The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-12
BY HARRY ROOT.


It Is interesting to talk over pioneer
times with r. T. Fowler OF Lucas.
member of the legislature from Rus
sell county He tells Of the big
Texas cattle drive in the fall
of 1871 There were thousands
Of them, and on account of the
long trip they were in poor coudi-
ton when they arrived So they were
put out to winter on the range along
the Solomon and Smoky Hill rivers
from Ellsworth county west He re-
members the severe sieet and snow
storzn which occurred on the 18th of
November, 1871. The cattle drifted
into the bends of the rivers and died
by the thousands A man could walk
around for a quarter of mile or
more and step on the dead carcasses
all the way without stepping on the
ground, he said Another incident
told by Fowler was in the spring or
1872. Early in May of that year the
owners Of cattle began TO work the
roundups and gather them in In one
OF these roundupS, on the W. IL
Schaffer ranch on Hill creek, he has
seen upwards of $50 men at work
After the cattle were separated and
held in the herd. the buffaloes drifted
in so thick that it kept the cowboys
busy running them out OF the herd
and off the range Fowler and an
other cowboy who was working for
Schaffer roped a buffalo calf and
led it to the town Of Wilson and sold
it to a merchant for 80 The same
day the two roped a 2-year-oId and
cut a "21" brand on it, that being
Schaffer's brand, and then turned 1t
loose Antelope were plentiful. A
few black tailed deer and some elk
were also seen on the range that fall.
There was some excitement in the
time Of the roundup. Fowler says. over
disputes as to the ownership or the
cattle, and on one occasion two OF the
men got TO shooting at each other, but
generally they were settled by arbi-
tration without trouble. Mr. Fowler
is one of the big land owners in Rus
sell county. and is president of the
First National bank Of Lucas. his
scented the Thirty-fourth district in the
senate and is serving a second term in
the legislature. He is serving on sew
eraI important committees, and he
likes the work. Russell county makes
no mistake sending such men to the
legislature
J. A Corkiu is one Of the early
timers to Sherman county who have
made good on the farm. He has sold
$50, 900 firing Of farm life, he is
building a fine residence and making
other comfortable improvements in
Goodland.
sOne Of the early residents in Phil
lips county was Taylor Hatton- The
father homeSteaded on Deer creek,
rear kirWin- The son. then q boy,
saw the rough side of pioneer life He
saw much of the rough side of pio-
neer life. and this got him into all
sorts Of trouble with the law He was
always ready for a fight The writer
OF these notes remembers an aitsrca-
ton he had with a young man named
Bert Clark. who was looked upon as
the one who could whip the best
fighter in kirwiu. About this time
young Hattou was in town. and from
that time on he was the one who Clark
seemed to want 10 scrap with Hatron
was too young. to want to fight with
the bully" but he must fight or be
called a coward So a ring was formed
and the two participants were soon in
the struggle They were about evenly
matched, SO the fight narrowed down
to one of endurance After fighting
furiouSly for some time, Hatton
whipped the bully" and held the
honors for many years Many OF the
fights Taylor engaged in were for his
friends. Talking over pioneer remi-
niScences Of Kirvin and Phillips coun-
~. these occurrences are talked over
II Hatton was your friend he showed
soon know tt Many times he defended
the friendship OF his kfr~in friends. as
well as those in nearby towns In later
years IL was claimed that Hatton was
q person who never started trouble.
nor ever visited a town for the purpose
OF bullying the people in any sort of
TRADE He was one OF the first set