The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-10-08

sandered as to reputation, which, if We
believe some producers Of cheap eastern
literature was painted in very dark col
ors / have always found them to be
free, Open-hearted. manly class of fellows,
anyone of whom would unhesitatingly risk
his life in the defense of woman. or, for
that matter, of anyone in need of assist
ance. 1t is true that sometimes, after pay
day, they would over-indulge in BOOZE
visit small town in body, persist in
riding into saloons and take their drinks
on horseback, fire off their pistols prOmls-
cuously and "paint the town red gener-
ally.
COWBOY FECD.
Their chief amusement in town was to
get hold of an Fastener, unused to the
wild ways of the Woolly West, whom in
their jargon. they would designate as n
.'teIderfOQt." To him they would relate
the most improbable stories Of thei: adj
ventures; of terrific combats with Indians;
of hairbreadth escapes; of fierce fights with
mad cattle and unbrOken mustangs. They
would often persist in treating and making
| their victim drink with them, nOlens yo-
| lens. If the latter showed himself good
natured the cowboys would treat him lib
orally, but if he proved surly and uncom-
paniOnable, his treatment was apt to he
rather rough. Wicked men are never lib
eral, and the cowboys are the most liberal
class of men / have ever met. ! rernem-
Der one incident l witnessed in the small
| town of Charleston, on the San Pedro
River. The railroad had just been com
pleted to Benson, and preacher had ar
rived in the town by the Benson stage,
probably the first who came to exhort this
wild community to amend their ways.
This man wore black clothes; he was very
thin and TALL and wore a high black silk
hat that Immediately became the target Of
a dozen cowboys. Within five minutes that
hat was perforated by half dozen pistol
bullets. The people laughed, the preacher
as much as anybody. Then he disappeared
into n store, whence he presently came
with new hat on his head: this time a
fiat one with low crown. He walked up
to the cowboys and said pleasantly
Boys, please don't try it on this hat;
my skull reaches to the top; and. besides.
| | have no money to buy another" The
absolute fearlessness of this man not only
as:onished the cowboys exceedingly. bur
| filled them with respect for the preacher.
| They took him into their midst and re-
quested him to take just one drink with
them. This he did, and then invited them
to assemble upon the hotel porch at p.
M, when he would address a few remarks
| to all present and the cowboys all put in
an appearance. The sermon WAS short.
In simple words he preached about the in
| exhaustible love of God for all his crea-
lures; he spoke to them of their far-away
mothers at whose knees they had learned
their first prayers, and closed his speech
with a simple prayer. When he passed
the hat around for travelling expenses. il
was filled to the brim with silver coins,
for the most part contributed by the row
boys. This was, of course, in early days,
from about 1876 to 1888. During that
period there had started feud between
| t,yn cla ia ,yhnca raripcin,J ran
devious was at Tombstone. l do not re
member what the original cause of this
bitter feud was between the Earps and
Clantons, which latter were assisted by
the Stillwels; but l know that. first and
last, about 20 men lost their lives in the
numberless fights that took place between
them, sometimes in the streets of Tomb
stone. Here it was that witnessed an
incident that speaks strongly for the coo
courage and presence Of mind of these
frontiersmen: i was standing in front OF
RiIlicke's Hotel. in the main street OF
Tombstone. Near me stood man dressed
like a cowboy, n clean-limbed, weather
tanned man with rema rkably handsom,
features and fearless steel gray eyes. HI
was intently watching two men who wer,
coming down the street toward the hotel
engaged in apparently serious converse
ton which made them forget their sur
! roundinGs. When they had arrived within
about four feet OF the hotel entrance. thu
cowboy near me whipped out Colt''
revolver and pointing it straight at ont
of the newcomers said: "Pve got you th
,, time, Bill" (This was called ito get TIL
drop on a man. The threatened in
divdual looked up, and then CHANGING a
the cooked pistol leveled at his heart, sal,
with smiling lips and without the leas
, culver in his voice: II see you have go
|. me dead; but you had better put a cal
on your pistol; it won't shoot that way!
The aggressor brought his pistol back +
, look at the nipple. But that moment wa
, enough. In that fraction of second tn
!; assailed man had his pistol out, fired, an,
! the other fell dead.
CAPTURED IN MEXICO.
e During the month of May, 1881. m
= wife's old complaint returned with re
l newed force. At first we tried bathing il
d the warm springs emanating from the rim
e con Mountains about 10 miles northeas
of Tucson, but soon found that no benefi
< was to be derived from them Zecken
:, dorf & Staab had closed their business
as before stated, and I was employed a
! book-keeper in the grocery store Of A
Goodman. Seeing that no relief was to b
found from the medicines prescribed b,
, three different physicians, l made up M
, mind to take my wife once more to tn
| hot springs of Ymuris. My younge
. hrof r. in 10 ~ furnished a four muIa FOO ~,