Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-25
ROUGH HOUSE.

Wichita Kan Cor. chicago Record: I
haven't been in Wichita before since 1t
was '.the end Of the track" and the Wild
est and wickcGest town in tn, west. 1t
was the center of the cattle trade in those
days, the shipping p int for the Texas
herds; the end Of the trail, where thous.
a.ds Of steers Which mad been drive:p
across the ranges Of Indian Territory
were loaded or the cars every week TO he
shipped to the eastern markets. Every
thing was wide open then with a ven-
geance, and the cowboys were kings.
One night I attended an entertainment
in the Palace Opera house, or a place with
some such name, kept by "Eawdy joe a
famous character who had formerly been
known as Jospeh Lowe, of La Sale, III.
He was a boatlnan before he came to this
country, and had won an enviable repu-
tation as the toughest man in Kansas"
Mr., Lowe kept a drinking place, a gam
bling den and a dancehouse combined,
and Mrs. Lowe, who was better known as
"Rawdy Kate was the cashier and first
lieutenant. Together they made q pow
elful team, and the attractions of their
, place of business were we'll advertised be-
tween the Missouri river and the Rocky
mountains. There was nothing to beat it
| then, and there has been nothing to beat
it since.
On the evening of my arrival-it was
in the spring of IA attended a vaude-
VILE entertainment at this famous place,
and the great attraction was a "seriO
comic artist of the feminine persuasion,
whose pictures were plastered on all the
dead walls in town. At the close of her
first number, while waiting for the APP
plause to subside, she leaned against the
side of one Of the stage boxes which was
occupied by a gigantic drover n a party
of friends. With his long arms he reach
ed over the rail, grabbed her around the
waist, lifted her into his box and placed
her calmly upon his knees in less time
than it takes to tell it.
The audience was furious at the famil-
iarties taken with it's favorite, and there
was a rush for the stage. The big drove1
dropped the girl, and, drawing his revol-
yer, held the crowd at bay. Then bedlan
broke loose, and pretty soon nearly every
not care to participate in the battle start
ed for the door, and their flight was hast.
ened by a hysterical individual, who, in
leaping from one bench to another, struck
a big kerosene lamp with his head and
sent it flying into the midst of the pande-
monium.
How I got out of the place I never was
able to decide, but "Rowdy Joe's'' pal
ace was a heap of ashes two hours after.
ward, and there were rumor Of numerous
lost lives.
"Rowdy joe" "passed in his checks" a
Denver only a few weeks ago. This towr
got too tame for him and he went out to
the mines. Then, after he reached the age
Of 70, he decided to settle down and en-
JOY a peaceful life. During the last biz.
card he drove into town and left hi!
horses hitched in the street withou
blankets. A policeman Of humane in
stincts took them t. a stable, Inc Jo'
expressed his views OF that interference
and Of policemen in general in a saloo
where he had taken refuse from the cold
An ex-member IF the nv police re
scented the criticisms. "Rowdy Joe" is il
the cemetery and the ex-policeman is il
Jail awaiting trial for murder.