The Yale expositor., 1900-09-14
COWBOY STORIES
ABOUT ROOSEVELT.
Rough Rider Had the Friendship
OF the Cattlemen.
Quaint Orders Given to the Cow Punch.
ers His Experience with
BrOnchO-The Colonel Won
Test of Friendship.
YALE, MICH.

In most interesting letter in the Chi
cago Record, dated at Medora, y. d.,
William Il. Curtis repeats many of the
stories told him by the ranchmen and
cowboys of North Dakota and eastern
Montana relative to Gov. Roosevelt He
says they remember him most kindly and
consider him one of themselves. Among
others Mr.. Curtis relates the following:
A. Il. Packard, now of Chicago, was
editor of the Bad Lands Cowboy when
Roosevelt was ranching up on the Little
Missouri, and has many pleasant recol-
lections of those days. Said he: You
cannot pay a higher compliment to Theo-
dore Roosevelt than to say that he won
the friendship Of every cowboy in the
Bad Lands. There isn't on earth more
Independent. self-thinking lot Of men than
these same cow-punchers They have the
faculty of shucking a man out of his
crust and looking his real charactce
squarely in the face. If they like him il
is 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 n conclusion about
Roosevelt to keep his opinion to himself
in the Bad Lands. The cowboy is per-
any way his friendship for Roosevelt. L
wonder what would have happened TO
Atgeld 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 Medora,
so that l was cotemporary with him.
His name was q little too much for the
1 l.
orally known as Rooscnfclder. That he
was destined to popularity was shown
by an almost immediate change to nick
names, chief Of which were old -Four
Eyes, because he wore spectacles with
enormous glasses. and Skin TOOTH
which has been sufficiently explained by
the cartOOnist
Nothing amused the cowboys more
than Roosevelt's choice of words and
manner of speech. He was 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 coulec. An experienced fore
man would have shouted; Get a git on
you there and head them steers, or Hit
the high places and turn EN- Roose-
velt's order, while equally sharp, nearly
paralyzed the flying cow-puncher. 1t has
been treasured and told and retold where
ever two or more cow-punchers have
gathered together. standing in his stir
rups he opened his steel-trap mouth and
yelled: Hasten quickly forward yonder.'
The wonder was it didn't stampede the
herd.
"In the Chimney Butte horse herd"
continued Mr.. Packard, twas a broncho
named Devil. When you find a horse in
the West with such a name you can be
sure he has earned it. Devil had. One
after another tie cowboys had tried their
hest to stay with the leather on him,
and none had succeeded, even with the
aid of life-preserver' and hobbled stir
rups. He had been given up as a spoil
ed horse, especially after he had acquir-
ed 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 quick
sand. Roosevelt mounted, jerked off the
blind, and then began what was called
at the time the gaul durndest panoram-
mer the Bad Lands has ever saw The
first jump took Devil into the middle Of
the Quicksand and MacmOnnies' fountain
became squirt gun by comparison.
Sand, water, Roosevelt and Devil seem
ed merged into solid body. Finally there
was a separation and Roosevelt ascend
ed to take a look at Wyoming as Bill
Jones facetiously remarked. The next
day and the next and the next there was
the same 'panorammer, but finally came
n day when Roosevelt stayed with the
leather and brought Devil, thoroughly
tanned, back to the ranch. 1t may not
sound like much in the telling, but man
who can tame horse with Devils repu-
taton can divide the last chew of tobac-
co with a cow-puncher. And that is n
final test of friendship. He at once be-
came Teddy to every cowboy in the Bad
Lands.