The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1921-05-05
Most Picturesque Body Of Fight
ing Men the World Has
Ever Known.
FOUGHT TWO WARS At ONCE
Organization Dates Back to Time
When the Lone Star State Was a
Separate Republie-Self-Reli-
ant. Resoureeful and Brave.

Dalas.-Texas is the only state
which has the distinction, not to say
4 privilege, Of working out its own in
stitutions before becoming n member
Of the Union, writes W. Z. Urbb of
the history department of the Univer-
Sty Of Texas In the Dallas News.
This fact has given Teyqns singular
feeling of independence and has en-
shrlned the states institutions with
q peculiar interest for those within
and many without her borders. Her
flag, her presidents, her foreign am
bassadors, her army and navy, all have
come in for share of 'he song and
story the history anu tradition of
The Lone Star republic.
OF all her institutions, however,
Nlexas has none which has attracted
nOre attention at home and abroad
han that organization of fighting
pen known as Texas Rangers.
lust what is the Texas Ranger?
#ne question can be answered best
~ finding out what he has been, dis
covering his origin, tracing his devel-
Rpment and examining his duties. The
Eact date of the origin of the Rangers
: lost in the obscurity of early Texas
lstory. Stephen +. Austin mentioned
hem In his letters of 1923, nearly
century ago; Bancroft ascribed their
Beginning to 1888, but in this he was
flearly wrong, for the Rangers had
pot only come into existence but had
fcqulred n legal status before that
3me.
Rangers Date Back to 1885.
When Texas revolted, In 1885,
general council met, and, as n part OF
Is work, authorized the first Ranger
|orce. This organization was TO CON
PSI of three companies of % men
fach' one TO range east of the Trinity,
'ne between the Trinity and Brazos
I nd the third between the Brazos and
'ne Colorado. The men were to serve
Iolely as protection against the In
pans the remuneration being $1.25 a
'aE ,'sa ~ |
IhuS was the Texas Ranger force |
|reated In the midst Of revolution, and |
Pom that day to this It has existed |
most constantly In some form,
'hough under varying titles.
Inc first settlers from the United |
yates were introduced into Texas by
p'ephen h. Austin during the latter
Part OF 1921, now just one century
|go Why did the Mexican govern
rent permit an alien race to come In?
mere are several reasons well known
7 the historian, and IL Is said that /
'ue OF them was the desire to place
olhe strong arm between the timorOus
'ieAicans, like those of San Antonio,
hd the wild Indians. The Comanche'S
,orSe might become too hard to hold.
'uieh Sabe2 However this may be,
u examination OF the land grants
,paue to Americans will show that
ueir holdings tend to form a tier ly.
ps roughly between the timber belt
nu The prairie region. In short, the
''ncrlcans from the United States
'vre TO serve as a buffer between the
"u tribes and the interior settle
peu'S' and on them was to devolve
,e TASK Of conquest at which both
'pu'h ana Mexico had failed.
mexico Unable to Close the Door.
""oe the door of Texas was open
americans pushed IN with that
,s"'y surge which carried the Anglo
,nerlcan civilization from the Atlan-
!, " the Pacific during the first half
Tue last century. Mexico. becom-
no. "armed, undertook to close the
nv QUO It was too late. The Tex
.ora Tor such the immigrants had be-
n, NOT only stood Off the Indians,
\ .u'hed on the Mexicans and wrest-
soc rom them Texan independence i'm
~ Just 10 years after they had en-
Fred the state.
'"S done, however, they found
,st ,''S'Nes In most precarious sit
On' They were caught. as II were,
wen NE jaws Of great wise.