Broken Bow City

In The Days Of Cattle

When the white man found this location the prairies were covered with buffalo, deer, elk, and antelope, while the prairie chickens. grouse, wild duck, and goose were found in great abundance. This was nature's suggestion that the country was suited to stock-raising and poultry production, and the demonstration of the years since has justified the prediction. In the early days of Custer county, cattle raising was the only occupation. It indeed was a profitable industry. As early as 1869 the great advantages of this country attracted attention of the cattlemen of the south and east. The territory, well grassed and well watered, was very attractive.

Texas was then the greatest breeding ground for cattle and horses in the United States and probably in the world, but it was railroadless and without means of transportation. Cattlemen were compelled to trail their stock across many hundred miles of prairie to find a railroad shipping point. At that time Ogallala, in western Nebraska, was the shipping point for all the adjacent plains to the south, including the Panhandle territory and all northern Texas. Cattle were brought to this point in such numbers that at times it was estimated more than a hundred thousand head grazed on the surrounding ranges, awaiting shipment. These cattle were sometimes held for months. Grass ranges were in demand.

on the north into the South Loup valley, and thus the Texans and southern cattlemen discovered that their herds could live and keep fat all winter on the rich, luxurious grasses which they found here in great abundance. The fame of the South Loup valley spread among cattleman. They investigated. They found plenty of grass of different varieties, among which was an abundance of buft'alo grass, best adapted for winter pasture. They found hills and breaks that aft'orded shelter from the winter storms. They found an abundance of running water in open streams, and all these advantages combined to make it an ideal cattle country, into which cattlemen v/ere not long in driving their herds.

At this late day it is almost impossible to be accurate about dates or the order in which cattlemen settled in the country. At that time all was government land and the stockmen came in and appropriated their ranges. They set up land marks and made claims for so many miles of prairie in this direction and that direction until they had assured themselves of plenty of territory. Ranges, often overlapped, herds became mi.xed, but that made small difference. Some few erected fences but for the most part herds ran at large. Concerning dates and settlements, the following 13 given uiion the authority of Judge H. AI. Sullivan :

Streeter for the first time wintered cattle in the territory now comprising Custer county. On Ash creek, a short distance soiitli of Broken Bow, lie turned out in the fall 821 cattle, of which 385 were yearlings. They were all Texas cattle ; the following spring he rounded up 819, a loss of only two head.

In 1872 E. J. Boblits came into the South Loup country, located a range on what is now known as Tuckerville and stocked it heavily with cattle. Boblits has since acquired the title of judge, through efficient occupancy of the ofifice of county judge, to which he was several times elected. He is one of the few stockmen who is still in the country occupying the same location. In fact, he claims the distinction of being the oldest continual resident of the county. He also claims to have built the first frame house in the county.

The Boblits family is still living on part of the ranch, in a magnificent country home where generous southern hospitality is still on exhibition.

Childs B. Harrington, H. C. Stuckey, and Anton Abel located ranches shortly after this in the eastern half of the South Loup valley. About the same time Williams and Kilgore and John Myers located in the same region, a little more to the south.

In 1872 John Harrington came from Texas and located a ranch on the South Loup, eight miles northwest of Callaway in the region of Triumph. He brought in about two thousand head of cattle and built three cedar-log houses. These houses were built in true southern fashion, with the passways between them roofed.

A cattle ranch was established by Nimrod Caple and Manly, his son, in 1875, on the head of Spring creek, where bursts forth from the side of a steep hill one of the largest and purest springs in the country. Mr. Caple sold out his cattle and left in 1876. In his departure many a settler rejoiced, for his cattle were always doing some damage to crops. Mr. Caple always offered to pay, but invariably carried a fifty-dollar bill, which none of his neighbors could ever "bust." He always, in this way, got his cattle, but the farmer seldom got any pay.

In 1876 Edward Holway and J. D. Haskell occupied the same ranch formerly located by Harrington, and this ranch was afterwards sold to the Parker Live Stock Company of Illinois. The range claimed by those owning this ranch was the South Loup valley from Triumph west to Cedar canyon and the territory north adjoining.

The Parker Live Stock Company first came to the county in 1876. It located its headquarters at a point about two miles west of Callaway, and claimed as its range what is now known as Sand valley and the territory lying south and west. This company began with 1,500 head of cattle, and J. J. Douglass, afterward clerk of the district court of this county, was the manager.

In 1876 Durfee & Gasman located a ranch a short distance north of Callaway on the north side of the Loup, at what is known as the Big Spring, on the farm now owned by N. M. Morgan, and they began business with 3,0C0 steers.

In 1878 Durfee & Gasman bought out the Paxton ranch and consolidated it with their ranch on the opposite side of the river. The range they claimed after the consolidation was the large valley about Callaway, the Wood River valley and the valley of the Cottonwood.

Some time previously to this, the afterward famous Olive Brothers located a ranch on the Dismal river, in Blaine county. Later, in the fall of 1877, without giving up the Dismal river ranch, they moved headquarters to the South Loup and established a ranch which included a good many thousand acres of South Loup valley and included Spring creek and Turner valley. They claimed to have, in all, something like fifteen thousand head of cattle.

History Of Cl'Ster Couxtv. Nebraska

In 1878 Smith & Tee located on the nortli side of the .Middle Loup river, not far from the ranch of Ewing. They turned out about 800 head of cattle.

Ofher cattlemen came into the country during these times of whom it is impossible to get much reliable data. Among these were the Finlen Brothers. Rankin Live Stock Company, and others. The Finlen Brothers remained in the country for years. Thomas Finlen is still a resident.

At this late date it is impossible to know accurately, the number of cattle in Custer county in the summer of 18?0. but there were probably very ncarl\- 60,000 head of cattle, of the value of not less than $1,. 500,000. The greater ])art of these cattle had been reared or brought into the comitv after the vear 1875.

Hig Profits

Probably in the settlement of the I'nitcd States no agricultural or grazing territory of a similar area witnessed such a rapid accumulation of wealth. L'p to the winter of 1880-81 the jjrofits fromi the business had exceeded the most sanguine expectations of the ranchman.

summers. The buffalo grass upon the hills each year made a splendid growth. During the spring and summer the cattle did not graze upon this grass, for there was plenty of bluestem, grama, and rye grass in the valleys and lagoons. But with the advent of freezing weather the cattle at once went to the hills to feed ufwn the buffalo grass. Xo more valuable winter forage e.xists than buffalo grass properly cured. Cattle fed upon the best of wild hay will not be in better condition in the spring than those which have wintered ujjon buffalo grass. In the economy of nature this grass seems to have been created and brought forth especially for winter feed. The thousands of buft'aloes that originally roamed this country and made it their winter home lived upon this grass during the winter ; hence the name.

In those days there was a greater profit in buying young Texas steers and holding them, than in raising calves. Yearling steers brought here from Texas could be bought at from five to six dollars per head ; two-yearold for nine dollars ; three-year-old from twelve to fourteen dollars : cows from ten to twelve dollars.

These same steers, kept on Custer county range for from eighteen months to two years, would sell from twent\-five to forty and f oi tyfive dollars per head.

For a number of years no taxes were levied against the cattle. Xo investment in real cstatf; was necessary. The cedar canyons furnished material for houses, corrals, and fuel. There was no ex])ense for fencing or wells. The increase in value was nearly all profit. The only important items of expense in the business were supplies for and wages to the cowbo3'S. They received thirty-five to forty dollars per month.

Life With The Cowboys

It would be hard to give a better portrayal of the experiences, hardships, and danger to which the cowboys were subjected in the early days than that written by J. D. Haskell, of .Arnold, who is now a prominent rancher au(l stockman of the South Loup region: that if they furnished a tent for their men to sleep in it would be too much luxury and would make life with the herd altogether too easy. They figured that men would be slow to leave the tent on stormy nights and look after the cattle. On the roundup and on the trail cattle always had to be night-herded. The cattle that had been gathered during the day were never left for a moment until they were back on the owner's range. Night shifts were necessary. The first shift rode around the cattle until eleven o'clock. The second from eleven until two. and the third from two o'clock until after breakfast. These reliefs were composed of from one to four men. according to the size of the herd. In the spring, through the months of April and Alay, a good deal of rain generally fell and not infrequently there was snow and blizzards. It was often cloudy and drizzly for three or four days at a time. The cowboys were compelled to make their beds on the wet ground, and very often a heavy rain would come on in the night and they would find themselves lying in a sheet of water. In such cases there was nothing to do but get up and lean against the wagon or saddle horse until morning.

"\\ith daylight, work would begin and no opportunity was offered through the day to dry clothing and bedding. \\'hen night came on again there was nothing to do but turn into wet blankets.

"No stove was furnished with the cook wagon. Bread was baked in a "dutch oven,' and other food in skillets. Frequently there was no time to eat breakfast. It always seemed strange that the men, compelled as they were constantly to endure this exposure, escaped contracting fatal diseases.

Womf.N Were Scarce

"( )ii a regular cattle ranch no women were to be found. There was always a man to do the cooking. Thojc who sampled cattleranch hospitality claim that the cooks were almost experts.

members of class occupation, were clannish and stuck together in protection of each others' interests. They were generous to a fault among themselves and to any one needy, but for an outsider to mingle in their business was not altogether healthy exercise.

A Stampede

"In 1877 three men and a cook were holding a band of 1,000 Texas steers on the Muddy, where Broken Bow now stands. They had to night-herd the cattle every night. They saw only one. man pass during the three months they were there. They received no mail and had nothing to read. As they were all young men who had been reared in the far east they experienced a lonely time, shut in from the outside world.

"The last of September the owner sent a man to direct them to move the cattle to the ranch near where Callaway now is. that they might be taken from there to Lexington and shipped to Chicago. The first night after the start for the ranch they camped about seven miles west of where they had held the cattle. The earlv part of the night was beautiful. All the boys but the night-herder had turned in and for the first time in three months were enjoying sleep under a roof.

"About ten o'clock the man out with the cattle observed a black, angry cloud moving up from the north. lie rode to the tent, called to the other men to hurry up and help hold the cattle. They got up slowly, grumbling. However, as soon as they looked out and saw what a terrible storm was coming, they rushed for their horses, but before they could saddle and mount, the storm had struck them.

"In the meantime the watcher had hurried back to the cattle. He had almost reached the head of the herd when the storm broke. The darkness was intense. A terrible wind drove the rain in sheets. The entire herd jumped to their feet as one steer and started on a wild stampede before the storm. And oh, such a night !

Histury Of Custer Col'.Xty. Nebraska

"The roar of 4,000 hoof beats, mingled with the constant crash of thunder, made it a race nfever to be forgotten. The cattle could only be seen by the rider at the flash of the lightning, which was so dazzling as almost to blind his eyes. Time and again the wiry pony was on his knees, Ijut almost instantly up and going again.

"Gradually the pon\' gained upon the leaders and the rider held him in against them. They began to swerve from their straight course before the storm. Gradually he brought them to running in a circle, then as he closed in nearer the outside cattle the circle became smaller and smaller until they were at a standstill.

"The storm ended as suddenly as it began. Shortly his companions were there and the cattle were driven back to the tent and held until morning, when, on a count of the herd, it was found twenty-five were missing. These were found later - not far from where the cattle were stopped the night before - lying upon the hillside and resting from their terrible run.

The Roundup

Prior to the winter of 1880-81 very liule hay was prepared for winter use. The cattle wintered on the range where they summered. During the winter the cattle were permitted to roam wherever they felt in.-lined. and nn attention was ])aid to them.

The work of handling the cattle began with the spring roimdup, about the first of May. and closed with the last shipment of cattle to market in the fall, which was about the first of November.

The cowboys, after the long, idle winter, looked forward to the spring roundup with the same desire that the soldier, after months in the barracks, longs for active duty in the field and for battle. As the time for beginning of the roundup drew near the cowboy would be found busily engaged in washing his clothing and blankets ; his saddle and bridle were cleaned and oiled ; bits, spurs, and si.x-shooters were polished : and saddle ponies were curried and given extra feed and attention.

Among these men was found that same diversity of character, temperament, energy, and intelligence common to mankind everywhere. A reputation for courage was a necessary requisite to good standing in cowboy society. He who could display the greatest recklessness, or assume the role of the greatest daredevil, stood foremost and was the leader of that society.

This desire for notoriety among his fellows led the cowboy into many serious difficulties and gave rise to the general opinion that he was without feeling or regard for the rights of others and was naturally cruel. This opinion was erroneous. His recklessness ami occasional cruelty were not the natural products of his nature but were rather, in most instances, assumed in a spirit of bravado. As a rule, the cowboy was true to his friends, and with him it was a religious principle to stand by and never desert a friend in a "tight place."

In the general roundup in the spring, all cattlemen having cattle upon the territory to be covered took part. Sometimes as many as one hundred men worked together. A captain was selected, and he directed the men. Cook wagons were provided and these were kept convenient to the men at work on the range.

Each day cattle found were driven to a r-oint selected by the captain, where the calves \vere branded and the cattle of the different owners were "cut out"" from the others and driven back to the range of the owner, and so work went on from week to week until all the territory where it was probable cattle of those engaged in the roundup could be found, was covered.

After this roundup was completed each ranchman again covered his own range, branded the calves found there, and again, later in the summer, when the steers had become fat. the range was acain irone over, and

A Rouxdup Of Rouxdups

After the South Loup spring roundup was finished the cowboys who had been riding the ranges for from four to six weeks would mount their horses and hike for North Platte, where they would meet the riders from the North Platte roundup, and then would be held a roundup of roundups that made history of its own. On these occasions there would assemble from two to three hundred men, with from five to seven hundred saddle horses. Each ranch outfit represented would have a crack shot, a foot racer, a boxer, a race horse, a bucking broncho, and all these would be trotted out in their turns and matched against the rivals of the other ranches. Defeats and victories w^ere both celebrated by drinks for the crowd. These celebrations lasted as long as the cowboys' money held out. Associated at different times in these lusty carnivals were such characters as Buck Taylor, ^lajor North, John Shores, and Bufifalo Bill, all of whom had race horses of their own and were always ready to back them up with all the money they could get their hands on.

Cattlemex Versus Settlers

As early as 1874 settlers began coming in - that is, a few adventuresome spirits drifted into the ]\Iiddle and South Loup countries and a settlement or two w^as made in the eastern section of the county and also in the New Helena district. They came in slowly at first and their coming was not encouraged by the cattlemen, who saw that the homesteader would sooner or later absorb his range and supplant stock-raising and grazing with farming and stock-raising on the farmer's scale. He was naturally averse to this, and the reckless cowboys, who understood that with the going of the large herd would go their occupation and employment, never put themselves out to make things attractive and pleasant for the settler. One writer says : fair nor just with the other. The weaker was compelled to give way to the stronger. There were a hundred homesteaders to every ranchman. A few of the more courageous cattlemen made a struggle to hold their ranges. They fenced in large tracts of territory, constructed wells in these pastures, and the cowboys in their employ made homestead, preemption, and timber-culture entries therein, under the government land laws.

Frame shacks or shanties were constructed, called by the cowboys, in their application and final proof, houses. These were in many instances upon runners or wheels and were moved from claim to claim. The same shanty ofttimes answered the purpose of a house in making final proof for three or four cowboys upon as many different claims. But all this was of no avail to the ranchman. The homesteader made entries within his pasture. He contested and had cancelled the claims of the cowboy. He cut and destroyed the fences. Bloodshed and murder were in some instances the result. In the courts the ranchman had but little hope of success. In his controversy with the homesteader he must try his case before a jury of homesteaders.

A Near-Battle

Early in the fall of 1884 a few settlers located homesteads in the northeast corner of the Brighton Ranch Company's pasture, on Ash creek. This pasture was about fifteen miles square and extended several miles south of the Loup river almost to Broken Bow, and was inclosed with a wire fence. The land being government land, and subject to entry, these settlers served notice on the ranch company to remove their fences from about their claims within thirty days. The company paid no attention to this request, and at the expiration of the time the settlers made a raid on the fence and appropriated the posts to make roofs for their sod houses. Roofs in those days were made by laying a large log, called a ridge log, lengthwise of the building at the top. The fence posts were then laid up to form the rafters, to which brush was fastened, the whole being covered with one or two layers of prairie sod, coated with several inches of yellow clay, procured from the canyons, which turned water very eft'ectually.

settlers arrested and taken to Broken Bow for trial. The sheriff had no sooner departed with the prisoners than the second foreman of the ranch rigged up two large wagons, drawn by four mules each, and proceeded to the houses of the settlers, accompanied by a number of the cowboys. They drove up to a house, took a team and a large chain, hitched on to the projecting end of the ridge log, and in about three seconds the sod -house was a shapeless mass of sod, hay, brush, and posts mixed up in almost inextricable confusion. The ranchmen then culled their posts from the wreck and loaded them into the wagons, when they went to the next house and repeated the operation, leaving the occupants to pick their few household goods out of the ruins at their leisure. The boys were having great fun at the expense of the settlers, cracking jokes and making merry as the work of destruction went on. After destroying several houses in this manner they proceeded to the claim of a Air. King, and Airs. King, seeing them approaching, met them with a shotgim and dared them to come on. Had it been Mr. King, the invitation would possibly have been accepted, but the cowboys were too gallant to enter into a quarrel with a lady, and withdrew without molesting her.

In the meantime a boy of the settlement had been despatched to Broken Bow, on the fastest pony that could be procured, to secure help, and quite a posse of men from the town started for the scene of action. The foreman of the ran;h, who was in Broken Bow at the time as complaining witness against the settlers, heard of this and sent one of his cowboys in haste to warn the second foreman of the impending invasion. The messenger arrived at the settlement in advance of the citizens and gave the alarm. The housewreckers were thoroughly scared, and. turning the heads of their mule teams toward the South Loup, a]3plied the whij) freely. As the mules began to run over the rough prairie the posts began to fall off the wagons, and as the teams began to show signs of weariness the cowboys began to heave off more posts to lighten the load as they bumped along, leaving a trail behind them like that of a railroad construction gang. Arriving at the ranch, they turned out their mules, secured their ^^'inchesters and made a break for tlie hills on the south side of the river, to await developments. When the posse of rescuers arrived at the little settlement and found the invaders gone, they did not follow them, but returned to Broken Bow. The cowboys remained in the hills two days, waiting for the approach of the enemy in vain.

The ranch company failed to make anv case against the settlers, it being shown that the ranch pasture was government land and that the claims were lawfully held by the homesteaders, who had a perfect right to remove the fence which inclosed their property. The prisoners were accordingly released and were.' not again molested. The second foreman of the ranch was subsequently arrested for tearing, down the houses of the settlers, was tried at Broken Bow, found guilty, fined twentv'- five dollars and costs, and confined one day in the county jail.

The winter of 1880-81 marked the termination of extraordinary profits in the cattle industrv' in Custer county. The severe winter entailed frightful losses upon cattlemen. Some whole herds were wiped out of existence. This opened the door to the settlers, who were not slow to flock in and settle in all parts of the county, picking out, of course, the choice and level land without regard to whether it was in some ranchman's range. By the close of 1884 there were fully 18.000 people in Custer county, and probably not to exceed 4,000 cattle.

As the ranchman and the Texas steer in the '60s and early '70s had driven out the Indian and the buffalo, so now in the '80s the ranchman and the steer were compelled to give way to the farmer and the horse.

It may be well to record here one more incident which illustrates the kind of war waged in those days between settler and rancher. In 1875 Frederick Schreyer located a homestead about five miles up the river from where Callaway now stands. His only neighbors were cowboys, and peace and harmony did not prevail in his neighborhood. He was not given a welcome reception. No bands played in his honor. There were presented no testimonials expressing the pleasure of the ranchmen and cowboys because he had moved in. In order to discourage the lone homesteader, the festive cow-punchers stampeded their herds over the roof of his dugout, and herded their steers in his cornfield. When he resorted to arms to defend himself he was arrested and put into jail. But Schreyer was an indomitable spirit and not easily put down. His career, however, was so marked in the early days that it is given another place on these pages.

The last cowboy has disappeared from the South Loup country, from the Middle Loup, and from other parts of Custer county that were once covered with cattle. The plucky pioneers, however, who paved the way for others to follow, are still with us, for the most part, full of years and honors, living in the enjoyment of the fruits of their toil.

An Underground R.Mlroad

The following story, told by Robert Harvey, describing a discovery made in the South Loup country in July, 1872, by himself and surveying party, seems to disclose the "main line" of the famous "underground railroad," over which a great number of valuable horses, and perhaps other property, passed through the county in the days of the early '70s.

"During the last days of July we completed all but six miles of lines south of the fourth standard parallel and camped at the corner of townships 15 and 16 north, ranges 23 and 24 west, near the northeast edge of a beautiful round, flat valley, located on wliat is now the line between Triumph and Delight precincts. The depression, is, no doubt, a very remote lake-bed or basin formed by the rocking of an ancient iceberg.

"In the afternoon we started north on the last six miles of the range line of this part of the work and ascended the long, grassy south s\oY>e of a high hill or promontory. After considerable labor and fatitrue. we reached the summit of the clean-cut northeast rim. The diagonal descent along the steep northeast slope was attained with considerable difficulty, and having reached the bottom I found that the bluffs' dark shadows cast far out into the valley, rendering farther progress that evening impossible. We proceeded to camp, which we found on the right bank of the South Loup river.

"Next morning we resumed the work of projecting our abandoned line northward, and at the half-mile corner between sections 13 and 18 we crossed a small spring brook having its source in springs under the east slope of the high bluff". A little farther north we ascended an elevated clay spur formed by the river on the north and the little brook on the southeast. Ihe bluff terminated a little east of our line in a low bottom covered with wild hemp and sunflowers.

"Crossing this spur, I noticed a deeply cut wagon track, which appeared to have been made in soft wet ground and then grass grown, which excited my curiosity, and turn.- ing down the trail a few yards I came upon a cowbell and a spring of a wagon spring-seat, to that period. Descending to the low bench I passed to the left along the foot of the spur and near its point suddenly came upon the door of a cave which was set flush with the perpendicularly cut bank.

"Pushing open the door, I entered a room containing a fireplace at the north end, a single sleeping bunk at the south end and an old rough-board table. Evidently it was the kitchen, dining room, reception hall, parlor, and cook's sleeping room. Passing through a door in the partition I entered a large room which had feed stalls arranged along the north side and west end, and sleeping bunks along the south side. Some shelled corn was scattered about and a copy of Harper's Weekly of the previous June lay on the floor.

"On the outside we searched in the grass and weeds for signs of occupancy, but found no tracks or paths leading to the river or creek, but at the water's edge of the brook found a block about three feet long, cut from

Histury Of Cl'Ster Couxty. Nebraska

"Tlie dis:overy of such an abode, far from any settlement, and in an Indian infested country where hunters had not yet ventured, was remarkable. It brought to my recollections a story I had heard repeated in Benton county, Iowa, three years before. The story ran that a young man of the neighborhood had gone west in 1866 or 1867, and joined a band of horse thieves whose 'runway' was from Mexico to the British possessions. The party with which he worked operated in Nebraska and perhaps Dakota Territory.

"One of the stations along the route was in a cave on a branch of the Loup river and near the foot of a high, dark hill, with pine timber growing along the blufifs and a little stream of spring water flowing past the mouth of the cave. Their next station was two days' ride from this cave and located in a forest of pine and cedar in the canyons of the Loup river.

"The story seems to describe this place. Here was a cave on the right bank of a branch of the Loup, with a small spring brook only a few yards away. There was a high, dark, frowning hill nearby, while scatteringpine timber grew along the blufifs on the opposite side of the river, and about seventy-five miles to the northeast, about two days' ride, were the cedar and pine-wooded canyons of the North Loup below the mouth of the Calamus river. All of the details of the story dovetailed exactly with the place.

"In the latter part of September I was operating north of the parallel and on the 30th pitched my camp on the long, high mesa, or table-land, west of where Broken Bow is now located. Being almost destitute of water in the afternoon, I sent two men with the light wagon to the south branch and gave instructions to fill the barrels that evening and return early next morning. It was about seven miles to the river and six to our initial point on the parallel for the survey of the line between ranges 23 and 24 west, township 17 north.

the south edge of the high undulating tableland about three miles south of camp, when we halted to scan the country. We expected to find evidence of two surveying parties operating south of us, who should be near the close of their work and about ready to return to their homes. We had brought with us a lot of written mail, hoping We might send it with them.

"We scanned the country south, east, and west, and finally observed a bright spot far up the river. It looked like the reflection from a bright surface, and a dark object loomed near it. To ascertain if it was moving I directed the instrument towards it and made out that it was moving down the valley.

"After watching the object for a time we concluded it was a wagon. But our curiosity was excited when we discovered that only one or two men were walking and several rode in the wagon, which was a very unusual thing for surveyors to do. when traveling over the prairie. The bright spot we had seen was the reflected sunlight from the bright tire of the hind wheel. The wagon proceeded down the valley and halted on the clay spur where our cave of July was found. Here the horses were turned out and the men passed from sight over the end of the spur.

"It was now quite late and my suspicions were thoroughly aroused, and being anxious for the safety of the teamster, who had not returned from the river, and the team, I determined to go to their relief. Sending a man to camp, we hurried to the river and reached it at dark, just as the wagon arrived. The men were entirely ignorant of the presence of strangers and surprised at the suspected character of their very nearby neighbors. Giving directions for guard duty during the night, Charley Starkweather and I walked along the bank, perhaps a hundred yards, and yelled several times without receiving an answer, then fired two shots, which brought a feeble voice inquiring what we wanted. We told him we were surveyors and had lost our way to camp, that we were hungry 'and tired and wanted accomniodations for the night. The fellow told; us thev were strangers in the

History Of Custer Col'Xty. Nebraska

"Fording the river, we followed him to the dugout, which it really was. and instead of there being three or four men. there were sixteen. After explaining who we were and our business we asked for supper and a place to sleep. \\'e tried to be friendly and agreeable, but none of the men would talk except equally strange to us that so many men were there, far from settlements, in an Indian country. They claimed to be hunters, yet, in a splendid game country, they had gotten only one or two deer in a week and were poorly supplied with bedding and food.

supper, we lay down on a blanket before the fire-place, but each of us quietly slipped a cartridge into his gim and each took a turn on guard, feigning to be asleep. At break of day we quietly slipped out. and, one abnut tifty years old who appeared to be the spokesman and leader. He said they were hunters, had been there about a week, had killed only one or two deer, and were out of provisions, excepting a little coffee. A team and two men had gone that morning to Plum Creek station on the Union Pacific railroad for provisions, but had not returned, therefore they could not feed us.

"It seemed very strange to us that one man should do all the talking for the gang and he refused to tell us where they were from, except that he came from Iowa. It seemed on going around the south side of the spur, saw two fine black horses and a n.ew top buggv". I have been told by some of the early settlers that this was the rendezvous or hiding place of Doc Middleton ; but Doc had not gained notoriety in 1872, nor do I think he had gone into the rustling business then. If this was the cave, or station, attributed to the young man in Iowa, which I have every reason to believe it to be. Doc Mitldleton and he were one and the same person. Doc Middleton was only a boy when the cave was occupied by the horsethieves."

The Wild West Has Wild Horses

Dan Haskell, who came to Custer county before its organization, and who had to do with its development as much as any other man, gives this interesting account of a wild horse hunt in the county :

"A correspondent of the Chicago Drovers' Journal says: 'I have seen the stag hunt in Scotland and the steeple chase in Ireland, but compared with a wild-horse hunt on the Haskell & Company ranch in Nebraska, these are tame sports."

"In the summer of 1884. we had a herd of six hundred horses on our ranch. ( )ne evening about sundown we were driving them across a small bridge when they became frightened and commenced to run. This raised a dense cloud of dust, which added to the fright of the animals, causing them to stampede, break through a fence on either side, and kill five of them, the balance of the herd flying in every direction into the hills. During the night they became mixed up with a herd of wild horses, of which there were large numbers roaming over this country at that time. One would naturally suppose that the wild horse could outstrip his domesticated brother in a long race, but in separating our stampeded herd from the wild ones we discovered that such is not the case. The domesticated horse, being better bred, proved to have superior powers of endurance. As the wild horse has long ago disappeared from Custer county, a short description of his habits and the manner of hunting may be interesting to the reader.

"Wild horses roamed over the prairie in small bands, each led by a stallion, who was the head of the family. The first business of the hunter was to shoot these band stallions, which would cause the mares and colts of that family to unite themselves with another band. By repeating the operation of shooting the leading stallions quite a bunch of horses would soon be gathered together, the object being to chase as many down at once as possible. Having gone thus far. the work of the hunter has just begun. \\'hen pursued, we found that wild horses always traveled in a circle, and that they would eventually get back to the place from which they started. After getting a bunch of the required size together, by shooting the stallions as described, our next move was to establish camps along the course we concluded the animals would run. with a man at each station to take care of the saddle horses, which were used in relays. Two men. well mounted, then started the herd of wild horses, and crowded them to their utmost limit, giiving them time neither to eat nor rest until they were completely run down, and would permit themselves to be corralled. It usually took about five days of constant motion to accomplish this, although sometimes a herd would succumb in two or three davs. Whenever we reached a relay camp our saddle horses were changed, thus keeping the wild horses on the constant move day and night. The long race generally broke the old ones down so that they were seldom of any use afterward, but the young ones seemed little the worse for their chase after a few days' rest.

"Occasionally we would start a bunch led by an old stallion that would, when pushed hard, start out and run for fifty miles in one direction, taking us away from our camps iiltogether and compelling us often to ride a hundred miles without a change of horses. At intervals in the chase one or more of the wild horses would drop back, not able to keep up with the flying herd. These were alwavs roped, thrown, and hobbled, so that we could return and get them after the main bunch had been run down. We had a onearmed man on our ranch, by the name of Jim Hunnell, who could rope and hobble a wild horse with the best of them. With one end of his lariat tied to the horn of his saddle, he would take the bridle-rein in his teeth, and, holding the coil and loop both in his hand, would catch and throw his horse every time, putting on the hobbles by using his hand and teeth. Those who have tried to rope a wild horse and hobble him with two good hands will appreciate the work done by Jim Hunnell. The most favorable time to chase wild horses was when there was snow on the ground, as we could then follow the trail much easier dur- ing the night. We carried small, dark-lanterns with us, to be used when it would be impossible to follow the trail without them. We would sometimes be caught by a blizzard, in the middle of a chase, and be obliged to give up and get back to the camp as best we could. In February, 1883, my brother and myself started out to catch a small bunch of eleven horses headed by a fine roan stallion. One of the neighbors had been catching the colts for two seasons. We had si.x good saddle horses with us, expecting to locate them at two different points along the course we thought the wild horses would take, but when we reached our friend's house he said he had chased the bunch several times and they took a circle only of ten or twelve miles, so we left our extra horses at his place and set out with but one feed of corn and a lunch in our pockets. \\'c soon located the herd, and away they went like the wind, the fine old roan stallion in the lead. When the old fellow found out that some one was after him that meant business, he struck oflf on a tangent at the top of his speed in a southwesterly direction. Late in the afternoon we struck the North Platte valley northwest of Ogallala. The roan then changed his course to northwest, and traveled at such a killing gait that, had it not been for the snow on the ground, we could hardly have been able to follow him. .As we neared the B. and M. Railroad, the snow became quite fleejx and after the darkness came on we ' lighted our lanterns and followed the trail without any trouble. At three o'clock in tlie morning we concluded to stop and give our saddle horses a rest, as they had been ridden hard all day and night, except when we had stopped to feed them the corn and to eat our lunch. We scraped a little round place in the snow, which was twelve inches deep, and lay down on the frozen ground together, holding our horses by the bridle reins. We were so cold our teeth chattered together, while our horses stood and shivered. As soon as daylight appeared we arose from our downy bed and rode up to the top of a high bluflf. from which we discerned the wild horses huddled up in a small valley with their heads down, taking a much-needed rest. Hearing the bark, of a dog, we ])roceeded in that direction and came to the ranch of Carl Gross, southwest of Lakeside, where we remained that day and the following night. We were both snow-blind. Early next morning, we took up the trail of the horses and followed them back to the place from which they had started. We procured fresh saddle horses, set out after them again, and two days later had the entire Inmch in a corral at our home ranch. While in pursuit of this roan band, we sighted another herd of fourteen, headed by a fine brown horse, and next month gave them chase and had them corralled in two days. This was our last horse hunt. "Wild horses have almost entirely disappeared from Nebraska, although it is said there are still a few small bands in the vicinity of Blue river. The writer has seen hundreds of them on Tallin Table in Custer county, and i: was a grand sight to see the fat, sleek fellows watering at the pools, which stood there as late as the month of June, each leader herding his family to keep it from mixing with other herds."

"In these days of large things, big jobs, collossal undertakings, we realize perhaps, more than ever, the benefit, encouragement, enthusiasm, inspiration, and determination we receive when we rub up against some one who has done things, has won, has overcome obstacles that seemed insurmountable, and we are more determined because that one has overcome some big task.

"It was because we had come in contact with such persons in the Sunday-school work, met them in our county and state conventions, and realized that they had become specialists in their work; it was because of this encouragement that your county officers were emboldened to think that 'Big Custer' might entertain the state Sunday School Association convention. It was with trepidation that wc dared to speak to our most progressive and staunch workers, because of the magnitude

"Then it was that we remembered that others had been able to do it, and so, as we went over the county with the state secretaries, meeting the workers of our county in district conventions in the year 1914, we suggested to them the idea, asking their help, and receiving some encouragement, we determined to put the matter up to the county convention, which was done and their approval secured. We immediately set in motion, plans to get the co-operation of Broken Bow, and the backing of the business men was soon obtained.

"It was then that the work was begim, by the appointment of the necessary committee to arrange the details, to carry the Broken Bow proposition and invitation to the board of managers of the state association, which would meet, at Aurora, in June, 1914.

"When the convention assembled, Custer county Sunday-schools and association were greatly in evidence. With a large delegation from the county, with badges, banners, and }"ells, with Scripture mottos. Big Custer was put on the map. Result, the 1915 State Sunday School Association convention was coming to Broken Bow.

"To many of our people this was their first opportunity to meet the lecture-speakers and specialists in Sunday-school methods and modern equipment, and all this would surely leave some ideals and aspiration in the minds and hearts of some young workers, the impress of noble, spiritual men and women. But the greatness, and magnitude of the job was yet before us. Would we be equal to the occasion? Could we do what we had promised the workers of the year ago? The task was yet before us.

"In the meantime every phase of the work necessary to meet, greet, and welcome the great host that would surely come to us, had been looked after, so that every one was entertained and cared for in the homes and public houses. The spirit of doing great things had caught our people to a degree that brought praise and compliments from our guests, from the first to the closing day of the convention."

What was the Broken Bow state convention, as to numbers and enthusiasm, as compared to former conventions ? We will let State Secretary W. H. Kimberly tell: "I want to say, friends, to the people of Broken Bow, and to the Custer county association, that this is the record-breaker convention ; the registration has gone nearly 600 above the high mark of former conventions. We never before spoke to such large audiences. We never saw so much enthusiasm in the convention work: entertainment and management have been of the highest order. We have never had smoother working machinery. The officers of the state association thank the committees, the people of Broken Bow. and the officers of Custer County Sunday School Association for our great convention."