History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 6

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180

USA > Nebraska > Custer County > History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time > Part 6

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In 1876 Arnold & Ritchie located a ranch on the Loup, a short distance east of Arnold, with 1,000 cattle.

In 1877 Henry Brothers located another ranch, west of Arnold. with 3,000 cattle.

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 in- cluded 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 CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

but those who had opportunity to know, doubted their holdings were so extensive.

In 1875 N. H. Dryden, now of Kearney, located a range on Victoria creek, settled there and brought with him about 100 head of cattle.

. In 1876 Thomas Loughran and I. Childs each entered land on the river, near the Dry- den ranch, and also began raising cattle.

The same year Frank Ewing located a ranch in the Middle Loup valley, near where Mil- burn now is, with 600 head of cattle.

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

In 1879 Finch-Hatten Brothers located a ranch on the Loup, just below the mouth of the Dismal, with 700 head of cattle.

Shortly afterward Miles & Gamlin followed with 1,600 head of cattle, locating not far from the ranch of Finch-Hatten Brothers.

Other 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 Com- pany, and others. The Finlen Brothers re- mained in the country for years. Thomas Fin- len is still a resident.

The cattlemen met with no reverses until the winter of 1880-81.

At this late date it is impossible to know accurately, the number of cattle in Custer county in the summer of 1820, but there were probably very nearly 60.000 head of cattle, of the value of not less than $1,500.000. The greater part of these cattle had been reared or brought into the county after the year 1875.

BIG PROFITS

Probably in the settlement of the United States no agricultural or grazing territory of a similar area witnessed such a rapid ac- cumulation of wealth. Up to the winter of 1880-81 the profits from the business had exceeded the most sanguine expectations of the ranchman.

The winters were mild and pleasant, with plenty of moisture during the springs and

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 blue- stem, 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 upon the buffalo grass. No more valuable winter forage exists 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 upon buffalo grass. In the economy of nature this grass seems to have been created and brought forth especially for winter feed. The thousands of buffaloes 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-year- old 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 twenty-five to forty and forty- five dollars per head.

For a number of years no taxes were levied against the cattle. No investment in real estate was necessary. The cedar canyons furnished material for houses, corrals, and fuel. There was no expense for fencing or wells. The in- crease in value was nearly all profit. The only important items of expense in the business were supplies for and wages to the cowboys. 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 and stockman of the South Loup region :

"In those days big cattle-owners thought

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

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 re- liefs were composed of from one to four men, according to the size of the herd. In the spring, through the months of April and May, a good deal of rain generally fell and not infrequently there was snow and bliz- zards. It was often cloudy and drizzly for three or four days at a time. The cowboys were compelled to make their beds on the wct 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.

"With daylight, work would begin and no opportunity was offered through the day to dry clothing and bedding. When 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, es- caped contracting fatal diseases.

WOMEN WERE SCARCE

"On a regular cattle ranch no women were to be found. There was always a man to do the cooking. Those who sampled cattle- ranch hospitality claim that the cooks were almost experts.

"Ranchmen and cowboys, like most other

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 hold- ing 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 early 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. Hle 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!

"The instant the cattle started, the boy was also gone like a shot along the side of the

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

herd. For more than a mile he ran beside the herd, over chop hills, across canyons, try- ing to get in the lead of the steers.

"The roar of 4,000 hoof beats, mingled with the constant crash of thunder, made it a race never to be forgotten. The cattie could only be seen by the rider at the flash of the light- ning, which was so dazzling as almost to blind his eyes. Time and again the wiry pony was on his knees, but almost instantly up and go- ing again.

"Gradually the pony 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 stand- still.

"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 rin.

"The point where that stampede was stopped was at what is now the Charles Jeffords farm at the foot of the Big Table."

THE ROUNDUP

Prior to the winter of 1880-81 very little hay was prepared for winter nse. The cattle wintered on the range where they summered. During the winter the cattle were permitted to roam wherever they felt inclined, and no at- tention was paid to them.

The work of handling the cattle began with the spring roundup, 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 cloth- ing and blankets; his saddle and bridle were cleaned and oiled ; bits, spurs, and six-shooters were polished ; and saddle ponies were curried and given extra feed and attention.

Among these men was found that same di- versity 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 reckless- ness, or assume the role of the greatest dare- devil. 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 ernel. This opinion was erroneous. His recklessness and occasional cruelty were not the natural pro- duets 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 point selected by the captain, where the calves were 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 be- come fat. the range was again gone over, and

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

those in condition for the market were cut out and driven to the railroad and shipped.

A ROUNDUP OF ROUNDUPS

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 as- semble 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 were 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, Major North, John Shores, and Buffalo 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.

CATTLEMEN VERSUS SETTLERS

As early as 1874 settlers began coming in - that is, a few adventuresome spirits drifted into the Middle and South Loup countries and a settlement or two was 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 cow- boys, 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:

A very bitter feeling existed between those engaged in the two occupations ; neither was

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, con- structed wells in these pastures, and the cow- boys in their employ made homestead, pre- emption, and timber-culture entries therein, un- der 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 in- stances 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 home- steader 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 be- fore a jury of homesteaders.

A NEAR-BATTLE

Early in the fall of 1884 a few settlers lo- cated 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 be- ing government land, and subject to entry, these settlers served notice on the ranch com- pany to remove their fences from about their claims within thirty days. The company paid no attention to this request, and at the expira- tion 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 effectually.

In a short time after the appropriation of these posts the foreman of the ranch had the

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

{Photo by S. D. Butcher

A TYPICAL, CATTLE SCENE IN EARLY DAYS

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

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 num- ber 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 Mr. King. and Mrs. King, seeing them approaching, met them with a shotgun 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 ranch, 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 house- wreckers were thoroughly scared, and, turning the heads of their mule teams toward the South Loup, applied the whip 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 con- struction gang. Arriving at the ranch, they turned out their mules, secured their Win- chesters and made a break for the hills on the south side of the river, to await develop- ments. 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 any case against the settlers, it being shown that the ranch pasture was government land and that the claims were lawfully held by the home- steaders, 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 tear- ing down the houses of the settlers, was tried at Broken Bow. found guilty, fined twenty- five dollars and costs, and confined one day in the county jail.

The winter of 1880-81 marked the termina- tion of extraordinary profits in the cattle in- dustry 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 ranch- man 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 neigh- bors were cowboys, and peace and harmony

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY. NEBRASKA

CATTRAN AND SANDERS CATTLE RANCH ON MIDDLE LOUP

[Photo by S. D. Butcher]

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

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 home- steader, 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 RAILROAD

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 beauti- ful round, flat valley, located on what is now the line between Triumph and Delight pre- cincts. 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 slope of a high hill or promontory. Af- ter considerable labor and fatigue, we reached

the summit of the clean-cut, northeast rim. The diagonal descent along the steep north- east slope was attained with considerable diffi- culty, and having reached the bottom I found that the bluffs' dark shadows cast far out into the valley, rendering farther progress that eve- ning 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. The 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, common 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 scat- tered about and a copy of Harper's Weekly of the previous June lay on the floor.

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History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 6

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company Number of Pages: 1180

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180