The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-02-05
LIFE ON THE BORDER.
NOT so PLEASANT m KANSAS
ABOUT THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Some Of Mr. wrights EEperisnoss-His
Ranch House was Rlddlsd with HUI
lets and Arrows stuck all over the
wails-FamlIy Escaped Unhurt.

TINS were usually coWDoyb craAtu Win |
liquor. who ran up against some bad
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 ffmOus Boot Heel
cemetery on the hill. no stone being
set up 10 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 prohibitory state
liquor saloon.
There are many men there who can
tell thrilling tales OF those trOublous
times. but there ls much interesting
material In the talk OF an old-timer.
Mr. Robert NJ. Wright. who did his
shooting az Indians In the defense OF
his wife and property when Dodge City
was but a government outpost and
cowboys had all they could do 10 keep
their scalps. The Indian and frontiers
man are fast passing away. and soon
there will be no one 20 tell from real
life stories OF the adventurous days
along the border. doubly interesting
because they are true and relate 20
real flesh and blood. SIR. Wright Is
now well along In years and has retired
from active business. His memory Il
good. and he Is not averse 70 talking
OF his pioneer day experience
Il moved TO Fort Dodge In 1886.
said Mr. Wright and soon after. with
Mr. James Anthony. purchased the
Cimarron ranch about % miles west
OF there Just previous 20 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 day passed but what
the sayages we're around trying 10 do
some deyiltry. They let us alone for
a whole month once. but that was be-
cause they had cholera. Il was perfect
~ awful that summer on the plains
for the cholera carried on settlers.
soldiers. government employees. Santa
Re traders. emigrants and Indians In
great numbers. lived through an at
tack OF the disease.
In course OF time the redskins killed
on all our horses. and We were COM
PEELED 10 purchase a big span OF mules
from the United States Mail Company
for which We paid $500. Anthony felt
b very proud Of the pair. as he bad Otter
, ridden behind them while he was Z
messenger on the Overland route.
The frst morning they were sen
to the hay camp. Anthony was Ia n,
corral stacking After awhile he cam
into the house looking as proud a.
D peacock. and said to me. Hear tina
} machine, Amt Puss and Jenny max
ing Il hum? But the sound did no
seem natural 20 me. 90 ! grabbed
spyglass and assembled TO the lookou
on the top Of the building. Just a.
suspected. there were Indians on bot
sides OF those mules. pounding Their
with their bows. and making then
run. while the boys In the camp wcr
shooting as fast as they could loa
and hre. protecting the driver. VII
was fleeing for his life. with a score o
red devils after him. whooping. yellin
and shooting. His two reyolyers wer
strapped upon the machine. which h
had left IN a hurry and there va
nothing Tor him 10 do but streak Il 10
camp.
The Cheyennes Arapahoes and Kio
!. was were committing many depreda
p tious along the Arkansas river N
u summer I started my ranch Al sprin
+ Bottom said Mr.. Wright with m
y we're my wife and two children. m
q partner Joe Graham. and a hired maj
. A. We expected 10 be attacked az an
moment. Graham went 10 Fort Lyo
after supplies so that We could stan
siege. The night Of his return
], left for Point OF Rocks. 90 miles dow
q the river. TO take back a mule whic
Z he bad borrowed 20 help him home Wit
Is his supplies. AZ daylight the nei
Is morning my ranch was attacked B
n about 800 Indians. Fortunately. q
). folks were not taken by surprise an
a they gave the redskins a hot reception
10 killing one and wogading a numb,
Ir OF their ponies. My wife placed III
m little ones on the loor and cover,
n them with feather beds Then 81
"a busted herself loading the guns q
e. the men Cor those were the days
"A muEzle-loadCrs- beside keeping
.r sharp lookout through the ehinklI
IA between the logs Tor an attack In a
I rear. Often she detected the lndlal
"a crawling up on the opposite side FRO
"a that whore the men were nrlng. an
q. giving the alarm. they would rui
across the room and pelt lead in
their hides or scare them away.
The battle was kept up Tor abo
seven hours with the loss an on q
~ side Of the Indians. Finally they he
= big pow-wow. and. after killing !
~ our horses. mules. cows and hogs. an
~ rode Oh up the river. Satisfying bin
self that the Indians had really left
N ==--=
"a
n.