davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27
Wheeler, DauntIess Captain

Wheeler had just gotten out Of bed
whence he had been driven by three
bullets from the pistol of man whom
Arizona wanted His doctor insisted
that 200 mile ride across aikali fats
and rock ribbed mountains was bound
to be bad for the open wounds But
Wheeler. as others have done. put by
the doctors advice and went forth.
Being man OF the out of doors, he wa s
able to do this and not regret IL. The
13 men made the ride, the route led by
way OF the old Black mountain wilder
nesses. where grizzly bears and spotted
tigers still live u1disturbed. During
the last day the posse came upon an
Indian making in the direction in
which they themselves were travelling
His general deneanor was that of a
man in extreme haste and some appre-
hension They took him in and cared
for him-and guarded him. With this
convoy they went on until they came at
length to high hill overlooking a
Papago village Here Wheeler halted
his men and warned them not to try
and ride in ahead OF hin-a common
practice on the part OF these rangers.
whose anxiety for action often had led
them to try to beat their captain TO the
danger.
After tightening up their cinches the
IS swept down upon the village, guard
ed its two points of entrance and found
the town to be tenanted only by a few
old women and children. The men. il
seemed. were out at work rounding up
their cattle
The problem was delicate one to
take these men, now out on range. to
get them all and to sift them down TO
find among them the two murderers
They set at once about it The route to
the country of the roundup went by
way of a narrow deaIe. in a widening
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27
Retarded by Soldiers

At the outset of their venture into
this region the quartet was met by a
body of Mexican soldiery. fresh from
an encounter with the Yaquis. The
troops were cavalry. and many of the
men rode with blood stained bandages
about their heads and limbs. They
had been repulsed after a sharp en-
gagement. and their commander
warned Wheeler not to go on. telling
him that TO do so meant certain death
at the hands of Indians or outlaws
Wheeler. however. thought differently
about 1t. and his party proceeded
The next morning a detachment of
took them and took them back,
virtually under arrest. The espion-
age on the part OF the troops
was kept up for a day, and when it
ended the rangers went on, only to
meet more cavalry who repeated the
procedure of their fellows. Feeling
that such interruptions could only
hinder them AMI could bring nothing
more than the safety for which they
did not long. the party escaped from
these last guards and made their way
into the hills without horses or food.
They carried water enough to last
them for half a day. They walked for
nearly 100 miles across a mesquite
desert; their water gave out; they had
no sustenance; they did not know the
country They suffered from heat
unusual even for Mexico; their feet.
unaccustoned to walking. became COW
cred with blisters; the thirst made
their lips pun. But they kept on. until
at length. reeiing fror- exhaustion and
hunger and thirst. they came upon a
little outlying railroad settlement
where the Iaborers gaze them shelter
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27

OF which the village lay. In a close
shut portion OF this gorge the party
concealed themselves. just as highway
men hide when waiting for victims.
Evening came on, and with it the In
dians. They rode down the canyon in
twos and threes. They rode with no
thought OF trouble. no idea Of anything
save their home and rest In this happy
frame Of mind they found themselves
facing rife nuzzles. They complied
with the demands Of the men who bore
these rifles, laid down their own fire.
arms and We're marched OF 70 one side
in a place hidden from the trail The
rangers in this manner captured one
group after another until at length they
had all the men Of the tribe under
guard II then became their task 10
find the two who were wanted Here
came in for use the Indian whom they
had taken on their way from Tucson.
Knowing that this man was riding fast
with the idea OF warning the tribe OF
their approach, they had figured that he
must be acquainted with the pair whom
they wanted They therefore ordered
him 10 pick these ont Somewhat awed
by the quick action OF the posse which
he had witnessed. the man sobeyed un-
quesrioningly. And the party OF IS rode
back with the feloHs- The fact that
they had imprisoned more than 10 times
their number. and had done this in
country which none of them had ever
seen before@a country far from their
own race-did not impress these
rangers as being anything wonderful.
Their business was 10 carry the stat
utes into just such spots. and they had
done their business-that was all
The bad man as he existed In Arizona
during the old days OF Tombstone and
the Lincoln county war across the
boundary has been the theme OF fiction
for years Usually this individual was
coward who shot an unprepared
enemy. Sometimes he had great bravery.
Almost always he was q wonderful
shot and knew the country perfectly
During the first few years of the COM
pany's life the men hunted down most
OF these renegades of note and either
jailed them or drove them from the
state Among those disposed of We're
Stiles and Alyord. famous in border
history as bank and bullion robbers
Another-he came from Mexico-was
the famous Chicon. who had list OF
SO murders standing against his name
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27

after having repulsed them in the fear
sunburned were all the party that even
close view Of their faces hardly dis
PEELED this impression of savagery.
The rest and refreshment which they
got here enabled the rangers 10 push
on again into country where even
the soldiery had not dared to penetrate.
They crossed this belt at night, on
foot, IN safety, and reached the region
OF the construction camps which had
been their goal. Here they sought
their men for several days. At the
end OF that time they learned that the
Back by the route whence they had
come at so much danger and to the
accompaniment OF so much hardship the
rangers went. They reached Naco, the
company's. headquarters. and to all ap
pearance gave up the chase.
But word was sent out to every man
In the organization that the Pfunkett
tory A silent search was maintained
until one day Wheeler himself, walking
out from Wilcox, saw a pair of Mexi-
cans sitting on the railroad track. A
driving rain was falling. Curiosity as
TO why these two did not come into the
shelter of the town led Wheeler to
approach them. As he drew near he
saw one of the pair shift his brown
hand to the handle OF a knife beneath
his coat. He felt positive then that
the men had interest for him and ne.
lost no time in placing the two of
them under arrest. At once, on seeing
them now at close range, he recognized
the resemblanc TO the two fugitives
from the Plunkett ranch He had them
placed IN separate cells, and that same
night one of them confessed. giving all
the details of the crime. The chase for
these two murderers had lasted over
weeks: it had Included great hardships
and dangers But here is something
civilized surroundings and among dif-
ferent conditions may find Ii hard to
believe: The rangers paid their own
expenses throughout it all; they did it
for the love of their business that they
might track down and find the GRIM
inals-
That idea of devotion to duty which
makes these rangers more eager for
results than over their mileage ac-
counts was brought out beautifully
when Captain Wheeler and IL men
took a whole tribe of Indians prisoners
two years ago. This was the Papago
expedition. 1t came about as conse-
Guence Of two murders committed on
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27

FIVE years a single train or bank rob-
berry.
All this was done In a country Of
broken and rugged mountains. OF wide.
hot deserts and painless solitddes. II
was accomplished by men who rode
singly or in pairs against superior
numbers, and frequently, al the jour
neys' ends. shot it out" with the well
armed fugitives. The stories of these
different episodes are seldom told be-
cause the actors. being men of action.
are not men OF words
One Of these stories hinges on the
famous Plunkett murder. Its similar
ity to a score of other incidents of the
rangers work makes II as valuable
as an illustration as il is interesting
from point of action Old man Plum
kett lived on the edge OF the desert
IN southern Arizona. The ranch house
was the usual low cabin surrounded
BY the usual corral. open stables. irri-
eating ditch and lire OF poplars. Be
yond aE this the shimmering desert
stretched. a place OF mysteries
From this place one night two men
rode away. hard and fast. TO the south.
When the cIatter OF their horses hoofs
had died the ranch became a silent spot
IN the shadows of the popiars-the ST
lence endured with daybreak. and all Of
that day and the next A silence that
was grim. suggestive of something ter
rible. That something confronted a
visitor who rode 10 the place on the
afternoon Of the third day. He found
the bodies of Plunkett and his aged
house keeper in a disordered. blood
stained room The two had been
stabbed again and again. The motive
was robbery. as evidenced by the rifing
Of the rooms. Officers who arrived the
next day discovered evidence to show
that two Mexican ranch hands had done
the thing and had fed toward the
boundary. The trail made by the
horses that night was followed for
some distance. After which there re-
mained no clew
Weeks OF EFFORT brought no result in
the way Of capture. or discovery OF the
hiding place of the criminals. They
were somewhere in Mexico. and that
was as much as any one knew. at this
juncture the rangers took the case.
Captain Harry c. Wheeler. then a lieu
tenant. went with a party OF three men
into Sonora to apprehend the fugitiyes.
The cIew on which they travelled was
a bit of information to the effect that
the murderers were in one OF the rail
road construction camps in the noun
tains of northern Mexico.
The four men traversed the route OF
the railroad then in course OF construc-
tion TO the gulf of California. After
they had been out for several days they
came to the beginning of wilderness
OF foothills and desert. Here ranch
lands ended: there were no more towns
only the construction camps. some 40
miles apart. stood like outposts of CIV
iIization. At the time the Yaquis were
being harried by troops into a state Of
insurrection- The bands of these In
dams and small bodies of outlaws led
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27
Offenders of Many Kinds

II you look over the records in the
territorial capital you viii find that
these felons. while they constitute the
large proportion. are by no means all
the prisoners whom the rangers take
There are many arrested for misde-
meanOrs- These iafractiOns OF petty
laws seem a small thing. But the
nature OF the crimes makes the nat
ter different The wrong doings in
question comprise such ofSenses as in
sulting women. encouraging small
boys TO fight keeping saloons open out
or hours and disobeying the gambling
laws Some OF the most notable OF
the company's duties have been the
enforcement OF the laws in c0mmunf-
ties where local officers were ind.Rer-
enclosing down OF towns like Yuma.
where the women had TO appeal 10 the
company for help. And. IN line with
this. is a little fact about these men.
Nearly all or them. when they ride out
into the desert. carry. in their saddle
bags. candy and oranges And when
the children OF outlying ranches see
these rangers coming they Invariably
run out 10 greet them
Taken from the cowboy stock-the
finest stock which the old west gave
the west OF today-these men are a
tender hearted lot. and brave: they
are quick 10 act. and sure they cherish
a simple and an untarnished belief in
the greatness OF their duty.
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27

by Mexican and American renegades
who were taking advantage OF the war
to do guerrilla work on their own ac-
count made the region dangerous even
for those few settlers who had forti-
fed their houses. The III famed Jesus
TruJillo with a body of followers was
at the time raiding villages. levying
tribute. piundering ranches. numbering
and torturing men and carrying women
off into captivity. The country into
which the four rangers were going
was his home
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27

the reservation nearly geo miles across
the desert from Tucson. The Papagos
had certain ideas of their own about
justice which did not fail in with the
ideas set forth in the white mans
statutes. As a consequence when the
sheriff of Pima county had sent out d
posse of deputies to arrest these mur-
derers the tribe Of 200 odd Indians
smiled on the posse. took them prison
ers AMI sent them back to their sheriff
with message of impoIfte defiance
Then the rangers were called upon
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27

when Captain Mossman, then IN COM
mand OF the company. took him near
the International BOUNDARY. Chicon
had been lured across the line by an
informant At the time OF the arrest
he was rolling a cigarette. MOssman
thrust a revolver against the BE- ndits
waist line. ChicOn calmly finished roll
ing the paper cylinder and asked for a
match. which he was allowed TO light
Pumng then. he said tersely in Spanish,
4 thought there was something
wrong" He was hanged few months
later. and from the drop said 10 those
assembled for the event ~AdiOs,
senores." OF all those wholesale Inur-
derers who IN other days have ridden
IN and out among the mirage bordered
deserts. this man was said 10 be the
cruelest. and in the days when he.
awaited his death II is said OF him that
he never showed so much as the tremor
OF an eyeiaSh.
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27
Quick Changes Followed

Into these conditions the score Of
rangers plunged. and changed things
within TIE first few months They
were q carefully picked body. The
men had been selected for moral in
tegritg. knowledge OF the country
and ability 10 ride. incidentally. Of
course. the great majority of them
were faustless marksmen. Their du-
ties were 10 enforce the laws where
Others dIa not or could not
Tn THAI first year they put a check
on cattle and horse rustling; elm
mated TWO notorious gangs of bank
and bullion robbers from the previous
IL chaotic scheme OF things. and placed
some Is murderers behind jail bars.
From then on the company continued
70 work along these lines. and the
body,s eEiciency needs no better COM
nentary than the fact that there has
not been in Arizona during the last
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27
By Fred r. BechdoIt

- o carry mans written law OF
right and wrong into the far
reaches OF the southwestern des-
erts-this is the business OF the
Arizona rangers. Like similar companies
whieh have ridden IN Texas since the
days when the indians were thick, this
Organization is composed of peace Of
fceus who have come largely from the
cowboy stock. In their ensemble they
make q wonderfully Efficient body OF
irregular cavalry. The stories OF how
some OF these riders have brought en-
forcement OF the statutes into places
beyond the shimmering sky lines read
like the tales OF the picturesque west
OF yesterday; 81 fact they show that
the border Is today n many places
3 wild. free land where man 10 man
action continues 70 take the place OF
civilizations subIeties and evzsions
When they organized the Arizona
rangers IN 1901 the company consisted
OF 20 men Since that time II has num-
bered Es high as 50; usually the roll
contained about 25 names. Thesarrests
have run Up into four figures yearly.
And nearly ali OF these arrests have
been the captures OF badly wanted men,
who themselves had marvellous ability
sn shooting and close knowledge Of the
wilderness into which they had fed.
When the company first began its
wo-k the territory was still infested by
ire various classes OF bad men" who
have given the southwest q hard name
There were several well. organized
bands OF horse thieves, who drove their
stolen stock via two trails into New
Mexico or Sonora q sprinkling OF kill
ers from behind with regulations as
desperadoes was floating around such
COW towns as Wilcox. and Mexican
renegades-Yaqui bandits or mountain
robbers OF Spanish-Indian blood
dropped across the international boun-
darr when pressed TOO hard by rurales
in their native haunts. There was, TOO,
the usual accompaniment OF indifferent
and IawIess sherifTs, whose sympathies
were not with the peaceable citizens.
The San Francisco call., 1910-02-27

Trailing Murderers Through
Hundreds of Miles of Dangerous
Deserts and Capturing a Whole
Tribe of Hostile Indians Is All in the
Days Work of These Is Ununi-
formed Policemen Who Ride the
Border :: ::
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-03-14
ALASKA HAS
A FUTURE
But Land Grabs Have
Worked a Great
Injury

Chicago March li.-"Thc Alaskan
grabs arc due entirely 10 poor legis-
lation.' said tho Right Rev. Peter
Trimble Rove, Episcopalian bishop OF
Alaska. yesterday The great natu-
raj resources OF the northern territory
are the rishtful property of American
citizens, and hope that hereafter the
federal government Will be wise and
prevent their falling into the hands
OF any corporation
Bishop Rove Is spending the week
in Chlcago as the guest OF the Rev
William o. Waters, rector of Grace
church. This is his first visit to the
states In Ave years
THE sale of land rich in coal and
copper. with even greater possibilities
for agriculture, at $40 an acre. was a
barter for mere song" he said IL
do not say the transfer was fraudu-
lent For all | know every step was
legal, but the laws must be wrong
when so great an Injustice is possible
Little is known of the agricultural
possibilities. possibly because conclu-
sions are drawn from coast observa-
tions. There the Japan current
makes the climate equablc. but at no
time is il warm enough to insure
great crops. But inland, where the
winters are intense cold. the summers
though short. arc warm and agrIcul-
ture has n future. The Tanana valley
alone, which now has about $1,000 In.
habtants. could easily support 2.000,-
000
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-03-14
BIG T IRE IN
JAMESTOWN
Large Hotel and Other
Structures Are
Destroyed

Jamestown, y Y, March IA
large square In the center OF Jamos-
towns business district is mass OF
smolderIng ruins this morning. as a
result OF the most serious connagra-
tion in tho history OF the city.
Tho fire was under control at
o'clock this morning The loss will
probably reach hall a million dollars.
Tho fire originally broke out In the
CoHoy building. Saturday night and
was supposedly puJ we'll under control
early Sunday morning. witH the loss
OF two lives and SlJo,u0Q property.
But shortly after midnight a high
wind klndled the cmbers OF the old
FIRE into flames What was left OF
tho Cokey building went like tlnder
almost before the flTemen reached the
scone, and the Uuffy building adjacent
war beyond hope
The rising wind made the frcmea
wel-nigh helpless. and the Inerea slne
blazos swept across the l20.foot.w,de
street 10 the Sherman house, ono OF
the finest hotels In New York. There
we're l25 guests Ia the hotel. bute all
escaped unhurt. nnd mcst of their oer-
soual effects wcro saved Both the
Weetern UHlon and Bell Offices we're
burned out soOu, and for several hours
communication with the outside world
was dimculL Fire apparatus was
summoned from Bunolo. and n special
train with q carload of lremcn and
engines we're hastily made up there.
As the special was pulling out Of the
Buffalo yards, however. q message
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-03-14
reel AIMING
OLD WORLD
Millions of Acres to
Be Watered in
MesopotamIa

Washington, March 14.-The recla
nation of Mesopotamia by irrigation
one OF the most extensive undertake
inGs Of It's kind ever attempted, is
described in report to the bureau of
manufactures by Frederick Simpich
United States consul at Bagdad. Tur
key
The consul says that 'if the plan
should succeed only In part. il prom
ises TO rcyolut,onIzc commerce and
shift trade balances and traffic I'm this
part OF the world
Four thousand coolies and The nee
essary engineers are already at work
on the initial projects In northern
Mesopotamia, and agricultural benc
fts arc expected to follow In two or
three years.
About 12,500,000 acres OF land are
to be irrigated. the work to occupy
six or seven years.
The Turkish government has sub
mitted figures which estimate the cost
OF reclamation of the land at SIS an
acre and which Ak the value of the
land, when reclaimed. at $155 pei
acre. Wheat, barley and cotton can
be grown upon the land. and the pres
ent population of 100000 souls is
expected to be greatly increased as
the project progresses.
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-03-14
BIG STRIKE
is DECR|EO
Railroad Official Says
There Will Be No
Walkout

Chicago. March 13.-Thc probabil-
ity OF great railroad strike was de-
cided today when prominent rail-
road Official. in speaking for the forty
seven railroads involved in the fire
mems wage controversy. declared
there was no chance of "walkout" "
The railroad managers committee
will meet again today as usual said
the official. and the fremen's letter
viii he taken Into consideration. II
is nor likely that the railroads will
change their attitude II 1t were a
question of yielding. we might con.
slider IL. but TO submit the question Of
authority aod seniority would be vlo-
latiug our contract with the Brother
hood Of Railroad Engineers"
w s. Carter. president OF tho Broth
erhood OF Railroad F'iromen and Engi-
neer5. would not say that he would
order the men 10 strike II an uafavor-
able reply 10 their last letter should
be received He said he would leave
that to the committee.
The railroad managers talk of vIo-
lating their contract with the engi-
neers Is all bosh, said NT Carter
1T is a subterfugo on their part TO
make tho public believe that other or
ganizatioDs are 10 blame for the rail-
roads attitude Of refusing 10 submit
the entire controversy 10 a board of
arbitration.
we are not asking for any prlvi-
lcges that these railroads are not
granting TO the conductors and train
men"
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-03-14
BOYS HAVE
RIEVANCES
Amateur Wireless Oper-
ators Will Go to
Washington

New York. March 1+-FIeaded by
Master w y. D Stokes, .Jr, a dele
cation OF boy amateur wireless op.
orators from New York City will go
10 Washington this week to protest
against the proposed legislation aim
Ing TO prevent amateurs from setting
up instruments in a zone where their
sending might interfere With govern.
ment messages.
Master Stokes, who is 13 years old.
is president OF the Junior Wireless
club, an organization of thirty boys
who have become experts in wireless.
tclegraphy. A formal statement OF
their position prepared by the boys
themselves and given out from the
Stokes home on upper Broadway. was
made public here today
IT is very WRONG SAYS the state
ment, for the wireless companies tn
ask congress to prevent studious
American boys from competing for
the millions and millions Of dollars
which come 10 the persons who make
ibc valuable discoveries of the future
In wireless.
They talk about interference by
boys. What they need is skilled OPP
orators and up-to.date apparatus.
Then they could cut ont tho mterfc--
once without any of this small buSi'
ness of irving to put us boys ont,
Some day we will be men and our
government may be glad TO profit by
the discoveries which we hope Ia
make in perfecting the wireless sys-
tenn of today"