A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



Missouri." Years afterward, as "Dan Quinn's old 

 cattlemen" put it, the colonel reformed and started a 

 saloon, with a faro bank attachment. His place be- 

 came a famous resort for old-timers, and as it was 

 more respectable in those days than now to drop into 

 such places, I often listened with mouth agape to 

 stories and reminiscences which would make a won- 

 derful history of the part "bleeding Kansas" played 

 in the Civil War, and the gateway to the west, which 

 Leavenworth formed for the years following. 



Majors Russell and Waddell, with their hundreds 

 of ox teams and wagon trains transported overland 

 freight to all parts of the west. Scouts, guides, hunt- 

 ers, trappers, desperadoes and a great stream of for- 

 tune-seekers to the great unknown poured through 

 tbe gateway. Buffalo hunters marketed their hides, 

 which filled great warehouses. My grandfather shot 

 a wild turkey on our back fence. "Kit" Carson, 

 "Wild Bill" and "Buffalo Bill" (Col. Wm. F. Cody) 

 were as familiar figures on the streets as ordinary 

 citizens. The Missouri River was another trail to 

 the great west, and was alive with fine boats carry- 

 ing their burden of human and commercial freight 

 to Fort Benton, Mont., the head of navigation, and 

 from that point freight was scattered by bull teams 

 over Montana and Utah. 



Durfee & Peck, Indian traders, with frontier posts, 

 had their headquarters at Leavenworth. I still have 

 some of the trade brass money which they issued 



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