Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-03-09
CAPTAIN DICK

Captain Dick wells and Mrs. Wells,
formerly Jack Hall, will leave next
week for San Francisco en- route for
Portland, Ore"
This is the item that headed the per
sonal column of the Arizona papers
recently.
Back of this is a story that has set
all Arizona agog-the tale of woman
masqueradiRy II cowboy attire, lasso-
ing cattle taking part in shooting
scrapes, leading the wild free adven-
turous life of the Arizona vaquero-
the story of a woman who, because
her father had been hanged as a horse
thief, changed her name. hid her sex,
and the beating of hoof and the whizz-
ing of bullet, sought to drown the me-
mOry of the disgrace. AS a fitting
finale, when her sex was discovered,
she married Captain Dick" the BRAY
est and boldest cowboy in all Arizona.
1t is a story kindled with strange
and dramatic incidents that could
occur nowhere save in Arizona, where
still puts fiction to blush and boot and
spur have not altogether given away
to patent feathers.
1t was just about a year ago that
a slender, clean-shaven youth asked
for work at one of the big cattle
ranches near Williams. Captain Dick,
who was the leader of the cowboys,
engaged the "tenderfoot," and Jack
Hall, the name the applicant for work
gave, won his spurs in tne annual ro-
deo for which the cowboys were then
preparing.
By day Jack sat his horse rounding
up the cattle and at night slept on the
ground. He was quiet and distant 20.
wards the other cowboys, but for the
most part they liked him. Before the
first month ad passed he had an op-
portunity to show his mettle.
A number of cowboys were spend
ing the night in a typical Arizona
town-one saloon per every fifteen in
habitants. Jack Hall, in search OF
Captain Dick, dropped into one of the
saloons. A cowboy, revolver in hand.
was acting as master of ceremonies
while in the middle of the floor the
barkeeper, half dead from fatigue
was doing a dance, to the amusement
of the rest of the cowboys.
When the barkeeper attempted to
stop swirling his feet the cowboy
shouted for more dancing, and the
master of ceremonies encouraged the
barkeeper by popping his pistol dan
gerously near his feet.
Jack Hall watched the scene in si
lence until he saw that the barkeepeI
reached the limit of his endurance
Then he deftly wrenched the pistol
from the cowboys hand and, turning
1t on him, said: "If you want any
more dancing, do it yourself"
The cowboy snatched another one
but Jack Hall was too quick for him
There was a quici, sharp report ano
a cry of pain. The cowboy was
wounded in the right arm.
Then Jack Hall did a strange thing
His were the fingers that bandagel
his adversary's wounds. He attend
ed to him. even cutting his food fol
him, until the cowboy was we'll After
that he was christened Nurse Jacl
and more often called simply Nurse.
He had an almost womanish way Of
caring for them If they fell i'll.
HE amt a drinker and he cam
| play cards worth hill of friioles, bu
| he's all right dosing medicine anC
! such things" explained the cowboys
Moreover he was all right when i
came to handling a horse or a revolv
| in the cowboys estimation than bottl,
or cards. Beside he had as firm all,
Captain Dick, which, in Arizona, il
the open sesame to any cowboys
| friendship.
| Captain Dick did win his position
among the Arizona cowboys withou
/ first proving his strength of his gooG
/ right arm. Captain Dick has neve
been a believer in the laws delay
| He has assisted at more hanging
than any sheriff in the territory. No
/ hive the victims of his sense of justice
| afterward been proven innocent. Cap
tain Dick makes sure of the offender
| guilt before he ties the knot.
1t was in 1882, while he was still
very young, that Captain Dicks popul
| arity reached the high water mark
/ General Fremont, the new Governo
] of the Territory had introduced
/ bill in the Legislature, which wa
then in session, asking that severa
thousand dollars be put aside to equil
| company of militia to be sent to tn
southern part of the territory to sub
due the cowboys.
The older inhabitants and member
| of the Legislature secuted the idea
/ The request for the militia had com
| from a New England green grocer
who had not yet become acclimate
to the cowboy and his Harmless
Fourth Of July antics in town
What will the militia do?" dc
manded the legislators.
Shoot the cowboys if they mis-
behave. Order even at the price O
4 blood" replied the erstwhiie patti
/ finder.
Then a member from a Yavapa
County read a letter from "Captar
Dick" inviting the militia to come t
4 the southern part OF the territory.
There are members Of that legisls
1 ture who treasure a copy OF tina
letter to this day, and challenge an
one to produce anything as funn
from Mark Twain or Bill Nye. Cap
Dick proved his sense of humor an
his cunning with the pen as well a
| pistols. Several of the legislator
favored sending the militia Just so a
/ to give Capt Dick a chance to writ
Mrs. J. X. NJ ller, Newton Hami
ton, Pa. writes. II think Dewitt
witch hazel salve the grandest salv
made. 1t cures piles and heals ~
/ arvfbinO All fraudulanf s,,,fto fior