The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-23
GUN FIGHTERS REST THERE.
Western Frontier Towns All Have
Their ''Boot Hnl'' Near BY.

Every one of the little frontier towns
of twenty years ago had its BOOT hi9l, .
where those who lived by the gun and
died by the gun were laid away with
their boots on, but it is hard to find
these unique and romantic burial
| places today. says the Butte Miner.
The gun fighters cemetery at Dodge
| City, Kan, is now the site of fine
! schoolhouse and school children rOmp
over the ground where many cow
4 boy was buried at the time when the
little town at the end of the cattle trails
seldom saw a day pass without its muir
1 der. But at Billings, Mont, If one
cares to take a walk of two or three
miles to a hill overlooking the flats
| of the Yellowstone, there is a frontier
| graveyard just as it was left years ago.
Boot hill'' is a survival of the old
town of Coulson, which was estab-
| lished on the Yellowstone about six
miles above the site of Billings long
before the hustling little center Of the
wool trade was ever thought of. Coul-
son was one of those wonderful mush-
room towns of the frontier. Steamboat
traffic on the Yellowstone ended there
1t was here General Terry's boats were
bound at the time of the Custer massa-
ere and at COulSOn centered the pictur-
esque life of southeastern Montana
trappers buffalo hunters, scouts, SOL
diers, friendly indians. half-breeds,
gamblers, and the riffraf that always
managed to ind it's way to the outposts
of civilization
Chief interest in Coulson's cemetery
centers IN the grave of the famous
scout and marshal -'Muggins" Taylor.
This grave is in the center of the Gem
etery surrounded by the remains of a
wooden fence. Taylor was one of the
celebrated characters on the frontier.
He was a scout and Indian fighter
whose courage was unquestfoned. At
the time Custer made his ilI-considered
dash into the Big Horn country Mug
gins Taylor was one of the scouts. At
the last minute he went with Reno.
After those terrible days of suspense
had been ended by the discovery that
all of Clusters command had been
killed, Taylor volunteered to carry the
news to the outside world.
He made a record-break king ride
through a country infested with hos
tile Indians, all made bold by the vic.
tory over Custer. After killing sew
eral horses, Taylor arrived at SILVIA
ter scarcely able to sit in the saddle.
Here he was dismayed to find the gov
eminent wire down. But Horace COun-
tryTnan volunteered to carry Taylor'S
message to Helena, where he arrived
dusty, haggard and 'all in From
Helena the news was flashed over the
wires and the country was apprized of
the fact that the gallant Custer and his
men were no more. Through the ride
of TAYLOR and Ccuntyman the news of
day in advance of the reports filed by
the government scouts at Bismarck on
July 8
About this time the town was in need
of a marshal who could bring order
out of the frontier chaos. Shooting
scrapes were so numerous that the
most good-natured Montanans began
to object. So "Bfuggins'' Taylor was
chosen town marshal and things began
to take on different aspect. AS soon
as bully began to fortify himself with
red liquor=the preliminary of a quar-
rel-"Muggins' camped on his trail
and took his weapons away. Some
times the scout was shot at, but he
generally replied so quickly that the
gun man bit the dust, for the old IN
dian fighter was lightning with a Colt.
After a few weeks of office-holding
''Auggins'' entirely changed the aspect
Of Coulson. The professions to Boot
hflI'' became few and far between. But
s'Muggins :" career was brought to a
sudden termination. A beardless youth
who thought it would bring him much |
glory If he could kill Taylor. filled up
with whisky and began to shoot UP
the town. The marshal approached
to take the boys weapons and the
youth shot the old scout through the
heart. Owing to the youth of the
slayer he escaped without the custo-a
mary frontier Justice, 'Muggins was