Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-01-25
One Dude Cowhand Taught
Tough Guy Better Manners

Back IN 1884 there was q youngster
of 20 or so working on the various
cattle ranges Of the state who was
known as Edwin the Dude. He dressed
in the very height Of cowboy fashion.
His saddle was Of the most ornately
stamped leather, silver mounted. his
bride sported gorgeous conc11as OF
silver. His hat was belly beaver and
cost $50 at st. Louis His boots were
made 10 order and Of exquisite work
manship. His chaps and gloves were
always the finest he could procure
from eastern dealers. for he seldom
be carried in the stock Of western
Edwin the Dude also had a fine
saddle string. He invariably kept six
Of the best range horses he could
find. Decked out In his cowboy rig he
made a fine showing. As his nickname
implied, he was a dude Of the range.
But the fact that he was a dude
did not mean that he also was sissy.
Any puncher who got the notion that
Edwin was in any way soft or effemi-
nate was quite likely to lose that no
ton In a hurry, for that was far from
being the case. He was very quies
and reserved in manner, 1t Is true,
but there were few men who could
out-ride, out-rope or out-shoot him
Edwin was not a trouble builder, but
it was considered by those who knew
him to be unhealthy sport to impose
on him in any way.
One man found that out to his sor-
row. He was a big, lanky long-rope
man from Texas and his name was
Frying-pan. At least that was the
only name he packed into Montana
1ic nnWm
ing worked for the FTymg-pan OUT
ut in the south. He drifted into q
roundup camp on the Little Missouri
one evening, riding big, raw-boneo
gray and leading a pack horse. ne
signified that he was in a receptive
mood so far as work was concerned
and the roundup captain gave him a
Job as horse wrangler.
The next morning at daybreak,
when the remuda, or bunch Of saddle
horses, had been run in, Frylng-pan
observed Edwin the Dude leading the
horse he was going to ride that day
over to his saddle. SAY" he said 70
the cook, but loud enough so that
Edwin could hear him, Amt she
pretty?" Then he added: Seems Ike
q shame to have her workin' out here
amongst us rough cowhands. Hadn't
somebody ought to write TO her ma
and have her sent for?"
Edwin the Dude bit his lip a trifle |
but never turned his head. That night |
when the riders were coming In Fry |
ing-pan stood near the chuck wagon,
rolling a cigaret, when Edwin rode
up and swung off his horse, looking |
more as though he had just stepped
out Of a showcase than as If he had
been riding circle all day through the |
dust Of the prairie. Frying-pan sized /
him up with an expression OF adj
miration. MY" he said to no one in /
particular, dts sure a shame to let
her spoil her complexion that-a-way.
They'd anv way ought to get ven
or two for her"
Edwin the Dude turned slowly and
sized Frying-pan up with an apprais-
ing eye. Suddenly his forty-five was
out and he had Frying-pan covered
from his hip. Texas" he said, IN
his slow way, "I'm going TO nip that
1 were you I'd stand kind of still. II
you don't, I might get your nose in
stead, and then you wouldn't have
anything to stick into other peoples
look out"
At the last word his Six-shooter
parked and the cigaret was gone from
FRYING white lips. Another
crack and a bullet tore off most OF
the heel Of Frying-pan's nearest boot.
The Texan leaped into the air nimbly,
but as he did so his other heel was
gone.
you'll need some new heels TO go
tramping around on peoples feelings
with" remarked Edwin, as he slowly
replaced his Colt in its holster.
NOW" he continued, you'd best
gather UP your bed and head south
because there amt room for us both
this side of the Cheyenne river"
Frying-pan seemed quite pleased at
the idea of taking trip, and he
was soon headed into the twilight IN
a southerly direction.
The story told above is a true one,
and the full name Of Edwin the Dude
was Edwin Hunter Pendleton Arden,
who later became one Of the leading
actors on the American stage.
Arden became well known after he
quit punching cows as playwright,
as well as an actor, and he had .
varied and adventurous ca
reer. When he first went on the stage
he played in stock companies. In I
later years he appeared in support of !