The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-04-11
TEXAS RANGERS.

Work.
The east and north Texas members
of the Legislature are in favor Of abol-
ishing the State ranger force. Ihe
members of the West and Southwest
Texas who know and appreciate the
great value of the rangers not only
are opposed to the proposed abolish
mcnt Of the force. but are ANXIOUS
that the appropriation for their malu-
tenance be increased and that the num-
ber be increased one hundred men.
at present there are four companies
Of rangers in the field. Each company
consists Of eight men. including the
captain.
The law creating the State ranger
force. officially known as the Frontier
Battalion. was adopted by the Legis'
lature on April 10. 1874. This law
provides THAT upon satisfactory e'i-
dence being furnished the Governor OF
this State that hostile Indians, MeXl-
cans or other marauding or thlevlng
parties are depredating upon the lives
NJ property Of the citizens of any
county or counties upon the frontier
Of this State the Governor is hereby
required, and shall organize OF cause
the same to be done. seventy-hve men
for each county that may be so III
tested, and that the whole number OF
men shall not exceed $50.
Each member of the ranger COM
panies is required 80 furnish himself
with 4 suitable horse. one six-shootlng
pistol, army size; blankets, clothing
and camp equipage. The State fur
nishes all necessary ammunition and
also provides each officer and private
with aE improved treechloading cav
airy gun at cost. The captains receive
500 a month, the sergeants $50. and
the privates $50.
At the time the ranger force was
created the Rio Grande frontier was
infested with numerous bands of hos
tile Indians and Mexican outlaws.
These marauding bands We're commit
ting numerous crimes upon the peace
able settlers and the authorities wee
unable to cope with the thieves anq
murderers The stocl;nen were the
principal sufferers. Bands OF Indians
and MeXicans would round up large
drovcs Of cattle. boldly driving them
across the Rio Grandc and dispose OF
them in Mexico. 1t Was alleged that
many Of the county authorities were
in league with the outlaws and for that
reason the stealing was permitted to
90 Oh without interruption.
When the call was made for men to
join the ranger companies some Of the
most ne I'd indian fighters in the State
volunteered their services. The first
companies to be organized We're sent
to the Rio Grande border counties,
where they were engaged for several
years in ceaselcss warfare against
the Indians and outlaws. These little
bands Of State troop: soon became
such Il source Of terror to lawbreakers
that many Of them fed from the State.
70 tie rangers is due the credit OF
having reduced smuggling along the
lilo Grande to minimum. They rem
,lered great. service to the United
States authorities in ferreting out and
capturing noted smugglers.
The rangers still are Of great useful
ness to Texas They are busy trailing
murdererS, thieves and other criminals.
They also perform splendid service
10 the stocknlen in the matter Of recoT-
ering stolen stock. The records of the
Adjutsnt-Gener Department show
that the rangers have recovered 1888
head Of stolen cattle and horses in the
past two years. 1t was through the
efforts of 4 company Of rangers that
the political feud in San Saba county.
which was the cause CT thlrty-touf
men being killed in that county within
the past eight years. was broken up.
In Galveston. only few weeks ago,
the county authorities refused to inter
fere il prize fight that had been ar
ranged to'take place between C'hoynski
and Hall. The Governor sent Captain
Mcdonald and detachment of his
r;n..-cI company to Galveston to sec
that the law was not violated. Cap
tain Mcdonald and hi: men save the
pueiliSts and the promoters Of the con-
test to understand that the fight must
not come of and it did net. There
have been comparatively few train and
stage robberies committed IL Texas
and this fact is due to the efficiency
Of the rangers. The rangers arc in
:hc saddle every day in the year. Last
year each member travelled more than
o.cnn lniles or P-"sn1'aCi.