ernment land in
4: =: :: !: !: !: !: !:
blEG& N III. Southern Kan
I'm )#I.zI#>/ sas, he stirred
wv N4sS> up good sized
V(k (HglSSS hornets nest,
Nv N#4 and brought the
~ insects buzZing
angrily about his head. He had no
shadow of right to the land, and
naturally the settlers and home-seekers
resented his cool appropriation of it to
his own use. There were men who
wanted it for homes, and who were
entitled to it under the laws, and these
men looked upon Ryan's conduct as n
base infringement on their rights and
were not sparing in their denunciation
Of him and his order.
Near Ryans Ranch there was little
town know as Prairie City. 1t was an
insignificant place, with less than two
hundred population, but it gave pro-
mise of great things in the future. Its
inhabitants, xand the settlers on the
prairie about it, believed that in time
Prairie City would become one of the
leading towns of Kansas. Unfort-
unately, however, the hopes of those
people were never to be realized. A
railroad was soon after built through
that part of the country and it missed
Prairie City by just two miles. The
result was new town on the railroad
and the death of the old one. Prairie
City went the way of hundreds of
other Kansas towns. Its population
took up their possessions, including
their houses, and moved across the
prairie to the railroad.
In Prairie City's halcyon days, how
ever, it boasted of newspaper, the
Prairie City Eagle. 1t was not much
of Il paper, being small and poorly
printed, but it was quite as good as it's
patronage justified. Its subscription
list was extremely limited, and its ad-
vertising business was dwarfed to one
column OF display matter and few
lines of pay locals.
The Eagle, as Il matter of course,
stood by the town people and the set
tiers, and when Ryan set his men to
fencing in the public lands for grazing
purposes, it came out with strong
editorial denouncing him in the sever
est terms. 1t pronounced his action
dishonest, as he was stealing the peo-
ple's rights. 1t went further and said
that it was the lowest and most con-
temptible species of dishonesty, since
by it he was stealing the homes from
poor, struggling men and their wives
and children, thereby robbing them
of chance to earn an honest living.
'It is the duty of the homeseekers,
it went on, ''to protect themselves
against the encrOachments of this
greedy cormorant, who, for the sake
of adding to his illgotten wealth,
would starve even the innocent, un-
conscious, helpless babe in its moth
er's arms. 1T is the duty of the set
lers to band themselves together, to
take the law in their own hands, and
cut the wire that shuts them ont of
their own. Tear down the fence,
drive off or kill the usurper's cattle
and give him to understand that if the
Government won't protect you, yon
can and will protect yourselves"
A copy of the paper containing this
editorial fell into Ryan's hands. Ho
read it and boiled over with wrath and
indignation. He was forced to ad-
nit that there was much truth in the
article, but it was none the more pala-
table to him for that. He swore ven-
geance against the Eagle and its edi.
tor, and vowed that not another issue
Of the paper should be published.
At dinner time he read the article to
his employees as they sat at the table.
They were six in number, recently
emigrated from ranch down in Texas,
and had reputation for being the
hardest and most reckless dare. devils
that ever ode the range. When Ryan
had finished reading he said:
"What do you think of that"
81 think it's blamed big growing
from a mighty little rooster" one of
the cowboys replied.
''If the settlers want to take that
editors advice and try it on about
cutting the wires, another said, ''just
let them. They'll find before they
get through with it that they've got
into the hottest and most unhealthy
job they ever tackled"
''Then You boys will stand by me?"
Ryan questioned.
'Of course we WILL" one of them
answered. Were paid to work for
you, and we've not got any love for
settlers. Wen see that your fence is
not cut and that your cattle are not
bothered.
"That's all right" Ryan said, "but
there is something else I want You to
do"
"What is it?'
81 want this paper squelched.
"We'll sqnelch it,"
81 want you to ride over to Prairie
City tonight and clean tho thing ont
root and branch. Burn the office,
smash up the old press and chase the
editor ont of the country
"We'll do it."
just after supper that night the
cowboys loaded their pistols carefully
and buckled them about their waists.
Then they brought out their horses,
saddled and mounted them. and rode
away in the direction of Prairie CITY