Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-11-05
men OF THE FRONTIER
How They Brought Law and
Order 10 the UnruB West.
the RULE OF THE REVOLVER.
Life In the Wild Days Whsn Gun Plays
oceasIoned Little Comment, Vet
When There Was Always ssssty IN
"LsavIRa u 10 the cFewd.s

~@Ns"n ~ 70 we SFNvAs
TIE bold. reckless life Of the frontier
q the middle years OF tbs nineteenth
century and later has been often re-
called by the stories Of deaperadoes
and bad men. but in the birth aud
growth or the frontier cities is unique
phase Of American civic genius which
has been little dwelt upon.
Most Of the cities of the far west
have lowered close about the gntheF.
lngs Of hardy miners as they came or
went on e feYerish search for gold. In
forty-nine $1,000 men from all parts
Of the world reached the NJ Dorado
Of California Some travelled 1000
miles overland; others went far around
by Panama or Cape Horn. In fifty.
nine 10000 gold seekers stampeded
Wildly across the sunburnt plains Of
Colorado. Only 5000 stayed the year
through. OF like kind. although or
smaller proportions, were NIL the pill
gFimagea that are more OF. less reepon-
nible for the cities Of the west, the
nnding Of streak Of magic yellow,
Atm story leaking out and growing,
eha glimpse Of nuggets aad apeel-
mems and then the grand. senseIeaa
Euah 10 the Land Of GatRlch- Quick.
Thcuhands 0f daring spirits were
6Kawn hy the yellow Ioadntone, intent
on nothing but the accumulation OF
wealth. Then necessity produced some
weird assemblagea Of tents, shantIea
and log cabins. many of which grew
into cities Often full grown towns
arrmng up In few months. Far from
any state Or territorial government and
composed % congl0meratcd herd or
excited men, none Of whom had time
Tor civic affairs. these embryo cities en-
listed and grew under conditions that
were unique and extremely wild.
Our fOrefathera landed on the east
eFn CoaAt full Of religious zeal and q
desire for freedom Of thought and life.
Their leaders aud law came with them.
They prayed aud lived commnnistlcal-
" 80 long ~ they could. then In.
creased. expanded and developed into
nation, but the gold discoveries Of
California. Nevada. Colorado and Mon.
tnna brought thousands Of independ.
ent men to the wilderness who were
full or the hunger Tor gold. not homes;
who had no leaders, no laws to which
they could appeal and nothing to bind
them together. Then the leaders came
out OF the crowd. and the law grew as
e was needed. II was only after a
time that any % these men came to
conaldeg relnainlnG permanently IN the
country, aud Il waH these venturesome
builders who developed the newer part
" eur nation.
From the nature o. things. with 80
much ct stake among such hard living
men, there were plenty oe hGhta aud
disputes. There being no authority 70
which 90 appeal, differences were set
tied between man and man. A aix
ahooteF was the greatest help q man
could get toward = phyaieal superior
nv over other men. and 90 everybody
carried \ gun. aud knew how to use
81 The trigger ginger grew nimble
with practice, and there Developed
coalition where frequent killings and
ahootlugw OccaNloned little comment OF
criticism. where men we're almost In
alaercnt 10 the splitting Of bleed and
hooked death square In the face with
q n0nehalance that u hardly cOnceiv-
able now, shooting arrays were the
froth 81 very strong brew Of the Dor.
der life. and they put a settlement 10
qupstl0as quickly and definitely. ri
when The smoke cleared away some
good man lay biting the dust. his light
had gone out according to the code Of
the time, fierce aud barbarons as codes
must he when man arst struggles with
nature,
And yet there was always safety In
-leaslng Il 10 the crowd" The geneE
al sentiment Of the community was
very partial 20 fairness aud honesty
during the early days % most border
towns, There were no locks or keys.
almost any mans credit was good 10
any amount. aud stores and provisions
could lay untouchcd FOR months In
wholly unguardled places. II was the |
natural. frank honesty Of the virgin |
west and veFitahle paradise Tor |
thieves ana criminals.
And they cana. horIles OF numbering, |
plundering adventuFers who knew no |
roda q morals OF ehiyalry. and resorted |
10 anything 90 accomplish their ends. |
they found plumber rich. crime easy
and escape atill easier and. drifting all |
pyer the country. levied tribute from
zach new camp aa q spranR into being.
Often these men were In such a ma.
lority that man who believed 10 hon.
l4tg and justice was 4 man indeed n /
u bad the courage 10 back bis ideals.
aut there were such men. men as God |
meant men 10 he. fun % the sense OF
'imht and the fitness Of things aud un.
lfraid They stepped right into the
lpenlng and tackled s0me o. the euss.
ldest crowds In christendon. teaching /
! Wholesome respect for 'life. liberty |
ind the pursuit Of happiness" 10
'Unehes % drinking. biasphemous and
tempers The gun fight.
ngs iynchinES and wanton spilllngs Of |
Hood that spleed the histories Of the
line may have been VERY close 10 saw