The Dickinson press., 1905-01-07
Twenty Years Ago at Medora.
The following from the Bad Lands
Cow Boy of January 22, 1885. will inter-
esf many PRESS readers.

The following from the Bad Lands
Cow Boy of January a2, 1885. will inter-
est many PRESS readers.
A reporter of the New York Mail cor
ncred Hon. Theodore Roosevelt in New
York the past week, and among other
things elicited the following in regard
to his Dakota experiences:
IL am president of the Western Da-
kota Catlleman's association, and it is
imperatively necessary that be III
western Dakota during H." months OF
April and May next | I'M, besides,
very fond indeed o he lille oi a ranch.
man. | life riding and shooting and the
open air-vigorous, active camp life! l
like the western men too, and get along
capitally with them-a great deal better
than do with some OF the New York
politicians" he laughnglH added "Cow
boys are a very mu' h maligned order OF
human beings. hove always found
them very hospltable, generous sort of
men with certain rude chivalry about
them. 1t seems to me, by the way,
curious tha, eastern people should seem
to pay so little attention to the really
great outrage that is being perpetrated
upon Dakota bv refusing to allow it to
be divided and admitted as two states.
AT the last election Dakota polled 10000
vo,es, vote larger than that of either
New Hampshire, Vermont. Rhode Is
land, Delaware, Florida. Nevada or
oregon. Her people possess two or
three time, the number OF savings
hanks. newspapers and schools that are
possessed BY uny one Of hall dozen
such states as Arkansas. Mississippi or
Alabama. The growth ol the territory
is proceeding with a r.pidi,y that is
l.:irlv startling. and in spite of an occa-
sionAl disturbance such It's invariably
attends frontier life, the population can
on the whole. be said to be composed of
most moral, orderly and intelligent
people. Such being the case there is
absolutely no excuse for the refusal to
admit those people to an equality with
their fellow citizens in those portions of
the United States that are now organ
lied into states"
"Senator Vest, of Missouri, for one,
has different opinion" suggested the
reporter.
"Yes! 1t would have been irritating
If it had not been ludicrous to read his
TRADE against Dakota. 1 he charge of
being disorderly state, coming as it
did from senator haiing from state
which could only get rid of the James
brothers by hiring another set of ruff
hans to assassinate them is certainly
rich, extremely rich"
"You recently had an unpleasant in
terview with a bear"
"Ha, ha! You've heard that story too,
have you? Well, let me give you the
correct version. Be very careful and
take what say verbatim, please. Are
you ready? The report published stated
that the bear got within nine feet of me
before saw it and that killed it at
such close quarters. Now, while must
admit that | am rather near sighted,
still think my eyes are sufficiently
good to enable me to see bear good
distance further off than nine feet
The one referred to was much further
away"
"You have had pretty good luck at
hunting during your absence, have you
not?"
II did have pretty good luck this
summer, killing about every kind OF
large game to be found on the plains,
including three grizzlies. Yes, own
great many cattle in western Dakota.
and will have to be out there, as said
before, grsat deal of my time during
the next year. Indeed, if had no ties
in he east | do not know but what
would be tempted to take up my resi-
dence there"
"And be a COW boy?"
"Yes, and in a measure be a COW
boy. The life has certain half adven-
turous side to it which is very fascinat-
ing, especially TO man fond of the
horse and rife, as am"