Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24

to be carriers of disaster The Spanish fever
had gained momentum. 1t swept through the
ShorthornS Of Illinois, Iowa and other States,
with the result that the market for long,
horns was knocked galleywest There was q
great deal of excitement and many regula-
tions were made to protect local stock against
the incurSions Of the rangy brute from the
South.
But neither cholera, Spanish fever, trail diff
ficultieS, Indian attacks nor prohfbitory laws
could stop the northern march of the long
horn. They were trudging up one of the great
roads of empire The territories were Begin
ming to fill up with landseekers and they had
to have cattle, millions of them, to stock their
ranges. The American workingman demanded
cheap meat. Virginia City and Deadwood and
other booming mining camps needed it at any
price.
HE Texas cattle trade, with its thousands of
ramifications destined to affect every ham,
let in the West, was born of economic necessity
and not chance.
The trail herders lived hard for months They
did not for weeks at time see anybody ex-
cept those of their own outfit. No liquor was
within reach and they were too busy to do
much poker playing. Therefore they were
ready for spree by the time they reached the
end OF their journey.
Abilene was wide open. It gave the cow
puncher the keys Of the town and told him to
barrel. The roulette wheel rolled day and
night. Chuck-a-luck and Mexican monte were
there for those who preferred them. Hard
eyed men with pallid faces, in Prince Albert
coats and white shirts, most expert of finger.
waited to accommodate those who wished to
try their luck at faro and poker.
AS soon as the herd was bedded down and
guards set for the night, those released from
duty saddled up and rode to town. How far
the cowboy on tear went depended on the
amount Of liquor he consumed and his native
taste for trouble. Most of them made a good
deal OF noise, but held themselves in hand and
did not get on the prod"
But quarrels lared up between the profess
sional gamblers and the punchers. There were
crooked games. Texas sent up the trail scores
of hard characters who had signed up for the
drive. Difficulties were frequent, and the all
most certain appeal was to the Sixshooter. The
city dads decided that, in self-protection.
Abilene had to have authority represented in
the person of a marshal
From Kit Carson, Colo, they brought Tom
Smith, who had as marshal, achieved en-
viabe distinction in that wild end-of- the rail-
road town. He was courageous to a fault. In
making an arrest he never drew a revolver, but
relied on his prestige and prowess. If obStep-
erouS lawbreakerS unwisely objected to arrest,
he knocked them cold with straight right
Smith held Abilene down to a reasonable
decorum until he was killed in the performance
of his duty. Joseph G. Mccoy, mayor of the
town, at once set about getting successor who
could fill the place. He met wild Bill" Hickok
ex-marshal of Hays City. At Hays, Mr. Hickok
had maintained order by the simple method of
shooting down opposition, both personal and
official. Hickok accepted McCoys offer and
moved to Abilene
Wild Bill was an eye-satisfying spectacle.
There is abundant testimony to that. He was
arrow straight easy. graceful, nonchalant. and
built like Apollo. He dressed with great
care and not at all fiashily. His manners were
quiet. The only hamboyant touch about him
was the heavy brown hair that swept his
shoulders. One OF the best shots with a six
gun ever seen on the frontier, he could beat any