Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1885 — HUMILIATED COWBOYS. [ARTICLE]

HUMILIATED COWBOYS.

The Lesson That Was Taught Them by an Unobtrusive Tenderfoot. Milwaukee Sentinel: There have been a great many stories told of the reckless daring and abandon of the cowboy. He is an American production, and at the sound of the word cowboy the mind reverts to some Western locality where law and order are unknown, and are supplied by a rude set of conventionalities, the non-observance of which means violence without process of trial. The typical cowboy must be fearless, ready to shoot at a moment’s warning, wild in his make-up and language, and ready to perpetrate a joke on a “tenderfoot” at any time. But there is often considerable bragga- ocia i. the cowboy, and a good illustration of this fact was told a Sentinel reporter by a station agent, who had lived in the West for many years and had been in the employ or various railroads in localities where cowboys were numer us.

“I have seen a good many daring deeds performed and coarse jokes perpetrated by the cowboys,” said he agent, “but I will tell you of a little incident where the wind was taken out of three cowboys by a determined fearless ‘tenderfoot.’ It happened only last spring. I was then station agent and telegraph operator for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company at a place near the Montana line. It was not much of a place, as it consisted only of a depot, a house or two and a saloon.

“One morning a traveling man arrived at the depot by stage from up North somewhere, he had a small sample-case and satchel. He was below medium hight and rather slight, but was very neatly dressed and wore a silk hat. He was traveling for a New York jewelry house. He was about an hour early f r t e train east, and he opened his grip on the platform, took out a brush and dusted his clothing and shoes. He then drew out an old newspaper, leaned up against the side of the depot with one foot projected in front of the other and began reading. ‘■Meanwhile, however, three cowboys had sauntered up to the depot They all eyed him closely and watched his operations. When he began reading they huddled together and talked awhile in an undertone. Presently one of them—a big six-footer —left the group and besm to saunter carelessly about the platform with his head in the air inspecting the posters on th a building and the cornice. When he got around where the traveling man stood, he lifted his big brogan and planted it firmly on the jewelry man’s foot. No apology wa made. The trading man merely 100 dup, drew his foot back a moment, then placed it back where it was. The cowboy passed back to the other two. They all chuckled and joined in the low-toned conversation.

“Soon the cowboy started out again on a similar round, gaping at the roof. When he reached the traveling man he tried to bring down his coarse boot on the extended foot. The traveling man jerked his foot back suddenly, and the brogan came down with a thump on the platform. Another conference and chuckling followed. Finally the cowboy set out on the third round. Just as he was about to raise his foot to plant it on that of the traveling man, the latter looked up quickly and said: “See here, there is my foot, and its going to stay there. You step on it, if you want to, but I want to tell you that before you can get off of it I will kill you.” “Such’a volley staggered the cowboy. He looked at the foot, and then at the small possessor, and finally moved off without stepping on it. Another consultation followed. I

“The traveling man calmly read his paper a few minutes, and then took from his sachel three apples. He looked at them a moment, and suddenly threw them a few fee

into the air and then quickly drew a revolver, fired three shots, splitting each apple into a dozen pieces before they reached the ground.— He replaced the cartridges in the empty chambers of the revolver, and returned it to his pocket. “The cowboys witnessed the aqt without saying a word, and soon, completely cowed, turned anil left the depot. The traveling man t >ld me after they left that he would have killed tho three of them had the fellow stopped on his foot again, and I think ho would, for he was quick as lightning Ho then showed mo a medal ho carried, which ho won as being the most rapid and one of the best shots in Now York. Tho story simply illustrates that there is sometimes a great deal of fictitious valor and daring about tho cowl oy.”