The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-05-27
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 Repubiic-SeIf-Reii-
ant, Resourcefui and Brave.

Dallas.-Texas Is the only state
which has the distinction, not to say
privilege, of working out its own In
situations before becoming member
of the Union. writes w. p. Urbb OF
the history department of the Univer-
city of Texas In the Dallas News.
This fact has given Texans singular
feeling of independenceta nd has en-
shrined the states institutions with
q peculiar interest for those within
and many without her borders. Her
dag, her presidents, her foreign am
bassadors, her army and navy, all have
come in for a share of the song and
story, the history and tradition OF
the Lone Star republic.
OF all her institutions, however.
taore attention at home and abroad
than that organization of fighting
men known as Texas Rangers.
Just what Is the Texas Ranger?
Ihe question can be answered best
oy finding out what he has been. dis
upment and examining his duties. The
exact date of the origin of the Rangers
Ia lost in the obscurity of early Texas
history. Stephen F. Austin mentioned
them in his letters of 1923, nearly a
century ago; Bancroft ascribed their
beginning TO 1888, but in this he was
clearly wrong, for the Rangers had
not only come into existence but had
acquired legal status before that
time.
Rangers Date Back to 1885.
When Texas revolted, in 1885, a
general council met, and, as part OF
It's work, authorized the first Ranger
force. This organization was to CON
sist of three companies of % men
each. one to range east of the Trinity
one between the Trinity and Brazos
and the third between the Brazos and
the Colorado. The men were to serve
solely as protection against the In
dians, the remuneration being $l.2o
day.
Thus was the Texas Ranger force
created In the midst of revolution. ant
from that day to this 1t has existed
almost constantly In some form
though under varying titles.
The first settlers from the Unitet
States were introduced into Texas b.
Stephen f. Austin during the latte
mart of 1921, now just one centur.
ago. Why did the Mexican govern
ment permit an alien race TO come IN
There are several reasons well know
to the historian. and ii Is said tina
ono of them was the desire TO plac
some strong arm between the uInorou
Nexicans, like those of San ANTONIO
and the wild Indians. The Comanche'
horse might become too hard to hoit
Ouien sabe? However this may bt
an examination Of the lana grant
made 10 Americans will show tina
tbair holdings tend TO form tier !,
ing roughly between the timber be-
and the prairie region. In snort, IN
Americans from the United State
vere TO serve as buffer between Ia
Wild tribes and the interior setti'
ments. and on them was TO devois
the task of conquest at which Dot
spain and Mexico had failed
Mexico Unable to Close the Door.
once the door of Texas was ope
the Americans pushed in with thi
mighty surge which carried the Angi
American civilization from the Atial
,ic to the Pacific during the hrst ha
Of the last century. Mexico, oecof
ing alarmed. undertook TO close u
door, but II was too late. The TIE
.ns-for such the immigrants had D
co,ne--pot only stood OF the Indian
bnt turned or the Mexicans aud wres
o., from them Texan independence
Issa. Just Is years after they had e
tered the state.
This done. however. they ioai
themselves in a most precarious >
marion. They were caught, a II vel
a.sween the jaws OF erea' vas