The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-23
ReColleCtlons Of
Teddy in The West
W. L. Curtis in the Chicago Record.

L. PACKARD, now of Chicago, was editor
IN of the Bad Lands Cowboy when Roosevelt
IAe wasranchnG up on the Little Missouri,
and has many pleasant rccollections Of
those days. Says he: "You cannot pay higher
compliment to Theodore Roosevelt than to say
that he won the friendship of every cowboy in
the Bad Lands. There isn't on earth a more
independent, self.thnkng lot Of men than these
same cowpunchers. They have the faculty Of
shuckng a man out of his crust and looking his
real character squarCly in the face. II they like
him it is a pretty safe guess that the man will
pass muster anywhere for his sterling worth, and
it is Just as safe for any one who differs from
such a conclusion about Roosevelt to keep his
opinion to himself in the Bad Lands. The
boy is perfectly willing at all times to back up
in any way his friendship for Roosevelt l won
der what would have happened to Mtgeld if he
had delivered his Toledo speech at a Bad Lands
roundup?
Roosevelt had just established his Chimney
Butte ranch and was driving in some cattle when
| landed at Mcdora, so that | contemporary
with him. His name was a little too much for
the average cowboy, and at first he gener-
ally known as Roosenfelder. That he was de.
Stincd to popularity was shown by an almost
immediate change to nCk.names chief of which
were "Od Four Eyes" BECAUSE he wore spec
tacles with enormous glasses, and "Skin Tooth"
toonst.
"Nothng amused the cowboys more than
Roosevclt's choice Of words and manner OF
speech lie is the purist in language, and at
first was unable TO tackle the cow-punchers
slang. While driving the first bunch Of cattle
to his Chimney Butte ranch a number Of them
started up a coulee. An experienced foreman
would have shouted: Get git on you there
and head them steers or Hit the high places
and turn 'em. Roosevelt's ORDER while equally
sharp, nearly paralyzed the flying cow.puncher.
1t has been treasured and told and re-told wher.
ever two or more cow.punchers have gathered
together. Standing in his stirrups, he opened his
steel.trap mouth and yelled: "iIasten quickly
forward yondcr' The wonder was it didn't STAN.
pede the herd.
"In the Chimney Butte horse herd" continued
Mr. Packard, "was a broncho named Devil.
| When YOU find horse in the west with such a
| name you can be sure that he has earned it.
| Devil had. One after another the cowboys had
| tried their best TO stay with the leather on
| him. and none had succeeded, even with the aid
Of life.preservcr' and hobbled stirrups. lie
| had been given up as a spoiled horse, especial
ly after he had acquired the playful habit Of
trying to bite and jump on the rider after he
| had thrown him.
Roosevelt decided to ride Devil and tame him
| for a saddle horse 1t took three men TO rope
and tie him down while the blind and saddle
were being put on and he was then led to the
edge of the Little Missouri and headed for q
| quicksand Roosevelt mounted, ierked off the
blind, and then began what was called at the
| time the gaul durndest panorammer the Bad
| lands has ever saw The frst jump took Devil
| into the middle Of the qucksand and Macmon
MES fountain became squirt gun by compari
| son. Sand, water Roosevelt and Devil seemed
merged into a solid body. Finally there was
| separation and Roosevelt 'ascended to take lool
| at Wyoming as Bill Jones facetiously remarked
| The next day and the next and the next Their
was the same 'panorammer,' bnt finally came
| dav when Roosevelt stayed with the leather
| and brought Devil, thoroughly tanned, back Il
the ranch. It may not sound like much In tn
telling, hut a man who can tame a horse witt
DEVILS reputation can divide the last chew 0
tobacco with a oowpuncher. And that is
final test Of friendship. He at once became Ted
dy to every cowboy in the Bad Lands,
| "Our country was not organized in those day
| aud our nearest court Of jurisdiction was in Bis
marck 1875 miles to the east. The only real al
tempts at recognizing this jurisdiction ended /
Marquis de Mores' party shooting a man name
Infsey, and it then became the fashion for tn
deputy sheriff from Bismarck or Mandan to
stood up under guard and put on the hrst trai
| cast whenever an attempt at arrest mad,
| The Montana STRANGERS aiterward shot and hun
twenty,eght alleged rustlers' who had given tn
Rad Lands the reputation Of being the toughe'
| place ON the frontier.
"At a mass meeting in Medora Marquis
Mores was elected chief Of the fire departmeT
and was elected chief OF police, Not long afte
ward a man namd Finnegan turned loose an
announced that it was his time TO howl N
Fisher was In my Office shaving, the mirror bein
propped up on the feed'board OF Gordon pres
: One Of the bullets from Finnegan's winchest
went clear through the office and passed betweG