White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-10-20

men took their herds to sell, but Goodnight
saw greater opportunity up in New Mexico.
Colorado and Wyoming, where there were
Indian agencies looking for beef and willing
to pay well for it.
The drawback in the scheme was that between
the Panhandle and this promising territory lay
a great expanse of desert and territory inhab.
tied by Comanche Indians ready to pounce upon
invaders and drive off the cattle. Without heavy
protection no herd could get through. Goodnight
knew that as well as any of his neighbours and
he laid the plan before them. He knew the
country, and mapped out route by which he
hoped to trail his animals up into Colorado.
But the other cowmen had troubles of their
own to attend to when he sought their coop
Grafton. They saw only the danger connected
with the venture, and excused themselves.
But young Goodnight found a partner. He
was Oliver Loving, who became one of his
closest companions. Loving was probably the
most experienced cowman in Texas at the time
In 1862 while the Comanches were quiet, he
had taken herd through to Colorado on d.
rect route Young Goodnight had helped him
out of the timber country as far Red river.
Loving also had trailed cattle into Illinois and
to the New Orleans markets. He asked to go
with Goodnight on his trail-blazing venture.
Goodnight had prepared huge bois dare
wagon, requiring twenty oxen to pull, which
he believed the first chuck wagon ever seen in
the COW country. Each man gathered up his
cattle, making combined herd Of some
thousand head of mixed stuff. They started in
June, with eighteen adventuresome COW hands
and reached Fort Sumner two months later.
On the whole trip not an Indian had been
sighted. Through 600 miles of totally unin.
habted country a new route for Texas cattle
had been blazed Immediately becoming known
as the Goodnight trail, the first and greatest
of the colonels trail breaking achievements.
Later it was extended through the Ration noun.
tains past Pueblo and Denver and into Chey-
enne and Fort Laramie. Three hundred thou
sand cattle passed over it in six years. while
thousands persisted on the way or fell into the
hands of the Comanches.
When Goodnight arrived at Fort Sumner he
found the government had 1900 Apaches "loose
herded like cattle" there. Loving and Good
night sold their cattle two years old and up on
the hoof for eight cents pound, an enormous
price for the time. Loving took the stock cat
tie cut back by the government into Colorado
and Goodnight took a part of the hands and
$4,000 in gold and silver and returned to Palo
Pinto county. There he purchased extensively
of his neghbors and trailed back over the route
he had marked out.
It was in the spring of 1867 that Loving lost
his life. The partners started with two herds
the two men going ahead with the first one. The
second herd. made up Of weaker cattle, lost
l,OUO QedQ 10 LHe SOulduCueS DelOIe ~
reached the Pecos. Another band of Indians
attacked Goodnight and Loving on the Clear
fork of the Brazos Joe Loving, who was no
relation to Oliver Loving was shot in the neck,
the herd stampeded and 100 head Of cattle
ran out Goodnight pulled arrow out Of
Loving's neck with a pair of nippers and Joe
got well.
After the herd had been driven about 100
miles up the Pecos from Horseshoe Crossing,
Oliver Loving decided to take one man and go
ahead to Fort Sumner One-Armed Bill Wilson,
the coolest head in the outfit according to
Colonel Goodnight's description, was selected
as escort. What happened on the trip is still
an epic of the COW camps.
The second day out in the southern part of
New Mexico, the two men were attacked by
some 500 Comanche warriors The only shell
ter was the Pecos four miles away. They head
ed for it on long run. Dsmounting, they hid
in the cane brakes. An Indian, creeping through
the cane, shot Loving in the arm and side. Not
wishing to die and his folks not know of his
end. Loving persuaded Wilson to go for help.
Wilson swan the river and barefooted walked
three days down the Goodnight trail, through
cactus, mesquite and other plants containing
thorns until he came to the Goodnight herd.
Colonel Goodnight took all available hands
and set out for the scene of the fight, sixty
miles away. Late the next day the party ar
rived, but there was no trace Of Loving Two
weeks later q Texan told Goodnight the star