The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-04-21


cowboys and pones-both
of the unbridled variety:
bad men whose chief business was to
start graveyards. and the glad primeval
lawlessness that prevails when worlds
are new.
Not so many years ago the Panhandle
was distinctly world apart, and new
one. With No-Man's Land on the north
Indian Territory on the east and New
Mexico the west civilization could
come only from the south, and it did not
come very fast Indeed, there was still
plenty of territory in that direction to
be subdued-two or three tiers of coun.
ties in fact-before the Panhandle would
be reached So, 1t was a place apart
an isolated fertile land justifying the as
sertion of tramp that he had lost $780,.
300 there in one year by not having cat.
tie to eat up the grass.
The cattle came in due time fighting
back the Apache and the Comanche pro-
tected by Rangers from Fort Griffin ac-
companied by stockmen of every nation
cowboys of every grade and criminals OF |
every breed. That was wild epoch.
chaotic and Picturesque time of indi.
vidual administration and untempered
Justice.
1t also time of mighty domain |
Ranches there were big as some king.
doms. One, the X. l. T, covered a good |
portion OF the northern part of the Pan |
handle Another. the Matador spread n
itself into five counties When settle M
ment became thicker-when there were "
ranch houses not than 25 to 80
miles apart-oicial allotment of the
lands was made Then there was a grand IN
gobbe The big stockmen fenced every n
thing with little regard for boundaries "
and less for the law.
With such examples as these in high
\ places, 1t is not strange that general indif
ference to legal rights and possessions pre-
vailed Next to cattleraising, cattle-steang
the chief industry. The cowboy proper
not concerned in such work He was like.
ly to be a clean handed, straightforward even
If reckless. individual, honest according to his
lights. True loyalty TO his employer might
render him trihe Indifferent to brands and
marks when strays mixed with the herd but
n 1t the employer and not the cowboy who
81 profted by such laxity The cowboy was a
retainer who would fight for his ranch, would
~ die for 1t when circumstances seemed to re-
n quire such a sacrifice, and the increase of the
81 ranch herd by any means short of actual raid
"a and theft custom which bore no relation
n to disrepute But individually the cowboy was
likely to be the soul of honor and good nature
troublesome only on holidays when he was
Il moved to ride into the nearest settlement
I'd drink up all the whisky he could buy, and them
II with sx-shooter drawn, go careering up and
81 down the streets, shooting in random direc
81 tons explaining meantime with noisy and
81 repetitious adjectives that he was bad man
81 very bad man from very far up the creek.
~ The Panhandle was full of bad men in the
n early nineties Most of them had graduated
~ from other schools of crime and found here
"a last resort. Some OF them-a good many OF
Fl them-had obtained official positions and were
n outlaws and deputies by turns, or worked con
q junctively as both. AS rule they were In one
81 way or another associated with a gang
q Local authorities, even when conscientious.
= were poorly equipped to cope with such an eie-
j ment and 1t was for Company Ranger Force,
Il consisting Of eight men with quarters at Anna
rillo. Capt W. ]. Mcdonald commanding TO
police this vast Wilderness and to capture and
d convert or otherwise tame. Its undesirable
II citizens
Soon after McDonald's appointment ne was
a notified of marauding band that across IN
M Hutchinson county were committing the usuai
crimes They had burned the hay belonging 10
81 ranchman on Turkey creek-severai nun
FL dred tons in quantity-they had cut MS wire
'# fences: they had killed cows for their caves
81 butchered beef cattle. cut out orahus-lh
# word they had conducted the bushes Oh cat
"a tie stealing and general depreciation on large
~ scale
ia Taking a portion of his force, Capt McDoh
Isl aid went to investigate. There seeheu
I'M to be a good deal of mystery concerning Tue
# Identity of the Offenders; but mystery OF that
# sort does not stand very good chance Wheh
IN II is operated upon by man with eyes ihe
III those of Capt Bill and with nose and par
VA OF ears of his peculiar pattern. nj snort tihe
W he had identified one member OF the pahu III
# young man prominently connected IN that sec
S ton This young fellow-a dupe, no doubt OF
"A professional COW thieves whose glitterins repu'
W lation bad men had dazzed him-was the
son OF an able and reputable lawyer MEMBER
i Of the state legislature The son, supposed 10
k be cowboy, had become in reality an out'a"
*# Capt Mcdonald took him in charge one
oay, questioned him. and secured suihcleht e'i
N dence to file a complaint, The prisoner was
turned over to the sheriff of Hutchinson coun'
.& ~ and Capt Bill pursued his investigation ne
W located bunch of stolen calves, herded III tne
brakes of the Canadian river, guarded by an
4 oher member of the gang. The calves were
.& noDbled and necked" and their mothers hau
~ ueeh shot as easy method of getting rlu u
mem Capt Bill found the dead COWS In near
W W canyon, and he brought man who had losl
IA number of mich cows and calves TO luen
I wy the property 1t was very diflcult mat
~ WI the man declared he knew the calves as
I W" as his own children One after announcer