The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-04-14

OF the unDridled variety;
bad men whose chief business was to
start Gra|cyards and the glad primeyal
!awlcssness that prevails when worlds
are new
Not so many years ago the Panhandle
was distinctly world apart and a new
one, With NoMans Land on the north
Indian Territory on the east and New
Mexico on the west civilization could
come only from the SOUTH and It did not
come very fast Indeed, there was stiIl
plenty Of territory in that direction to
be subducd-two or three tiers Of coun.
ties In lact-bcforc the Panhandle would
be reached. So II was a place aDart--
an isolated fertile land, justlfyng the as
sertion OF tramp that he had lost 800.
600 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 uro.
tccted by Rangers from Fort Griffin, &C.
companicd by stoCkmcn OF every nation.
cowboys OF every grade and criminals OF
every breed That was n wild epoch
chaotic and picturcsque-a time Of ndI
vdual administration and untempered
Justice
II was also time OF mighty domain |
Ranches there we're as big as some king
doms. one, tho Y l. T., covered n good
portion OF the northern part of the Pan.
handle. Another. the Matador. spread n
Itself into five counties When settle. NJ
mcnt became thicker-when there were II
ranch houses not more than % to 30
miles apart-oiTcial allotment Of the
lands was made Then there was n grand KS
gobble. The big stockmen fenced every. IN
thing with little regard for boundaries Y
and less for the law
with such examples az these in high
places. It IS not strange that a general indf.
ference to legal rights and possessions pre-
vailed Next to embarrassing cattlo-stcang
was the chief industry The cowboy proper
was not concerned In such work lIe was like
" to be ccan'handcd, straightforward even
II reckless. individual. honest according to his
lights. True, loyalty TO his employer might
render him a trine Indifferent us to brands and
marks when strays mixed with the herd but
II was the employer and not the cowboy who
prohted by such aXiy The cowboy was
retainer who would fight for his ranch. would
die for It when circumstances seemed TO re.
quire such sacrifice and the increase OF the
ranch herd by any means short of actual raid
and theft was a custom which bore no relation
to disrcpute. But individually the cowboy was
likely to be the soul OF honor and good nature
troublesome only on holidays when he was
moved to ride into the nearest settlement,
drink mp all the whisky he could buy. and then.
with sixshOotcr drawn so carccring up and
down the streets. shooting in random dircc,
lions. explaining meantime with noisy and
rcpctItious adjcctivcs that he was bad man
n very bad man from very far up the creek.
The Panhandle was fun of bad men in the
carly nincties Most Of them had graduated
from other schools Of crime and found here
last resort Some of thcm-a good many OF
-
outlaws and deputies by turns, or worked con
junctiyely as both. As 4 rule they were in one
way or another associated with gang
Local authorities. even when conscientious.
were poorly equipped TO cope with such an ee.
ment. and It was for Company y Ranger Force,
consisting OF eight men with quarters AZ ANA.
rio Capt ". J Mcdonald commanding. to
police this vast Wilderness, and to capture and
convert, or otherwise tame, Its undesirable
citizens
Soon after McDonalds appointment he was
notified of a maraudng band that across In
Hutchinson county, were committing the usual
crimes They had burned the hay belonging TO
n ranchman on Turkey crcck-several hun.
dred tons In quantity--thcy had cut his wire
fences: they had killed COWS for their calves.
butchered beef cattle. cut out brands-in
word they had conducted the bushes of cat
tie stealing and general depreciation on a large
scale.
Taking portion Of his force Capt Melon
aid went over to Investigate. There seemed
to be a good deal of mystery concerning the
Identity of the offenders; but mystery of that
sort does not stand very good chance when
II is operated upon by man with eyes like
those of Capt Bill and with n nose and pair
OF cars of his peculiar pattern. nj short time
he had Identified one member Of the band in
young man prominently connected IN that sec
ton This young fellow--a dupe, no doubt, OF
professional COW thieves. whose glittering repu
alton as bad men had dazzled him-was the
ION of an able and reputable lawyer, member
Il the state legislature. The son, supposed to
DC n cowboy had become in reality an outlaw
Capt Mcdonald took him In charge one
lay, questioned him. and secured sufficient evil
leuce to file complaint. The prisoner was
urned over to the sheriff OF Hutchinson coun.
y, and Capt. Bill pursued his investigation. He
coated a bunch of stolen calves herded In the
rakes of the Canadian river, guarded by an.
ther member sf the gang The calves were
hobbled and necked" and their mothers had
een shot as an easy method of getting rid OF
hem. Capt Bill found the dead cows In n near.
y canyon, and he brought man who had lost
number OF mich cows and calves to idon.
fy the property II was no very difficult mat
Pr; the man declared he knew the calves rs
ell as his own children One after another
le missing menbe OF the band were brought