The Dickinson press., 1898-11-12
Roosevelt at Med0ra.

Roosevelt at MedOra.
A friend Of Joe coughlin semi him arc.
cent issue of the New York Sun contain
ing the "reminiscences of early days at
Medora in which the Ferrises, Bill Jones
and other we'll known people figure in
Col. Roosevelt's exploits:
There are a few men among the Roose-
welt rough riders who first met their fa-
nous leader out in the Bad Lands of
North Dakota, where Col. Roosevclt's
ranches are situated. One of those is
Fred Herrig of troop K, who was former
ly employed on the Elkhorn range.
Hunted with ROOSEVELT" said Troop
er Herrig the other day in answer to a
question. Indeed l have, on his Dako-
ia ranch at Elkhorn and along the hills
of San Juan. 1t was more fun out in the
Bad Lands than it was in Cuba. The
Colonel, as we all call him now, had two
ranches when l first knew him in the
Bad Landslide Elkhorn and Chimney
Butte he named 'em. They lay on a
government range along the Little Mis-
souri, river, just south of Medora. There
was plenty of big game when he first
went out to that country, in 1883, and
everybody sized him up for a grassy ten
derfoot. Twas in Medora (named after
Marquis de Mores' wife, a New York
woman), in front of Joe Ferris store,
that a lot of US planned a surprise. for
Mr.. Roosevelt. He looked like a kid
l believe he was only a little past 20
and with his eyeglasses and his knee
brooches and his little brown mustache
he did look too nice for anything.
"While he was in Joe Ferris's buying
postage stamps, Will Dow who after
wards worked along with me on the
ranch, and a cowboy named Merrifeld
and myself unsaddled Roosevelt's pony
led him off and put the saddle and bride
on a bronco that was a dead ringer for
his mount We knew all about that
bronco, for he'd already thrown He'll
roaring Bill Jones once that morning.
So we kinder sidled off to see the fun.
BY and by Roosevelt came out of the
shop and started to mount. He was
nearsightcd, but he couldn't have told
those cayuses apart, anyway.
"Thc bronco let him get into the sad
die and then the beast punched his feet
and bumped his back and Roosevelt
went off, as easy as you please. Nobody
said anything except Joe Ferris, who
came out of the door and asked if he was
hurt.
"Not a bit of it, said Roosevelt, and
up he went again. But the White faced
kid-that's what we called the bronco
| didn't wait for him to get his right foot
in the feathers this time before he pitch
ed the young fellow right over his head.
1t was the all-6redest jolt ever saw.
| Roosevelt turned a somcrsault and then
sat down so hard his glasses broke. Will
Dow and l went to help him up; Merri-
field was laughing so he couldn't move.
Roosevelt didn't notice any Of us. He
just looked surprised as he scrambled
up-the dust was four inches thick in the
road. Its too bad broke my glasses,
said he and he limped into the store.
We thought he'd had enough of it, and
were wondering how we could change
nags again; when the tenderfoot cam
out with a new pair of glasses he'd fish,
ed out Of his handbag, and blast my eyes
if he didn't jump on the Kids back
again, and so quick this time the bronco
didn't feel him till he got both feet in
the stirrups and a good grip with his
knees. Then maybe the Kid didn't start
down the road, lickcty split. In a min
ute he was out of sight in a cyclone Of
dust.
There was only about eleven inhabi-
tants in the town then, and it wasn't long
until the news got out that the White
faced Kid was numbering a tenderfoot.
We held a massmeeting in front of Fer
ris' store, and when the overland train
from the East pulled in and another ten
derfoot got off and asked for 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 a doc
tor, and bad, too. But before we could
explain, lickety split through the dust
came the Whitehead kid, and there or
his back, with all his teeth showing, was
the doctors friend, Mr.. Roosevelt
When he clapped his peppers on DIR
Lambert he let out a whoop that couldn'
have been beat by any cowboy on the
Little Missouri. We took a shine to hin
from that very day. Any fellow wht
could ride White-faced Kid at one tria
and boiler like that was the man for ou
money: except that we didn't have an.
money until we'd hired out with Roose
welt.
Then follow stories of hunting deer
mountain sheep and antelopes, witt
Roosevelt.
Bucklen's Arnica salve.
Tho Best Salve in the world TO