La Junta tribune., 1911-09-30
Wicked Dodge
A peaceable Town
By Walter Williams

the character OF life in this historic
frontier settlement. Dodge was call {
the gicEedcst town In the world.
Il have b en- to several mining
camps where rich strikes have been
made" said Robert NJ. Wright. but
| never saw any town to equal
Dodge 4 good hunter would make
hundred dollars day. Everyone had
money to throw al the birds and
there were lots OF birds. There was
no article sold for less than quart r
Of a dollar \ drink was quarter,
a shave was a quarter. a parer OF
pins was quarter. and a single
needle a quarter. In fact, that was
the smallest chance Nowadays peo-
pie actually use pennies OF course.
everyone has heard OF wicked Dodge,
but great deal has been said and
written about il that Is not true.
A. had It's good side as well as It's
bad side Many reckless bad men
came to Dodge and many brave men.
These had TO be met by officers
equally brave and reckless As the
old saying goes You must fight the
devil with nre The officers gave
them the south side Of the railroad
track but decided that the north
side must be kept respectable. and
so 1t was. There never was such
thing as shooting at plu. hats on
the contrary. every stranger who
came to Dodge City and behaved him
self VAS treated With poliiencss. but
woe be- unto the man who came seek
ing a fight He was soon aceommo-
dated in any way, shape or form he
wished often have seen chNaIry
extended TO ladi on the streets
from these rough men that would
have don" credit 20 the kni1hts ot
old when som. man lltila drunk
perhaps would uninte tioually iostlc
lady In a crowd. he vas soon brought
TO his senses by being knocked down
by one Of his companions Who re-
marked Never lat ne see you in,
suit a lady again Governor ST
John was In Dodge once when he
was notified that terribl. cyclone
had visited little town in Nebras
ka close 10 the Kansas state line
In two hours Ne raised thousand
dollars Tor the cyclone sufferers our
first calabOose in Dodge vas we'll
fifteen feet deep. into which the
drunkArds we're let down and allow ID
to remain until they were sober.
Sometimes there were several In IL
at once It served us purpose splen.
didly"
Seated on a hospital bed this morn.
ing. Mr. Wright told what he called
a true story OF wicked Dodge
When Dodge was young aud very
wicked an ituerant preacher came to
town. lie Was maryolously gifted
lie east spell over p-opl" draw ing
immense crowds. Tn, toughest Of
the toughs came to hear him he st
his heart on the capture OF one
Dave Matthews. city marshal. who
had more dead men 10 his credit al
that time than any other man In the
west lie had killed seven men by
actual count iH one uight In one
house aud an at on, sitting. 10
the story goes The pr auher weut
after Dave regularly every morning.
much tu Dawes disgust Indeed. hc
vas 80 persHIsHt that Dave began
10 hat him Iu the mraUtim, the
people { % th, power OF the preach,
er The ONE Hulr lone church was
su crowded that another buildIBE.
ubW.u'd aud this soon would not
hold half the audience. Finally thyy
got large ball known as the Lady
Gay dance ball and nued % up
with boards laid across empty boxos
Tor seats There Vas q small stage
At ihv rear Of the building and ON
this was placed a good, box for a pul-
pit Whether or not Dave had b.,
come Infected Nith the general com.
piaiut that had seized the people
OF whether the earnest persistence of
the preacher had captured him. / do
not know. Anyhow certain II VAS. hr
promised the preacher to attend the
meeting that nisht and certain Il
was Dave would not break his word.
Soon the hall vas filled 90 its ut.
most capacity and Dave. true 10 his
promise, was seen 10 enter Ho
was AZ one" conducted 10 the front
and given the scat of honor reserved
for him In front OF the preacher
Then the preacher preached straight