The herald., 1898-11-20
ROOSEVELT IN THE WEST
RECoLLECTIoNs OF ONE OF THE
ROUGH RIDERS
A-1
The Colonel" Was FIRST Sized Up as
"Grassy Tend.arfoot," But He
Surprised the Boys

A.,ueis VIZ first met their famous leader
Out IN tr;e Bad Lands of Dakota, where Col.
no9seV n sits ranches are located. One of them
- f.ed Herrig of Troop X, who was for
me1y employed on the Elkhorn range.
., Hunted with Roosevelt?" said Trooper
1ierrlg the other day, in answer to a ques-
lion. Indeed l have, on his Dakota ranch
at Elkhorn and along the hills of San Juan.
II was more fun out in the Bad Lands than
it was in Cuba.
The colonel, as we call him now, had
two ranches when first knew him in the
lad Lands, the Elkhorn and the Chimney
Butte, he named 'em. They lay on a gov
ernment range along the Little Missouri
river, just south of Medora. There was
plenty of big game when he first went out
TO that country in 's3, and everybody sized
nm up for grassy tenderfoot. Twas in
Medora (named after the Marquis de
Nlores' wife, a New York LADY,, in front of
Joe Ferris store, that lot of us planned
Q little surprise for Mr.. Roosevelt He
looked like kid believe he was only Il
little past twenty, and what with his eye
glasses and knce-breeches and his little
brown mustache, he did look too nice for
ANYTHING While he was in Joe Ferris
store buying postage stamps Win Dow,
&ho afterwards worked along with me on
the ranch, and a cowboy named Merrifield
and myself msaddled Roosevelt s pony, led
him off and put the saddle and bride on 4
broncho that was dead ringer for his
mount. We knew all about that broncho,
for he'd already thrown Hellroaring Bill
Jones once that morning. So we kinder
sdled off to see the fun. BY and by Roose-
velt came out of the shop and started to
mount. lie was nearsighted, but he couldn't
have told those cayuses apart, ANYWAY.
The broncho let him get into the saddle
and then the beast punched his feet and
humped his back. and Roosevelt went off
az. easy as yo, please. Nobody said any
tiihg except Joe Ferris, who came out OF
the door and asked if he was hurt.
Not bit OF it, laid Roosevelt, and up
ne went again. Br.s the White-Faced Kid
that's what we called the broncho-didn't
wait Tor nm 60 get his right foot into the
ieathers IFS time before he pitched the
young fsilow right over his head. 1t was
the a.f-fredest jolt ! ever saw. Roosevelt
turied somcrsault and then sat down so
Gard his glasses broke. viii Dow and
went to help him up; Mcrriied was laugh
ing so he couldn't move. Roosevelt didn't
notice any of us. He just looked kinder sur.
prised as he scrambled up-the dust was
four inches thick in the road. It's too
pad broke my glasses said he, and he
Amped into the store.
I'VE thought he'd had enough of it and
were wondering how we could change nags
again, when the tenderfoot came out with
new pair of glasses he'd fished out of his
handbag, and, blast my eyes, if he did mt
Jump on Kids back again, and so quick this
time the broncho didn't feel him till he'd
got Doth feet in the stirrups and a good
grip with his knees. Then maybe the Kid
didnt start down the road licketty split.
IN a minute he was out of sight in a cyclone
OF dust.
There were only about eleven inbabit
ants in the town then, and it wasn't lonu
vnlil the news got out that the White Faced
Ma was numbering tenderfoot. We held a
mass meeting in front of Ferris store, and
Wen the overland from the east piled in
and another tenderfoot got off and asked
Tor his friend Mr.. Roosevelt, and said his
name was Dr. Lambert and he came from
New York, we said as how his friend Mr.
Roosevelt was just about needing doctor,
and bad. too. But before we could explain,
llcketty split through the dust came the
White-Faced Kid, and there on his back,
with all his teeth showing, was the doctors
friend Roosevelt. When he clapped his
peppers on DR.. Lambert he let out a whoop
that couldn't have been beat by any cow
boy on the Little Missouri. I'VE took
shine to him from that very day. ANY fel-
low who could ride White Faced Kid at one
trial and holler like that was the man for
our money; except that we didn't have any
money-until we hired out to Roosevelt.
AT first went to work on the Maltese
SiooS. Dut WHeIl lJF. Lambert came out
for some shooting, the boss sent word for
me to come down and hunt with 'em at
the Elkhorn ranch. That was as pretty
2 place as you ever saw, right on the
bank of the Little Missouri. with a wide
valley on the other side and'then range
OF sharp cliffs that cut off the view The
house, was one-story high, of squared logs,
but there was plenty or room in it, big
easy chairs on the porch and buffalo and
bear skins all over the floors. The colonel
s owns it yet, and the boys are just crazy
Chimney Butte ranch, too but the house ON
the Elkhorn's the best As for wild game
well you can get lost for three days even
now in the triangle cut off by the Little
Missouri. the Big Missouri and the North |
ern Pacific railroad.
"Hellroaring Bill Jones had come to work
for the colonel when DR.. Lambert came out
In September, '93 You see, Bill had been
Chief OF police in Bismarck, and he and the |
mayor, had words one day: Bill pulled his
gun; he was too much Of gentleman to
the head with the butt end of the pistol.
That ended the argument. But after that
the mayor said he thought Bill had better
resign, SO he passed in his badge and came
to Medora. And when he heard of the
Bill said he was the kind of man he'd like
TO work for. BY the time went there Bill
was foreman of the Elkhorn ranch and Syl.
yam Ferris, yOe's brother, was head cow
boy. Bill and Sylvan had stayed sober all |
summer SOS to be o. X. for the big hunt.
doe Lambert mounted sorref Joe, the
colonel straddled Muley, Bill rode Tom and
!. drove the White-faced Kid and Jim In |
the army wagon. The colonel said it WASH |
any. fun to ride the Kid any more, since |
he'd pull to harness. Besides, he hadn't |
eyer quite forgiven the Kid for bucking
him so. hard that he lost new hunting
knife that day at Medora.
- saw the colonel get n fine sheep one
day., lie and Bill and / were sitting on the |
porch, taking it easy, when Bill says: I
saw Sleeps track up OF that butte yes
terday, pointing to the range right in front |
OF us, across the valley A Rocky mountain
sheep ls about the rarest game we get out |
there, Bill had no more than got the words |
out OF his mouth when something poked it's |
head up over the edge of the cliff. There's
the sheep now,' says Roosevelt. NO. he |
Ieve it's blacktailed antelope. and I've |
got mind to go after him.
'Blacktailed nothing said Bill. sThat's |
the white tailed antelope you ever saw
by this time the colonel was creenino
up the river with his rifle We two set stiil
and watched him. The air was calm and
clear as bell, and when he was half mile
OIL he could hear every word we said. sffe
ought to keep to the left and climb that
coulee, said Bill, never thinking the % colonei ona
would hear him. But he did keen % to tha
left and b6ega1, crawling up the butte, W Which i6
was all futed with gullies. Gimme them
cpery glasses. said Bill. He always called