New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-15
4 TYPICAL FRONTIER TOWN.
CHADRoN. NEB. ITS CIVILIZATION AND RE
SOURCEs-THE BLIZZARD.

I
be termed the new West. e.. the towns and the
cities that have been established and built up BY
the construction and the extension OF railway lines
cannot possibly comprehend that few are 10 DC
found that are not possessed OF all things neces-
sary and requisite for the comforts and enJoyments
Of life and they are found 70 be peopled IN goodE
number by Our sort of folks" as the New-Eng-
lande- would say-industrious, wel-mannered. we'll
educated law abiding ard fostering that Christian
virtue DO unto others ye would that they
should do unto you. ~
When one sees on the map the name or FRONTIER
town organized recently he is likely 10 associate
with Il Indians and cowboys. These are 10 DC
found IN the new towns. certainly in this new part
~ Nebraska; the former with their war-bonnes'
Blankets beads stone pipes. papooses' ETC. GU
canped on tho outskirts Of the Town III tIie"
tepees while on a leave OF absence from the rl,e
Ridge Agency 10 spend the alotments palu 10
them by their generous Uncle Sam. and the latter
with their broad-brimmed sombreros. leatherh
breeches and eggngs lasso. etc, astrlde OF 'nr''
hroncos most OF the time. and with seat IN inc
saddle so easy that they seem 10 be part OF 'ne
animal itself But neither OF these are the lawlcss
characters that one reads about in books or ncuon
for even the Indian with his war-oonnet reacHlns
4ro,n head N heel has brought II in 70 sell 70 the
memento- gatherer. While the COWBOY II Oh inc
class OF hail fellow, well met, II Is not lhlre-
ouent that he Is a second edition OF mcclure
Roosevelt a college graduate gentleman caII'e-
rats who has taken up the Ire oH t4' P''''''
cause he loves II and because there IS money IN IT,
1-rue there are Instances Of men who have no
regard for the peace and safety OF their neighDots
nor for morality nor religion. but the majority are
not Of this class There arc many whom some
would classify among the Maynard until a better
acouantance-m who, having been proughl up
IN the saddle 10 care for their herds. are quick.
dead shots cool daring and accustomed to cir
cumstances that bring all kinds or hardship ana
privation are ready to uphold At all times justice
and defend the weak against the law-preakers.
Among the Sioux Indians there are faces familiar
N the freouenters Of the wild West show men
who have accompanied Buffalo Bill many sea
CON and Uar-whoopod and screeched and hrrayed
themselves IN costumes and paint after manner
calculated TO send cold chill through the entire
frame OF the average New-Yorker; out they arc
really harmless except when crszed Win ire
water" which is rare nowadays since the agencies
have been controlled and administered by Army
officers.
THE VALUE OF MARTIAL LAW.
When ono Sec the Indian squads chasing 'he
cattle when issued at the reservations on ths mon
when the Indian must run down the peeI ''
10 him by the Government with the riHe' VI "
oxb,bition Of the Omaha dance on the reserVa'o"
following the issue Of ratons, he realizes 'nat VIC
Government does a very proper thing to estaoHsh
martial law AZ the Indian reservations, for II -
evident that the red man OF tho elo"N anu
CHEYENNE tribes might get beyond the "hl'e ma"
control were he allowed fun liberty Oh 0o"
erd muscular mower whenever the Indians assume
that their rights have been encroached upon oy 'e
male faces" But under the restrictions imposed
az the reservations and approaching the capaDiH-
ties Of the National military forces and the hras-
Jorgensen rifle and the speed OF the cavalry no'7S'
their mowers Of discretion are increased
That the conditions as they exist to-day IN
,cor+hwo.tern Nebraska IN South Dakota, Wyo-
ming and other parts of the West. where there are
so many thrifty homes. provided win all ol TIC
comforts that the ordinary man could WISH Iol' si'
the result of railway communication ana 'h''s1l'''
missionaries everybody IS ready 70 ADMIT A"'
city. with It's three thousand OF population mas
eevnral churches an academy for Christian edu-
cation as well as education in higher school
studies a Young Mems Christian Association. pub
lie schools two banks business blocks OF brick
and frame eto II also has its liquor shops but.
fortunately not many in proportion 10 the popu-
lation AS has New-York city under Tsmmsnys
(mis,rule and the proprietors have a higher re-
gard for the Sunday laws. The city has only one
police Official and he has proved ample 10 preserve
peace and order up TO tho present. for your CORE
spOndent has failed TO see case OF drunkenness IN
the last two weeks. in fact the only instance or
crime reported in that time has been tho suicide
OF a young
The morale OF the place seems to DO under most
/ excellent control, and al OF tho people are ap-
parently united in their determination TO uphold
law and morality and to live and work FOR the
+ hcnent or their HelRnbOrS ana inc community
rather than to live and work solely for each self.
The academy TO which reference Is made and in
the work of which everybody seems to be inter-
ested an institution regularly organized. and tho
authorized school Of the Congregational churches
ana or the Congregational Educauohal society ltS
field embraces all the northwestern part Of Ne
miles. II is Christian academy on frontier home
missionary ground. The spirit Of the teaching is
to quicken the spiritual life OF the students while
at the same time they are being trained 10 teach
of l4rG in lie sol ar lt
a fair equipment for the duties Of life, which they
would not be able to attain IN me public schools
the lookup in the courthouse building has not had
case brought to II in three weeks This speaks well
for the religious and educational influences of its
churches. academy. the people, etc. But Chadron
does not stand alone IN Nebraska for such record.
nor apart from the other and cities in South
Dakota and Wyoming where the railways Of the
Chicago and Northwestern system reach. Fifteen
years ago this section a Wilderness # is
frontier region that was dangerous TO live In prior
TO lSo, about which time the Oldest towns were
established; II is stock-raising country and the
LON The raG,yavs furnish the comntry NV win a
strong, progressive movement.
THE LEADING INDUSTRY
OF course, the principal occupation or Industry
hereabouts IS cattle raising and sheep raising. I'll
though there some packing houses rolling mills
farming. etc, but such thing mining as in
the Dlack Hills within sight Of the city nor will
there ever be. 1t is likely that cattle and sheen
raising Will be not only continued but will be ex-
tended in spite OF the fact that the losses ~ AMI
mails through starvation and freezing during tho
recent unprecedented Arctic blizzard were 80 heavy
One will ind here who own not more than
fifty head Of beeves. from which fair returns are
made. and there are others who own as many as
twenty-five hundred head. Those who cOnnne them
seves to sheep raising declare that they would not
have cattle anyway but whether sheep or cattle
whatever the returns may be, they come without
much individual labor or individual anxiety OF
mind. And this may be the secret that there are
30 many OLD men or comparatively youthful APP
/ pearance and manners.
ranch or range. and 1t may be a single quarter sec
lion QO scres). or Z may be much az 800
acres, which Is the size ~ the Richards ranch.
with 25p cattle. on some OF the ranges there
are running streams, while upon Others water is
obtained by boring and the construction OF a wind
mill. With the exception OF what il known as tho
Bad Lands (Which are believed be the beds
and banks OF a one-time inland sea- whose waters
subslded and left dry. broken land and abrupt en-
bankmenis caused by erosion)-and they rightly
named Tor there ie tkorr. Il