, 1922-04-13

Many Of the old-timcrs in and about
Casper and others In other portions
Of Wyoming VIII recall through the
haze OF years Mo-eton Proven. who
In the early eighties was b hea OF
the Powder River Cattle company.
| located at the North Fork crossing Of
Powder river The reading OF a let
ter from him to a Casper resident Is
certain to arouse a long train of
sleeping memories The letter comes
to an old friend Mr.. s. p. Panton.
prominently ider..1ed with the life
insurance business in Casper.
Brode Place. Sussex. England
March 70. 1922.
Dear Mr.. Panton-
A most interesting letter Of yours
from Casper. Here Is 4 memory OF
the 'Rustler's War"
I was 1 n washington. the year. 1
think. 1887 or 1855. and the respect
ables Of Johson County were beseiged
in my old X C. ranch at the North
Fosk crossing OF Powder Rver-some
thirty Of them They had shot n
bunch of rustiers and there were n
hundred or more OF them from Clear
Creek under the leadership Of one
Brown.
We got stray echoes Of his cattle
mems war as far cast as b District
OF COLUMBIA I had left the wild west
country forever-had been In Hyder-
abad, India. and was IN Washington
on SILVER matters = was staying
with Sir Michael Herbert-a little lat
er our ambassador and hppfy I had
left his house to lunch with Mr..
Blaine, at that time secretary Of state
for Mr.. Harrison. and who lived in
Lafayette Square. AZ I reached Mr..
Blaine's house there was n telegraph
boy who inquired was Mr.. Frewen
within? ct am Mr.. Frcwen." I said.
and opened tbs teiegram-the o
shocking one / ever had. and It was
dated Casper"
A mar had ridden at midnight from
the X C. ranch. and had happily got
safely through. about 40 miles I sup
pose. And this was the message.
signed Toschemacher-I have got It
hcre now. q
tx. c. We arc held here by the
rustlers; can possibly hold them off
for three or four dayr but unless re
iicved then we shall certainly all
hang. There arc twenty Of your old
friends-an you help US with the
PRESIDENT Toschemacher."
The message made me sick. and my
first impulse was to go back to Her
bert's and think It over; luckily 1
did no such thing. but went upstairs
and put the message into Mr.. Blaine's
hand He saw how distressed I was,
and he said. we will do all that is
humanity possible, where arc the near
est ~troops7" AT Fort Mckinney on
Clear Creek" 1 said. To mako a long
story short Mr.. Blaine got a message
through at the moment of time, or 1
suppose they would have hanged in
the oottonwoods at the K C. crcas-
Ing. / wonder II the man still lives
who got the message through to Cas-
| per?-
I think the only one Of the besieged
I cver saw after was n good fellow,
Fred dc Billier. and I met him some
years later on the steps at the senate
n OF the capitol. 1 asked him II he
knew who saved them. and he said
"a message from Mr.. Blaine aid It."
Then 1 told him the story. II he Is
~ 10 htAA 6tNOAi ioWs ~
I am right my friend Senator Warren
was hen in congress and was doing
all possible to help the cattlemen, but
no doubt the activity of tho man
from Maine" was of great value. and
time was the ssenc of the contract.
I 10 not think that Wyoming was at
that time admitted to statehood. but
I may be wrong.
And SO you are at Casper, now a
busting, thriving town. I am very
glae to hear it., 1t has plnyed It's part
In THE Wyoming of the West"
I have tried to write my recoriec.
ions Of those days. but 1 fear I have
left It till too late. but you may make
any use you like Of this letter. 1
suppose a letter I wrote you not long
sine to Billings win find you.
Brown, the big rustler captain had
a fight at my ITS" ranch with the
present Earl of Lonsdale who was
staying with me. Brown, though a