Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-22
A GUN FIGHTERS CEMETERY
where Frontier NotRbIes Were
Planted with aud without
Ceremony

Every one Of the little frontier towns OF
twenty years aga had its Root Hill"
whore those who lived by the gun and died
10y the gun were laid away with their boots
on. but it IL hard to find these unique and
romantic burial places today. The gun
lighters cemetery at Dodge city, Kan. Is
now the site OF fine school, and school
children romp over the ground where many
cowboy was buried at the time when
the little town ut the end OF the cattle
trails seldom saw a day pass without ito
murder. But at Billings Mont, IL one
cares to take walk OF two or three miles
to Hill overlooking the mats of the yell
lowstonc, there is Il frontier graveyard
just as it was left years ago
This romantic spot has nothing to do
with Billings, which is a comparatively
modern town, more cngrossed in its bus
mess future than IN any romance OF its
past Boot Hll' is a survival of the old
town of Coulsou. which was established
on the Yellowstone about six miles abovs
the site of Billings long before the hus-
Ting little center Of the western wool trade
was ever thought Of Cuulson was one OF
those wonderful mushroom towns OF the
frontier. Steamboat traffic on the Yellow
stone ended there. IT was here General
Terrys boats were bound at the time of
the Custer massacre and at Coulson cen
tered the picturesque life of southeastern
Montana-trappers, buffalo hunters, scouts,
soldiers friendly Indians. half-breeds, gam
blers and the riff-raf that always man
aged to find it's way to the outposts OF
civilization
/ Chief interest in Coulsons cemetery CEN
ters i'm the grave of the famous scout and
marshal "Muggins" Taylor. This grave is
N he pf na
by the remains OF a wooden fence. Taylor
was one OF the celebrated characters on
the frontier He was scout and Indian
fighter whose courage was unquestioned
At the time Custer made his ill-considered
dash into the Big Horn country "Muggins"
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 volun-
teered to carry the news to the outside
world He made a .record-breaking ride,
through a country infested with hostile In
dams. ali made bold by the victory over
Custer. After killing several horses. Tay-
Tor arrived at saltwater, scarcely able to
sit in the saddle. Here he was dsmayed
To find the government wire down. But
Horace Countryman volunteered to carry
rived dusty, hsggard and "alt 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
Countryman the news of the Custer battle
was sent out a whole day in advance of the
reports filed by the government scouts at
Bismarck on July ;.
About this time the town was In need Of
a marshal who could bring order out the
frontier chaos Shooting scrapes were so
numerous that the most good naturcd Mon
tanans began TO object. So "Muggins'
Taylor was chosen town marshal, and
things began to take on different aspect.
As soon as bully began to fortify him
self with red liquor-4he preliminary Of a
"Muggins" camped on his trail
and took his weapons away Sometimes
the scout was shot at. but ne generally re-
piled so quickly that the gun man bit tho
dust. for the old Indian fighter was light
ming with a Colt.
After few weeks Of office holding
"Muggins" entirely changed the aspect of
Coulson. The pTocessiors to Boot HIM.
became few and far between But Mug
gins career was brought to sudden ter
mination. 4 bea~Giess youth who thought
it would bring him much glory If he could
kin Taylor, nisd up with whisky and he
gan to shoot up me town" The marshal
approached Ia take the boys weapons, and
the youth shot the old scout through the
heart. Owing to the youth ~ the slayer
he escaped without the customary frontier
justice. "Muggins" was buried i'm state on
Boot Hill"
Today Boot HIM. is in neglect Most Of
the cedar slabs used 10 mark the graves
have rotted. One or two remain. but Tho
painted inscriptions have been so worn by
wind and rain that they are hardly legibie
Al one end of the ground is rock on
which someone has carved. "In Memory of
the Dead "-Rutte Miner