La Junta tribune., 1911-09-30
-.

-I verdict OF the old timers IN
the hilly. hustling city "Chalk"
Beeson. whose name sounds like
nickname or an spithet, but is mere
ly an abreyiation OF Chalkley, Ham
b Bird, DR. r. W McCarty, one OF
the earliest physicians. Robert NJ.
Wright, John X Cook. and others,
whose memories run back To the
bold, bad days OF the famous cattle
town. are in cordial agreement AZ to
the undue blackness given to the de-
picting OF Dodge's past The en,hu.
siasm OF the clever writer and his
desire for effect have caused him to
picture Ia darker colors than ever *
listed the Dodge City Of yesterday
Certainly the Dodge city OF today
has no dark Cul0rs IN It's truthful
p0ruaiturr Gambling dcns and dance
halls are no more and on Boot Hill
burial ground Of the many who died
with their boots on. the cemetery Of
the desperadoes. has been succeeded
by public school building. where
the children are taulht the arts OF
peace Old Fort Dodge has been
converted into soldiers home where
Kansas shelters In comfortable cot
tages and cares for the Union veter.
ans Of tn. Ciyll war.
In the worst days OF Dodge. said
Dr. McCarty. there were few. very
few. killings. as compared to the
number with which the town was
credited. PeaCeablc men always went
undistmbed Men who were looking
for trouble always found trouble II
was easter TO find trouble then
than nov Good eeomen were respect
ed and protected. believe proper
ty was held safer without being
stored In saf" deposit vaults then
than II is now In safe deposit vaults
Houses were left unlocked and no
one disturbed their contents A ply.
sician was regarded with the same
reverence as priest / have fire.
quontly heard as I went along the
street or entered the room the re-
mark llush' Here comes the doe
tor To cross IN. river 70 the south
ward would ring men into a country
where life was not 50 safe"
c. N. Bevsou. Nnn first struck ia"
trail In 1865. and Robert NJ. Wright.
pioneer aud historian, ,cOrroborated Dr.
McCarty Mr. Wright located the
Santa Re trail markers in Dodge
City aud Ford county We found"
he said, very suitable places for all
of them The west stone We placed on
the very highest point OF high rock
The trail hugged this point Of rock
very closely You can almost jump
from the point Of rock aud strike the
trail The point oycrlooks the. whole
country around. One We placed in
front of our city hail right iu the
center " the old trail Another mark
We placed on beautiful high point
one mile east Of the soldisrs' home,
where the river route aud the dry
route int-rsryt' d-the vet aud the
dry TRAN Another marker wc put on
thu main road from Spelrlillc. i con.
spicuuus place, aud the last ON a
In hill two miles west OF our east
county lime % oyorlouFs the sand.
hills iu the big beud of the Arkan.
sns river and 81 d clear day you can
S"y from Its top Fort LamHd. over
thirty five miles Doc the distance We
had uo trouble Boo following the trail.
even through ulawut lands aud wheat
nrlds ln many places thH ual boz
distinct t0faY TIA, nuf uma 4
crossed rhH plains . walked ana drlt
ull team overy step OF ths way
From Faaurr Rock the uau u,u
through raWuua county and Edwards
county, toward the southwest. and
then 10 the northwest through Ford
county Two distinct trails eros.
Edwards county one along the val
Icy and another on tho hiliiops. prob.
ably tire" miles north. known as the
wet weather trail. made by soldiers
goinr from Fort Larned 10 For,
Dodge
Along this section of tho Santa
fr trail the national government. Tee.
ogniling the danger Of travel. erected
the only chain Of forts of any conse.
qn"non ever built In the west Begin.
ming with Fort zarah on the east
near IN" present location q Great
Bend this chain Of government post.
Included Fort Larnrd on the PaWn.c
some H"ycu miles west Of the present
town site OF Larne1. Fort Dodge.
near where Dodge city Is now loca,.
Dd. Fort Aubrey then ou th. h,,,,,,1