USA > Kansas > Ford County > Dodge City > Dodge City, the cowboy capital, and the great Southwest in the days of the wild Indian, the buffalo, the cowboy, dance halls, gambling halls and bad men > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25
-230-
to resort to most anyone, until he got a Frenchman who could speak no English.
The gang soon got on to the ignorance of the bar- keeper, and played many a prank on him, and they final- ly got to passing counterfeit dollars, some a good imita- tion made of lead. Now Skinner and Kelly had opened up an opposition joint, around the corner, a few doors below Heins' place. Heins had a natural hatred for Skin- ner, and when he opened up in opposition, Heins' hatred was much greater.
By the way, Skinner set a fine "Dutch lunch", every day, from eleven o'clock to two p.m. This proceeding Heins hated cordially. Once in awhile I would go down to Skinner and Kelly's for my lunch and a glass of beer, instead of going home for my dinner. One rainy, cold day, I started for my Dutch lunch and glass of beer about one o'clock, and saw Heins standing in his door, tossing up a counterfeit silver dollar. I said to Heins: "Give me that, and I will go down cellar and pass it on your Frenchman." "Not on your life," he said, "The French- man has had lots of them passed on him, and this is one of his take-ins." "Well," I said, "I will take it down and pass it on Bill Skinner." "My God!" he said, "if you will do that, come back and I will set up the drinks for the whole house."
Kelly had been tending bar while Skinner went to dinner, and, just as I got in, Kelly was shifting his bar apron and handing it to Skinner to put on, preparatory for Skinner to go on duty behind the bar. I noticed that all the Dutch lunch was gone, and I said: "What has become of your lunch?" Kelly spoke up and said, "Why, old John Shults came in, wet and almost frozen to death, said he had beat his way from Garden City to Dodge in a leaky box car, and was as wet as a drowned rat. He got a few glasses of beer, and ate everything in sight, but still said he was hungry, and inquired for a restaurant. I
-231 --
don't suppose he had eaten anything since he left here last night."
I invited the house up, and they all took beer, and I handed Skinner the counterfeit. He served the beer, and, without looking at the dollar, threw it on the back bar with the day's receipts, and gave me the change. I sat and talked with them for awhile, and invited the crowd to drink again, then went back to Heins, who was tickled to death about it, and we went below and got our beer. Just before starting back up, however, the bell boy came after Heins, saying there was a Dutchman upstairs who insisted on seeing him on particular business. Heins said, "Stay, and I will be back soon."
Now it seemed the night before, a short time before the passenger went west, John Shults cam in pretty full of booze, as was his normal condition when in Dodge City, and asked Charley Heins to change a five dollar bill. Heins had four good silver dollars and this same counter- feit dollar. Heins said to Shults, "I can't do it-haven't got the change." "Oh, yes, you have," said Shults, "I see five dollars in your drawer." "Yes, but," Heins said, "one of those is counterfeit." Of course, Shults thought he was joking, and said, "Heinsy, I know you would not give me a counterfeit." Heins replied, "No, that is the reason I can't change your bill." Shults said, "Give it to me anyway; now I know you would not cheat me." Heins said, "Well, if you insist on it, here goes," and gave him the four good dollars and the counterfeit. You see, Shults had made several trips to Garden, having business with the land office there, and he had learned to work the conductor. The fare to Garden was one dollar and a half, and Shults would give the conductor a dollar and swear that was all the money he had, and he was such an "onery" looking cuss, the conductor would believe him and take him on. This was the reason Shults was so
-232-
anxious to get the bill changed; he would save half a dollar.
Heins came back laughing and tickled to death. He said to the bar keeper, "Set them up to the house again, for this is too good; I have heard from the counterfeit already." When he went up, John Shults was there, hold- ing the same old counterfeit in his hand, and he said: "Hensy, you know last night you gave me a counterfeit, didn't you?" Heins said, "Yes, but John, a little after you gave me the bill to change, you came back, and I took back the counterfeit and gave you a good dollar in its place, didn't I?" "Yes, but Heinsy, how the h- did I get dot?" showing the counterfeit in his hand. "Heinsy, there could not have been two of them, could there?" "No, John, only one, only one." "Well, Heinsy, you couldn't give me a good one for this now, could you?" "No, John, I could not." "Well, Heins, what's de mad- der wid it, anyhow? I know you gave me dis dollar." "Yes, I did, but I gave you a good one in place of it." And Heins said he begged so hard to have one that he had to leave him, or he was afraid he would give him a good dollar.
It seems, after Heins changed the bill for Shults, the night before, Shults went down to Skinner's joint and ordered a glass of beer, offering this same counterfeit dollar in payment. Skinner was very angry, because he had been a victim of counterfeit dollars himself, and he took his knife and put a private mark on the dollar, and gave it back to Shults, with a big cussing, and warned him not to try to pass one on him again or he would beat him to death.
Kelly had been tending bar while Skinner went to dinner, as I said before, and, when I left, Skinner began to look over the receipts of the day, on the back of the bar, and discovered this counterfeit. He at once blamed Kelly, and said: "Here, Kelly, you have taken in a bad
-233-
dollar." "Yes," said Kelly, "that is so. I am not fit to do business any more in here; I make a failure of every- thing." "Who was in here?" said Skinner. "Why," Kelly said, "No one; it is a very bad day, and there has been no trade." "Why," Skinner said, "who ate up all that lunch ?" Kelly said, "By the hokey, old John Shults, and he gave me a silver dollar." Skinner said, "Where did he go? I want to get at him. He is the drunken bloat who tried to pass in on me last night. It is the same dollar; see where I marked it? And I told him then I would beat him to death, if ever he attempted to pass it on us again. Where did you say he went?" "Over to your brother's restaurant upstairs," replied Kelly.
Skinner rushed out without coat or hat, and caught Shults just as he was about to get down from one of those very high chairs, they have for counter lunches. He caught him by the back of the collar and hurled him vio- lently again the floor. Before the man could get up, Skinner was on him, kicking and stomping him with both feet. Shults was helpless, and so completely taken by surprise it paralyzed him, but this did not stop Skinner, who kicked, stomped, and beat until he was worn out. The beating he got would have killed a common man, but old John was as tough as a pine knot and soon got over it. They say it was amusing to hear John holler and plead. "Ho (lam)! (Ho (lam)!" he said. "You got the wrong man! I do nottings to you! Why you do dot? Ho (lam)! Ho (lam)! Stop it! I quit you; stop it! I tell you, I quit you!" Skinner would answer, "You see that dollar?" "Yes, I see; I know where you get him." "You know where I get him?" And he would go after him again, and, when he was completely worn out, he handed Shults the dollar and called for a good one, which request Shults was too glad to comply with, for fear of another beating. As a matter of fact, if Shults had only had the courage and had known it, he could have turned in and
-234-
beat Skinner just as hard, as Skinner acknowledged after- wards that he had completely worn himself out.
These stories, in connection with other passages in this book, will give some idea of the position strong drink occupied in the early life of southwestern Kansas, and the almost universal popularity which the social glass enjoyed. Eventually, it was my fortune to become representative of this section in the state legislature, in which I was serving when the prohibition bill was introduced, in 1881. I must say that I think that prohibition has proved a good thing for the state, but, at that time, with such constituents behind me, I could not consistently support the temperance bill. I soon saw, however, that it was going through and that it was useless to fight it, so I con- tented myself with having the consoling "last word," on the subject, my short speech being the last made before the bill was put to vote. My remarks were not intended as argument, but merely as a mildly satirical fling at the opposing faction, and put a flavor of the burlesque upon the situation. But the threat to secede, while not meant seriously, was not without point, as the territory in sympathy with that I represented, forming one section for judicial purposes, comprising thirty-eight of our present counties. The "Topeka Daily Commonwealth," of Feb- ruary 16th, 1881, says, "Honorable R. M. Wright delivered the following witty speech on the temperance bill in the House yesterday," and reports it thus:
"Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Committee:
"I feel that I would be doing my constituents a grave injustice were I to remain silent at this most portentous juncture in the history of our legislation. I cannot re- frain, therefore, from raising my feeble voice in protest against this monstrous measure. I do not oppose this bill because of my own love for the distilled nectar of the cornfield, nor yet for the purple ambrosia of the vine- yard. I admit that I like a glass of either now and then,
-235-
but I am not a slave to the demon of the cup, and I can look upon the wine when it is red without necessarily being bitten by the adder which is alleged to be lurking at the bottom of the said utensil. In fact, Mr. Chairman, so great is my virtue in this direction, that I have gone three, aye four days, without my whisky, and I am proud to relate without any special disturbing effects upon my physiological structure, but it is a dangerous experiment, and should not be tried too often. Sir, I have been a resi- dent of this great state for seventeen years and I have learned to know it, and to know it is to love it. I know no other home. I love its broad prairies, its rich soil, its pure air, its beautiful streams, and last, but not least, its liberal people. But alas, sir, if this bill becomes a law, I am afraid I shall cease to be one of the citizens of this proud commonwealth, as the county which I have the honor to represent on this floor threatens to secede and take with it all the unorganized counties attached to it for judicial purposes. Now, sir, under the peculiar cir- cumstances of their situation, have they not a just and equitable cause for their professed action? Sir, this com- mittee well knows, or if there are any of its members who do not I deplore their ignorance, that the section of the country in which I live is essentially the habitation of that most poisonous of all reptiles of the genus Crotalus, or in common parlance, as he is familiarly known to the cowboys-the rattlesnake. This insect, gentlemen of the committee, is not the phantasmagorial creature, if I may use the term, which perhaps many of you have seen when you have "histed" to much rock and rye on board, but a genuine tangible nomad of the prairie, whose ponderous jaws, when once fastened on the calf of your leg, you will realize is no creature of the disordered brain. This octo- pod, this old man of the prairie, if you will permit me to indulge in a metaphor, has all his life obeyed the spiritual injunction (I am sorry I have not my little pocket Bible
-236-
here to prove this, as many of the members of this com- mittee have done in discussing this question) to increase and multiply, and accordingly he multiplyeth extraordi- narily, and he doeth this without irrigation either, and in fact every farmer has an abundant crop without the trouble of cultivation. Now, sir, the only known pre- ventive, the only known antidote to the venom of this venomous beast, is pure unadulterated corn juice, vul- garly called whisky. Aye, sir, men who have imbibed freely of the corn juice have been bitten, and the snake has always been known to die instead of the man, so you see it is not only a sure cure for the bite but is a speedy means of getting rid of the snake also.
"Ponder, oh, gentlemen of the committee, and hesi- tate before you take away from us that which saves life. Are you aware of what you are about to do? Do you propose in this arbitrary manner not only to deprive us of a source of solace but even to take our very lives? My people, sir, will never submit, never (No Pinafore here.) (This was in the days of Pinafore.)
"Now, sir, the only way out of this labyrinth of pro- posed injustice is to exclude Dodge City as well as all that region west of the one-hundreth meridian from the provisions of this bill. If you do this it will not only be an act of justice guaranteed by the constitution upon stern necessity, but will receive the righteous judgment of all the citizens of Dodge; harmony will again prevail upon the border, the scouts will be called in, and future generations of cowboys will arise and call you blessed."
In the spring of 1885, preparations were made for the enforcement of the Prohibitory Liquor Law in Dodge City, and the sale of eighty barrels of four-year-old whis- ky, besides other liquors and bar fixtures was announced by Henry Sturm, the well-known purveyor of the city. The prohibition law put a different character on liquor sales, many of the saloons being transformed into "drug stores."
-237-
CHAPTER XIII.
Resorts Other than Saloons, and Pastimes Other than Drinking
U NDER the heading, "A Bloody Prize Fight in Dodge City," the Dodge City Times of June 16th, 1877, gives a characteristic account of the thrilling encounter as fol- lows:
"On last Tuesday morning the champion prize fight of Dodge City was indulged in by Messrs. Nelson Whit- man and the noted Red Hanley, familiarly known as 'the Red Bird from the South.' An indefinite rumor had been circulated in sporting circles that a fight was to take place, but the time and place was known only to a select few. The sport took place in front of the Saratoga saloon at the silent hour of 4:39 a. m., when the city police were retiring after the dance hall revelry had subsided and the belles who are in there were off duty. Promptly at the appointed time, the two candidates for championship were at the joint. Colonel Norton acted as rounder-up and whipper-in for both fighters while Bobby Gill ably per- formed the arduous task of healing and handling and sponging off. Norton called time and the ball opened with some fine hits from the shoulder. Whitman was the favorite in the pools but Red made a brilliant effort to win the champion belt.
"During the forty-second round Red Hanley im- plored Norton to take Nelson off for a little while till he could have time to put his right eye back where it belonged, set his jawbone and have the ragged edge trimmed off his ears where they had been chewed the worst. This was against the rules of the ring so Norton declined, encouraging him to bear it as well as he could and squeal when he got enough. About the sixty-fifth round Red squealed unmistakably and Whitman was
-238-
declared winner. The only injury sustained by the loser in this fight were two ears chewed off, one eye busted and the other disabled, right cheek bone caved in, bridge of the nose broken, seven teeth knocked out, one jaw- bone mashed, one side of the tongue bit off, and several other unimportant fractures and bruises. Red retires from the ring in disgust."
A shade worse than the prize fight was a bout at lap-jacket, as described in the "Dodge City Times," of May 12th, 1877.
"We, yesterday, witnessed an exhibition of the Afri- can national game of lap-jacket, in front of Shulz' harness shop. The game is played by two colored men, who each toe a mark and whip each other with bull whips. In the contest yesterday, Henry Rogers, called Eph, for short, contended with another darkey for the championship and fifty cents prize money. They took heavy new whips, from the harness shop, and poured in the strokes pretty lively. Blood flowed and dust flew and the crowd cheered until Policeman Joe Mason came along and sus- pended the cheerful exercise. In Africa, where this pleasant pastime is indulged in to perfection, the contest- ants strip to the skin, and frequently cut each other's flesh open to the bone."
Dodge City is especially distinguished as the only town in the state, or the whole United States, for that matter, that ever conducted a bullfight. To use the vernacular of the time, Dodge City "pulled off" a genuine bull fight, according to Mexican rules and regulations, under the auspices of the Driving Park and Fair Associa- tion, on the fourth and fifth of July, 1884. The bull- fighters were full-bloods of Mexico, and the "Globe" mentioned them as "some of the best citizens of the City of Chihuahua, Mexico, and as intelligent a party of men as any person would wish to meet. Their redeeming trait
-239-
is that they cannot be forced to drink a drop of strong liquor."
To give local zest and character to the occasion, the bulls, which were of local origin-untamed animals of these plains-were given names purely provincial, the local cognomens of several Dodge citizens being evident For instances, Ringtailed Snorter, Cowboy Killer, Iron Gall, Lone Star, Long Branch, Opera, Ku Klux, Sheriff, Doc, Rustler, Jim, and Eat-em Richard, were the twelve male bovines to snort at the red flag and other means of provoking anger.
An apology or explanation is given of the bullfight, previous to the occurrence, by the manager in charge of the "distinguished party," so-called, which he says is "largely misconstrued and misunderstood. Instead of be- ing a cruel and barbarous proceeding, it is quite the reverse. While the animal is provoked and tantalized to fury, no cruelty to the animal is indulged in; and when the animal is to be dispatched, it is instantly done, and in less cruel and tortuous manner than if a butcher had slaughtered one for the block. The term, 'bull fighting,' is wrongly interpreted."
The manner of the bullfight is given, but the reader is interested in the event as it signalled Dodge City's superiority in entertainment. There were five matadors, four on foot and one on horseback, each dressed in gaudy costume. The weapons used were "bandarillos," or taste- fully ornamented darts, which were placed on the animal's neck and shoulders, as he would charge upon the matadors. The attractive garbs of the bullfighters, in- censed the bulls, and the fight was earnest, each bull being dispatched in order. The account closes the scene with the statement that the excitement was now at its height. An infuriated bull and a slightly injured matador, whose blood was up to fever heat, made short work of the
-240-
SOULE COLLEGE
closing exercises. With much parleying, the animal was dealt a fatal blow.
During the excitement just before our great bull- fight, the only one, as has been said, ever to take place in the United States, the boys were cutting out and try- ing the bulls, to find which would be the most vicious and the best fighters. A gentleman, whom we will call Brown, said it was all nonsense about shaking a red flag in a bull's face; that he knew it would not make him fight because he had tried it. A gentleman, overhearing the remark, said: "Brown, I will bet you a fifty-dollar suit of clothes you can't shake a red rag in a bull's face without his fighting, and you have the privilege of select- ing the most docile bull in this lot of fighters."
The bet was soon made, and Brown got a red shirt and climbed down into the corral. The bull was looking as calm as a summer morning, and Brown went towards the animal, keeping the red shirt well behind him. As he came close to the brute, he suddenly produced the shirt and flirted it in the bull's face. The beast jumped back in astonishment and kept his eye on Brown while Brown waved the old vermilion garment vigorously. Then the bull shook his head several times, as if he declined to have anything to do with that business, and Brown turned towards us and put his thumb to his nose and made a sign of victory.
Just then an idea seemed to strike that bull. He put his head down and moved swiftly forward. Brown, at first, thought there had been an earthquake. Upon his descent, he thought he would try to run, but the old long horn was inserted in the seat of his trousers, and again he went up, high enough to take a bird's-eye view of the surrounding country. On the twenty-fifth descent, he fell on the other side of the corral, and we picked him up. His mouth was full of grass and sand. We asked him if his views about bulls had undergone any change;
-241-
but he walked silently along. We wanted to know how he enjoyed the scenery, the last time he went up; but he would not say. He merely went into the cook-house, filled up both barrels of his gun with old nails and screws and scrap iron, and he went to interview that bull.
Hokey-pokey (or in scientific phrase, Bisulphite of Carbon), was the means of great sport among the gang in early days. If the stuff was applied to any animal with hair, it had a wonderful effect. For the time being, the animal just went crazy, and it seemed the more sleepy and good for nothing the horse was, the better he would perform under the effects of his medicine. All you had to do was to drop a few drops on the horse, any place, and almost instantly it would take effect.
One of our most prominent lawyers used to drive, to a fine buggy, one of the most dilapidated pieces of horseflesh. The boys would josh this lawyer about driv- ing such a woe-begone, sleepy animal. They thought they would give him a lesson, and maybe he would take the hint and get a good horse. The old horse's name was Dick. Mr. Lawyer hitched Dick in front of his office one day, and the boys were ready. They said: "Colonel, what is the matter with Dick? He acts so funny-looks like he is going mad. Has he been exposed to the bite of a mad dog?" Just then the circus began. Old Dick went up in the air, came down, kicking first one foot, then both, then all together, and away he would go, Mr. Lawyer hold of his bridle, holloing, "Whoa, Dick! Whoa Dick! What is the matter with you, Dick?" But Dick paid no heed. He just kept at it all the harder until he had kicked himself out of the shafts, and then kicked the harness all to pieces, and cut all sorts of shines and capers. He would lift the lawyer right off his feet, until he had to let go the bridle and give old Dick full sway, and I think he was one of the most astonished men I ever saw. But he
-242-
never got on to their racket until the gang presented him with a new set of harness and told him the joke.
I have seen cowboys, who prided themselves on their horsemanship, ride into town, and the boys would dope a horse. The rider would stay with him a long time, but, at last, he had to go. Never yet did I see a man who could retain his seat on a doped horse.
A poor little traveling preacher rode into town, one Sunday, and rode up to a crowd that had gathered on the street, on account of some excitement. Some little urchin got to him with the hokey-pokey, and away went that little preacher. The horse bolted right into the crowd, scattering it right and left, and kicking and squalling and bawling. First, the preachers' stovepipe hat went up into the air; next, his saddle-bags; and then, the poor fellow himself went sprawling over the pony's head. He got up and brushed the dust off, saying, "Some ungodly person has done something to my horse!"
One day a real, typical horseman rode into town, on one of the finest saddlers I ever saw. The man on this horse was a perfect picture of a centaur. He rode up to where a horse auction was in progress and said: "Mr. Auctioneer, I am going east and have no use for this horse, or I would not part with him. He is all that he appears to be, has all the gaits of a saddler, is sound as a dollar, and gentle as a dog. He never ran away, will stand without hitching, and was never known to buck, plunge, or kick." He rode up and down the street a time or two, and came back, and then they doped the horse. Now, of all the running and bucking and pitching and kicking you ever saw, that horse did it, right there. The man stayed with him a long time, and the gang began to think, "Well, here is a man that a horse can't throw." But just then, off he went, and a little further on the horse stood still. The man caught him, led him back, and apologized to the crowd. He said: "Gentle-
-243-
men, I beg your pardon. Î lied to you, but upon my word I never saw this horse act badly before, in any way. I withdraw him from the market. The horse is not for sale." I don't think this man ever did know what ailed the horse.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.