The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1900-09-13
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.

In most interesting letter in the Chi.
cago Record, dated at Medora, n. D.,
William n. Curtis repeats many OF the
stories told him by the ranchmen and
cowboys OF North Dakota and eastern
Montana relative to Gov. Roosevelt He
4 says they remember him most kindly and
consider him one OF themselves. Among
4 others Mr.. Curtis relates the following:
a. T. 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: on
cannot pay 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 shocking man out Of his
crust and looking his real character
gquarely ia the face II they like him 1t
Is pretty safe guess that the man will
pass muster anywhere for his sterling
j worth, and it is just as safe for any one
who differs from such conclusion about
Roosevelt to keep his opinion to himself
In the Bad Lands. The cowboy is per-
fectly willing at all times to back up in
any way his friendship for Roosevelt. /
wonder what would have happened to
Altgeld IL he had delivered his Toledo
speech at Bad Lands roundup?
s Roosevelt had Just established his
Chimney Butte ranch and was driving
In some cattle when landed at Medora,
90 that / was cotemporary with him.
His name was q little too much for the
average cowboy and at first he was gem
orally known as Roosenfelder. 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 spectaces with
enormous glasses, and Skin Tooth,
which has been sufficiently explained by
the cartoonist.
Nothing amused the cowboys more
than Rooseyelt's choice Of words and
Il. amer Of speech. He was the purist in
lslans lage, and at first was unable to
! s. cEie the -punchers' slang. While
driving RE first bunch Of cattle to his
Chimney Butte ranch q number Of them
started up a cdllee. 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-
velts order, while equally sharp, nearly
4paraIyzed the flying cow-puncher. 1t has
sbeen treasured and told and retold where
:. ever two or more cow-punchers have
.aaHthered together. Standing In his STIR
Rlps, he opened his steel-trap mouth and
yelled Hasten quickly forward yonder.'
The wonder was 1t didn't stampede the
herd.
i I'm 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 he has earned it. Devil had. One
after another the cow boys had tried their
best to stay with the leather on him,
and none had succeeded, even with the
aid Of life-preserver' and hobbied stir
rups. He had been given up as spoil
ed horse, especially after he had acquir-
q 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 saddle horse. 1t took
three men to rope and tie him down while
the blind and saddle were being put on,
NJ AGN ne Was then leu " LIE teust VI tnc
little Missouri and headed for quick
sand. Roosevelt mounted, jerked off the
blind, and then began what was called
ut the time the gaul durndest panofam-
mer the Bad Lands has ever saw. The
first jump took Devil into the middle of
the euicksand 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 look 40 Wyoming as Bill
Jones facetiously remarked. The next
day and the next and the next there was
the same 'panorammer, but finally came
a 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-
tation can divide the last chew OF tobac-
co with cow-puncher. And that is a
fnal test OF friendship. He at once be-
came Teddy to every cowboy in the Bad
Lands.