Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-12-02
Kid Carr; Marshal
of Caldwell
By VIM. L. VISSCHER


Ia the days OF the Texas Trail, Cald-
well, kansas, near The nne vi the In
iian territory, was one vi the warm
est "cow-tOwns' out OF doors. To be
come city marshal of Caldwell was Il
distinguished AMI precarious honor
mat early after attainment bloomed
INTO more Or less imposing funeral.
Bill Lee was the foreman of II cat
tie ranch contiguous to the booze
business and other allied Industries
and interests OF Caldwell. Its brand
was "Bar-O."
III the days of his childhood and
adolescence Willie Lee had been an
exemplary pupil of red schoolhouse
IA Missouri and member of the ad-
vanced Bible class in the Methodist
sunday school in the village adjacen.
to his fathers small farm The farm,
aside from two brothers and pretty
little sister Of Willie, was not copious-
~ productive. Willie's elder broth
ers, James and George, had learned
the black art of printing in the office
OF the newspaper of the village.
The time came, some years before
the main incidents of this true
chronicle had occurred, when james
and George took Washington hand
press, some fonts of type and other
implements, adjuncts and accessories,
pertaining to the art preservative, and
also took the Santa Fe trail to a new
town in western Kansas where they
established a county paper.
James and George brought out their
promising younger brother William,
with view OF making him the 'devil''
of their printing office.
| However, William shortly fell into
the company of cowpunchers that rode
hard, and high hand. in the vicinity,
and as far away as the Pan Handle
Of Texas and the Staked plains of
New Mexico. Counseled and cajoled
by these roughriders and influenced
oy his own disposition to be some 9th.
pr sort of a devil than that of a print
shop, Billy joined the bunch.
Suffice it that Bill and his bunch
had contracted habit of riding int,
cow-towns that they met up with, and
shooting them up with much vigor and
iubilant abandon. Caldwell, Kansas
being nearest to the ranch, "Bar-O,'
where this Lee bunch had, in man
ner, become domesticated, was at the
chief dates of this history, the objec
Of its most frequent and hilarious at
tention. When Lee and his laddie.
took possession of the town their own
ership was certainly absolute and un
disputed, even to the extent that thu
office of city marshal there had com,
to be a negligible and unsought dis
tinction.
Nevertheless, one balmy day durin:
this peculiar regime, young man
with many of the indications of ten
derfoot, dropped into the office of The
mayor of Caldwell.
The mayors visitor was a slgh
built person of apparently about TWEEN
ty-five halcyon summers. He was con
spicuously well-dressed for the time
and region; his bearing was civil; hi.
manner urbane; his language indca
tive of good-breeding.
Sam Bascom, the mayor, receive,
his caller in the good-natured way o
the West. The visitor said that h
had learned that Caldwell was beref
of city marshal and that he ha,
come TO apply for the place.
The mayor emitted short whistle o
establishment and he said: DO yo
know, young man, what 1t means t
be marshal of Caldwell?"
"Yes, sir, l understand that it mean
the meeting, ut times, of a rude lot o
nomadlc visitors"
at comes mighty nigh being tn
death warrant of the man that take
the 'pintment of town marshal here,
~ am willing 10 take the chances.
The mayor again let loose that quicl
whistle and calculated: well, II
be--say. young Teller, take day o
so to think about II, then come ar
see me-
"Of course will do as you say
: Obedience to orders being prma
1uuINt WV ult'tNbit iSANihSu GIL
he also returned IN the morning of tn
next dry.
Thought 1t over some?H the mayo
inquired.
~ would Ike to be marshal of Calf
WE'LL" the young man firmly responded
You are It."
"Thank YOU"
I'm plumb believer In helpin
: young folks along" the mayor addet
: ''but dinged II | like to help goot
looking Teller on the bone-yard trai
Hows'ever, here's the star of yo' o.
: hce andy the way--whats "
name?"
As the young man took the silve
star. he said: "My name Is Carr"
"All right. kid. Lemme pin it or
If you can wear it week, you
break the record I'm hoping for yo
n whole lot" his honor said.