The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1901-05-17
HE CLOSED HIS STORE.
The Strange story Of Peter RObidOux
Who Once Conducted Store
at Fort Wallace.

Western Kansas has furnished many
queer characters in its day, and Peter
Robidoux, of Wallace county, is one Of
the Gueerest Of the lot, relates a writer
in the Kansas City Journal
Pete, as he is familiary called, loca-
ted in Wallace county when the mem
ory of man runneth not .to the con-
trsry. He is a French Canadian by
birth. and a native of the short grass
country by adoption. He was one OF
the biggest cattlemen of the early days,
when the cattle were allowed to roam
the prairies the year round, except for
the annual roundup. There were no
settlers in the country at that time.
The latter day difficulties, according to
Peters notion, such as herd law and
squatters upon government land, we're
not dreamed of at that time. Mr..
Robidoux was the owner of probably
two thousand cattle. But during the
winter of 1886 a blizzard swept over
the prairies and lasted for six long
weeks. When it was over, Pete's cattle
we're traced by their carcasses from the
Smoky Hill to the Arkansas river Mr..
RObidoux's light, as a cattleman, went
out with that storm
Mr.. RObidoux also conducted a store
in the town Of Wallace in the early 8Os
and was postmaster of the town. 1t is
related that he sold government stamps
and Missouri red-eye over the same
counter. When a tenderfoot came in
he would charge him the same price
for stamp that he would for drink,
and the price was usually quarter.
His store consisted largely of such
supplies as would be used by cowboys
and upon large ranches. Soldiers were
also stationed at Fort Wallace at that
time, and Wallace was a thriving burg
where "laW" was unknown and "order"
was not in the vocabulary of a dozen
residents of the town. The stranger
who refused to dance at the first re-
quest was promptly killed, as it was
taken as prima facie evidence that his
health would not be good in that al
titude and that he was better off dead
than alive. Still the people had hearts
as big as oxen, as is the case in all new
countries, although their habits and
customs are such as would be calcu-
lated to send a chill down the spine Of
a man from Boston town.
But the break came at Wallace.
The soldiers we're taken away, the town
lost the county seat and railroad divi-
sion, the county began filling up with
people who were looking for homes;
stores we're started that undersold the
high prices of the early days, and
rather than face humiliation Of that
character, Mr.. Robidoux locked the
doors of his store and quit business.
The store stands there today, as it
stood when he locked the doors a
dozen years ago, a monument to the
early settlement of western Kansas.
Mr.. Robidoux has absolutely refused
to sell anything except at old time
prices, and he can find no buyers; in
fact he isn't looking for any. The
stock Of goods was worth at one time
probably 5000. It's value to-day would
be matter of conjecture. Mr.. Robi-
doux moved back to his ranch and
turned his attention to cattle. He
probably has 1900 head of cattle now.
has control of 10000 acres of Wallace
county land, and has 70 miles of wire
fence. He is president of the Wallace
County Stock Growers association,
and one Of the heaviest taxpayers in
western Kansas.