WYOMING, LAW-GIVER OF ARID REGION 



more to bo welcomed than men, women, and children in 

 that sparsely settled empire. In the last few years, how- 

 ever, the tendency of public thought and political action, 

 consequently of development, has been distinctly away 

 from barbarism and towards civilization. 



What is rather grotesquely known as " The Rustlers' 

 War " of 1892 had much to do with the changed con- 

 ditions. Properly speaking, it was not a war, but a raid, 

 which ended disastrously so far as its immediate purpose 

 was concerned. Individuals and companies owning large 

 herds of horses and cattle had suffered repeatedly from 

 the depredations of thieves or "rustlers." They had 

 often apprehended the culprits and sought by every 

 means in their power to punish them through the courts. 

 But the cases were tried in counties where public sen- 

 timent strongly opposed the great cattle-owners. The 

 result was that no jury could be found to convict. After 

 a long and exasperating experience of this kind the 

 large stock interests determined to try a heroic remedy. 

 They fitted out an expedition, consisting mostly of rough 

 characters from Texas, and thoroughly armed it, even a 

 Gatling gun being included in its equipment. The ex- 

 pedition was led by prominent and wealthy citizens and 

 accompanied by a young English lord in search of a new 

 sensation. 



A considerable number of " rustlers," who were settlers 

 living in lonely places with small bands of cattle or horses, 

 were marked for "removal," or, plainly speaking, for 

 murder. The expedition set out blithely enough, har- 

 boring no doubts of its complete success and not dream- 

 ing that any obstacle could be interposed to its formi- 

 dable array. The first two "rustlers " encountered were 

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