The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-03
WHERE COWBOY IS YET KING
SHELBY JUNCTION, THE TOUGHEST
PLACE IN AMERICA.
Montana Claims the Town where
the Untamed Riders of the Range
stiI1 RuIe-Drummer Put Through
His PAGES by wild Cow Punchers.


Disgusting the fact that it is the most
disreputable little bailwick between the
two oceans. Arizona alone can furnish
rivals for this questionable distinction.
1t is a type of the old frontier settlement,
now happily mostly a matter of tradition
and "Reminiscences. The advancing tide of
civilization has swept the wide open. free
and easy town out of its path. Shelby.
young as IL Is, is relic OF the past, and
Il is the only place in Montana. and pos
sibly In the whole Northwest, where the
untamed cowboy is king and can enjoy
without disturbance the unique pleasure
Of shooting up town.
Shelby IN an accident. The only rea-
son II exists IL that two lines OF railroad
the Great Northern and the Great Falls
X Canada-intersect at this point.
Around this junction. scattered in hap
hazard irregular fashion, on both sides
of the track. are a shy dozen of houses,
mostly saloons. Low bluffs, in monot-
onous outline, break the horizon north
and south. forming narrow canyon
through which sweeps the blizzard blasts
OF winter and the whitening. dust-laden,
sirocco-lke winds OF summer. AS far
as the eye can see there is neither tree
nor even stunted brush to relieve the
bleakness of the drsary landscape. 1t
is waste OF drifting snow In winter
and n brown, somber stretch of withered
grass In summer. Now and then. in the
far distance. collection of little black
dots shows the presence of a bunch of
cattle.
water Held I'm Contempt.
God never intended Shelby to be in
habited, and as IL TO mark divine dis
pleasure the town IL forced to lead
waterless existence. a fact which may
account for the disproportionate number
of saloons. For miles around there is
not drop of water, and efforts te-seeare
Il by boring have been fruitiess. Nor
does the town seem to miss 1t. Your
genuine Shelbyite has a royal contempt
for water. bred of an intimate acauaint-
ance with Shelby whisky.
Shelby whisky Is wonderful and fear
full thing. IL is a cross between a stick
OF dynamite and small earthquake.
Take equal partScof witch's broth and
hell fire. mix carefully with vitriol add
dash or two of caustic potash and con-
centrated I've and you have a drink
which closely resembles shelby whisky
A hospital or n coffin r. the only chaser
a stranger needs after one drink of this
little invigorator. But then death would
be pleasant change and a happy release
from agony.
But to the cowboy and sheepherder this
Internal brew is nectar. They thrive on
II and take 10 II as n baby does to milk
and when loaded up with II they are equal
10 any occasion; they can rise TO any OPP
portunty. When cowboy gets good and
drunk It is paramount necessity that he
shoot Off something; frequently IL Is only
his mouth. hut more often IL Is an ugly
six-shooter. with which he Is an adept.
Around shelby are the great cattle rang
es, stretching out over the bench lands
and prairie In every direction. Thou
sands upon thousands OF head OF stock fat
ten upon this immediate pasturage and
their care demands the presence OF many
cowboys and sheepherders. Now. cow
puncher on the range Is very peaceahle
animal. The monotony of range llfe the
endless round of unvarytng details leads
TO the development OF low and meek
Christian spirit. When they get too good
they visit shelby IN small parties as an
antidote. shelby y sort OF keeley cure
for virtue when the treatment IL ended
both the cow -punchers and Shelby are
changed, diiapidated and frequently un-
recognikapie'
Inc ANAL 'nifrt OF tne COWBOY makes
Sheiny n possimh'y ana mas given "
hauona' repu'ahon'
Invasion OF Cow-Punchers.
when a Shelnylte sees far In the distance
a cloud OF dust making a bee line for town
he knows he f. on the verge OF a visitation
worse than plague or fever. II ne is wise
ne goes ana hunts hoie out generally
clouu OF GUST sweeps on IKE NhHiWtnd
ana as " nears tne wide street along me
rack 'ne horses are "rteu ny tfahtio'
Haaoen'hs SHUTS 70 a uu'st ~ oreek-
ne,N spseu. We aie ".se
aua =, 80 49,, 80, ,e"s ''Ne We
.s -. ,'h,io 80. ~. NJ.
49, a. go sho1,ar ts,.a, ,,N,.i,,,s - , Tvs
49,, .he,r tag,s an, h,nt a nts,nr
~ ana down Inc street these 'sbr,es,,s
acviis dash A. iightnlne sneed n,t,in,
ioaa into everything which pressnts a
messing mark A few turns ana they o,sn
the town Then at n given signal thew
strike for n bar room. II used to be the
fashion 10 drive, the horses In up 10 tho
bar but the saloonkeepers stopped that
bv building their doors smaller, and now
the cow-punehers leave their animals out
siae.
LahihE up % me PAT mere are s'Hhui'ah-
cons ana urgent oepahas' an lanknsSe
Nhich Noala shame mule "flNel, smpAa-
~'Rea eN tasiesoe az WINDOWS ana tanps