The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-11-16


There lis perhaps no part OF the
new stare that win give to the histor-
ian Of the futNre any more traditions
of general interest than viii that sec
ton conn only known as the short
erass country" Here. indeed, less
than a generation ago. the bufalo and
the wild horse roamed about IN ali
ther native freedom, undistrubed
save for an occasional sally forSh
cf a SIN al Indian band, for this was
the last great hunting ground for the
indian OF the far west Here the
coyotes lived and reared their young
unmolesteG. Here the prairie dog
trilded his town Hcre the partridge
and the laairie hen basked and wal.
lowed in The sun.
But the traditions ui most interest
concerning this section OF the new
state are not of buffalo and wild
horses ana coyotes and partrldges,
hut are Tie traditions of the cow
man. whose part in the making of the
history OF this wonderful new com
rlunwealth can never be aorgotten.
"The saurt grass country occupy
ing the greater part of the northwest
ern quarter Of oklahoma, together
with mo mans land, (which includes
the greater part of the rest of the
quarter. bears q relation TO the state
considerably similar TO the relation
Western Kansas bears to that state
When the Cherokee strip was opened
for settlement the greater part of the
section was made available for the
llow of ihe farmer. But the land had
been under an unmolested control OF
The cowinan. whom the settlers had
driven from the fertile valleys of that
port Of the state first opened for set
dement,, refused to willingly vacate
THE snort grass country gets It's
name from the fact that the soil is in
many places thin, and water scarce,
thus causing the grass to- grow short.
Z his section is i'm the heart Of what
was once looked upon as great
desert
Fifteen years ago tne memories OF
the hardships experienced by settlers
Of old western Kansas we're fresh in
the minds of every man in the West
stories ot death from thirst and star
vation, whether true or false, We're
upon the tongue Of those who wei
coined every newcomer. Long sea
sons of Crought made it hard even for
the coWman, for his stock had to
have water. Eut water they always
a, emed to find and he became almost
the sole ruler Of the land, Frequently
the government would send men IN
so answrr the complaint of lone set
tier. who had dared to face the an
favorable conditions for a home. usu
ally some one who had been untortun'
ale in mnding a claim in the first
rdgh. But somehow the cOwmen
would get the best of the bargain,
and perhaps the settler would then
be compelled TO move away and give
the cowmen the field.
Reurnh ? perhaps TO his old home
in the North or East. the settler would
nave story to tell that was by no
means encouraging. The result was
mat settlers steered clear of the
short graas country while the COW
men continued to fatten their herds
practically unmolested Occasionally
a settler would venture in. only 10
have his hut burned or his "dug'out
alled up. and his fences torn away
= the settler we're alone and refused
10 be ed by these actions the cat
ilcmen would find way, and many
tales not good TO hear were told. II
ne had family he would move back
% whore he came from or hunt less
dangerous abiding place.
The cowmcn were encouraged a
gcod deal by the government first
because they had leases on the land
from the government and second be-
cause the goyernmen, had rascals U,Ii