The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-07-12
DUDE RANCH
is REMOVED.
UNIQUE ESTABLISHMENT NOW
BILLINGS NEAR NEIeH1oR.
Only one OF ITS KIND
Something About Concern Made Fa.
nous Through Originality Of
Business II Does.

Business It Docs.
Among those who we're in the city
last Saturday was Howard Eaton, for
merly of Medora, N. D., but now a
resident Of Wyoming, where he and
his brother, Charles, have ranch
about 1S miles from Sheridan and
near Manchester.
The Eatons are the enterprising gen.
tlemen who gained fame and inciden-
tally something more substantial in
the way Of solid earthly recompense
by founding and maintaining the orig
inal "dude" ranch, an establishment.
that for years was one of the institu-
tions of North Dakota.
The "Dude" Ranch.
The dude ranch obtained it's name
because of the class of men who fre-
quented it. They were the scions OF
wealthy New York and other eastern
men, who wanted actual experience
.sroughing it, in the west. For a con-
sideration the Messrs. Eaton provided
them with bed and board and hroses
I to ride. Attired like the heroes OF
Ewestern dramas to be seen on the
cheap stage Of the east, the young
fellows would ride about the country
and make occasional visits to the
! town of Medora, where they were al
ways the center OF attraction because
of the gaudiness Of their raiment and
tother unmistakable evidences of the
genus tenderfoot, who wants to i'm
press upon the genuine article that
he is a b-a-ad man from away up
the head of the gulch.
| AS they had come out to gain actual
experience, they were given it in ev-
cry way. The plain fare of the camp
and trail was served at the "dude"
ranch and instead of the magniflcence
and luxuries of their apartments AT
home the young fellows found them
selves surrounded by the primitive
ness Of appointment characteristic ct
the old-time frontier shack. A huge
Eroom, lined with hunks on either side
and with blankets for bedding was
| where they slept. The days spent on
horseback and the long rides after
game that was never found prepared
them for the nights repose and they
slept sounder on their blankets and
hard boards than they ever did at
home.
Always Little Too Late.
| There is no record that any of them
ever killed anything larger than a
gopher or anything more dangerous
than mosquito, for wild animals no
longer roamed those parts after the
dude" ranch became an established
fact. This, however, did not interfere
with it's success as an attraction to the
rich pilgrims. The men at the ranch
would always tell them that they were
"]ust little too late" for antelopes
deer, an occasional mountain lion and
even struggling bear had been seer
thereabouts before their arrival. The
fact was that this was actually SO
but quite few years before the
"dude" ranch had become an actuality
as such. Consequently the truth was
always told, if not exactly the whole
truth.
Have New One.
Having a good opportunity to sci
; their ranch last spring, the Eaton:
} disposed Of it. They received a bis
!, price for it and concluded to let il
60 Then, tooi the country thereabout:
has been settling up during the las
|, few years and the glamor that once
surrounded it is fast disappearing.
no longer appeals to the young fellow!
from the east, who want to get ava.
, from the railroad and into localit!
where nature is still unfettered b.
J art and civilization and where gam,
could still exist, had the hunters o
! long ago allowed any to remain. TIL.
new ranch selected by the Eaton
: comes nearer to the requirements AM
: before long another "dude" ranch will
: be within comparatively short dis
, tance Of Billings, but yet far enougl
3 away to render its people safe fron
: the depredations Of the men who wea
rowels on their spurs as large a