The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-11-06
| 0 s; |; | Il ! LIFE I|F
IN NORTH DAKOTA

By VIM. Wemett in The Courier
.. News.
! Theodore Roosevelt first came to
this state in September, 1883, for the
purpose Of enjoying the thrills of a
buffalo hunt. AS usual, he was sue
cessful, making; his first dead hit on
the seventeenth Of the month. The
head of this animal may be seen over
his mantle today.
It was on this expedition that the
young politician became interested in
ranch life. With characteristic decis-
ion he at, once bought the stock of the
in charge Of his two hunting compan-
ions,, Sylvane Ferris and A. w. Mer-
rifeld on what is known as the Chin
ney Butte ranch, seven miles up the
Little Missouri from Medora. The
main building \of the Chimney Butte
ranch now stands on the capitol
grounds at Bismarck.
1t is probable that Roosevelt did
not intend to lead a rancher's life
when he bought the Chimney Butte
ranch, for he returned to New York
and took an active part in the politi-
cal campaign of 1884. However, sad
events in the home returned him to the
west. In February his mother died,
and, only a few days later, his beloved
wife passed away.
Both of his homes thus broken,
Roosevelt returned to North Dakota in
1884 to forget his sorrow and estab-
lished a more extensive ranch thirty
five miles north of Medora. This out
fit he named the Elk Horn from the
fact that he found the interlocked
horns of two round-horn elk where the
house was afterward built.
Life at the Elk Horn ranch was in
teresting and healthy. Many pleas
ant summer months were spent by the
proprietor upon it's broad veranda in
The shade Of the dense grove of cotton
woods. It was here that he wrote |
''The, Life of Thomas H. Benton" and |
'Stories of the Great West" and re-
,eived! the inspiration for writing "Tke
of the West"
Roosevelt was too active to live the
life of an author. He was
in the saddle most of the time, search
ing for stray cattle or helping them
out Of the quicksands' Of the Little
Missouri. He was not what cow
boy would call a bronco buster and die
not enjoy vicious horses, but is known
to have tanned some animals that were
called chad" One of these was his
own horse Devil" which was consid-
cred an impossible brute. The wild
animal was ridden, however, after hav-
ing thrown its young owner four
tines
Roosevelt took considerable pride in
his; kind treatment of his horses.
While his men always roped their
as they dashed in circle
about the, corral, he usually stood at
The snubbing post and saddled his rid
ing horse without the use of rope.
Hunting Was a common pastlme.
Often the deer could be seen approach
ing the river only few yards from
the house. The river was lull of beav-
err, and ducks and geese were plentiful
in season. After hard day in the
saddle, Roosevelt often took his rife
and. went out in the moonlight to stall:
a deer or an elk.
Roosevelt proved to be fearless,
and therefore acceptable, companion
To the cowboys. Soon after his arrival
hee laid out with his fist, on the floor
Of the Rough Riders hotel an armed
pu1rcher who insisted that the
tenderfoot should treat the crowd.
Upon another occasion he disarmed
and threw out of the house an insult
ing fellow, known 'as bad man
who would shoot without much provo
cation
During one term Roosevelt was
sheriff, and. in that office, helped the
vigilantes to rid the bad lands OF
Nurse thieves and gun men. One des-
perate character who had been invited
to- leave the country, stole Roosevelt's
boat, which was the only one on the
river, and made his way down stream,
pursuit impossible. The de-
termined sheriff hastily built a tat
bottom, and, with two companions, set
out in pursuit. Three days down the
river. they found and captured the out
laws and kept them covered for eight
days in bitter cold weather until the
party floated down behind the break
ing ice as far as Killdeer Mountain.
From there Roosevelt marched them
to Dickinson alone and turned them
over to the sheriff. .'
1t was at the Elk Horn ranch that
Roosevelt first read in New York
newspaper that he had been given the
for mayor of New York
City. Selling his ranch at good pro-
fit in 1896, he went into politics again
and entered upon the public life which
has meant so much to our country and
to the world. .a.i