The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

furnished by Blossoms orchestra. L. A.
Allen delivered an address on THE
Pioneer Cattlemen of Then and Now"
He said:
MR.. ALIENS SPEECH.
when 1 was & boy of 16 I crossed the
cattle that was driven from the Mis-
souri, river to the Rocky mountains. At
that time Council Grove, Kan, on the
old Santa Fe trail, was an Indian trad
ing post, with no settlement of white
people between that place and the
mountains; there were only few over
land stage stations to Fort Larned, and
none between there and Bent's old fort,
a distance of 240 miles. The Santa Fe
trail was then one of the greatest
wagon and overland routes in the
world; no other highway in the worlds
history was the scene of so many stir
ring adventures as this first pathway
across the Great American Desert The
country between Council Grove and the
mountains was inhabited by wandering
tribes of wild Indians and immense
herds Of buffalo. The Warlike character
of the Indians made it very hazardous
for traders and wagon trains to pass
through this wild country. Many fights
occurred between the Indians and over
land traders and cattle drivers, often
resulting in many being killed on both
sides and a great loss Of property.
During the period between 1860 and
1870 there was supposed to be not less
than from $4,000 to $4,000 wild Indians
and from to million head Of buffalo
roaming the country between the Rio
Grande on the south to the Platte
river on the north, and between Council
Grove on the east to the mountains on
the west. The Indians were mostly
Comanches. Cheyennes, Arapahoes and
kiowas. They We're on the warpath
about every other year, alternately
with the Americans, as the Indians
called them, on the north, and the Tex
ans, or Tejanos, on the south. The In
a ffr1ln 61na he
janos' as different nationality from
the Americans of the north
In the later COS settlements began to
push westward from Council Grove The
Union Pacific was built up the Kansas
valley and on to Denver, and the Santa
Fe was constructed west to the Arkan-
sas valley. A short time before, in 1866,
think, Fort Dodge had been built and
occupied with a large number of SOL
diers. Dodge City, just outside the gov
eminent reservation, came into being.
And such city it was, a collection of
board shantieS and tents, a Wild West
place and the rendezvous of bad men,
However, it was an oasis in the desert,
it marked the beginning of civilization.
Many was the time after being on the
trail for weeks 1 liked to come in sight
of it.
About that time there was a large
surplus of cattle in Texas which had
accumulated during and after the war.
The south offered no market for them,
and many brave cattle men with their
cowboys gathered their big beef herds
and started north to find a market.
Some had gone before to Baxter
Springs Abilene, Wichita and Great
Bend, but these sections were occupied
by settlers. Dodge City was thought
to be far enough west that no tender
foot farmer would ever dare try raise
crops anywhere around it, So the
Texas cattle men made their trail
straight to Dodge. They had their
troubles getting through the Indians,
4T7rr
from home for months before they ar
rived at their Mecca" But they knew
that at Dodge they would meet some
northern ranchmen, government or IN
cattle, or perhaps it would be some
eastern Yankee who wanted to take
whirl at the Texas longhorns.
Those were the palmy days of
Dodge, the town was in it's glory. On
all sides were hundreds of herde of
cattle awaiting a sale. Many ranch
men and thousands of COWBOYS lined
the streets and filed the places of
amusement; everything was wide open
and any kind of a play could be had.
When the cowboys wanted to paint
the town they went about it with en-
thusiasm and did a good job. Some
times they left little of the red on
the streets. and often had to make for
camp on Crooked creek or Pawnee, out
north. for repairs
But with the Santa Fe road in the
country came the big cattle buyer. At
once Dodge City was the greatest cat
tie shipping point in the west Cattle
got fat on the rich grasses of the sur
rounding country. and 1t became fam
Gus as a cattle center. The town out
grew it's Wild West character and
took on the appearance of the substan-
tial business city as we see it today.
The Santa Fe passed on to the west,
and other roads We're built south. The
farmer came and wanted land: he got
it, either in the valley. or the. sand
hills, or out on the flats. They came
with the idea of farming like they did
back east. But it would not work that
way, especially on the uplands, and
they quit the country.
But others came with COWS and
horses, and with different ideas how
to maintain themselves and make the
country prosperous. They had gained
this knowledge from the old-timer
who told them that this was a cattle
mans country; that crops can be pro-
! duced some years. but cattle will null
tiply and grow from year to year in
/ the country surrounding Dodge as well
as in other parts of Uncle Sans do
main 1t is to the old freighters the
old cattlemen from Texas and other
parts of the west. the pioneer ranch
/ men and the pioneer business men of
the country that the present generation
1 owes a debt of gratitude. Had it not
been for the bravery and perseverance
/ of these hardy men, the railroads
would not have been constructed as
soon as they were. nor would the peo-
pie of today be enjoying peace and
/ happiness on the once Great American
| desert.
being shipped from Dodge, many thou
/ sands of cars each year we loaded trains