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Show : I IThe The ' Story ofa of a Texas Trai Trail Trail-blazer Trail blazer TrailblazerI . - Blazer I I e S BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON N MARCH 2 , , 1836 , I , Ithe | the Republic R Re e pub Ii c ofTexas of ofTexas ofTexas Texas came into ex- ex existence existence ex existence - - istence istence in the little littletown little/town little town ' / town of WashingtonontheBrazos " Washing- Washing "vVashing- "vVashing vVashing Washington "vVashington - ton-on-the-Brazos ton on the Brazos ton tononthe -on-the- on the - on-the on the ontheBrazos ontheBrazos.o - -Brazos Brazos - Brazos.o Brazoso . . . " Three days later tater , inv in ina ina a farm home on the theprairies theprairies theprairies prairies of Madison county countyIllinois , IUinois Illinois , was born a little boywho boy boywho boywho who was destined to becomeone becomeone become ] one of the truly great citizensof citizens citizensof citizensof of TC Texas as even though , unlike unlikesome unlikesome unlikesome some of her traditional heroes heroeshe , , he is but little known outside outsidethe outsidethe outsidethe the borders of the Lone Lane Star Starstate Starstate Starstate state . , But few of those heroeshad heroes heroeshad heroeshad had hada a more interesting career careerthan careerthan careerthan than did Charles Goodnight . " Illi Db- Db llii- llii DbnOIS lliinols Illinois "He He rode bareback from - - nois nols to Texas Te"Cas TeCas " when he was nme nine nmeyears nineyears nineyears years old . . He was hunting huntmg wIth wIththe withthe withthe the Caddo Indians beyond the thefrontIer thefrontier thefrontier frontIer at thirteen , launchmg launching launchmgInto launchinginto launchinginto Into the cattle business busmess at twen twen- twenty twenty twen- twen twenty - - ty , guiding gUldmg Texas Rangers at attwentyfour attwentyfour attwenty-four attwenty four twenty-four twenty four - , blazing blazmg cattle traIls traIlstwo trailstwo trailstwo two thousand miles in m length at attlut'ty atthirty atthirty tlut'ty tlutty thirty ' , establishing establishmg a ranch three threehundred threehundred threehundred hundred miles beyond the fron fron- frontier fron- fron frontier frontier - - tier at forty , and at forty-five forty five fortyfivedommatmg forty-fivedominating forty fivedominating fortyfivedominating - dommatmg dominating nearly twenty mil mIl- mIlhon mil- mil million million - lion hon acres of range country m mthe mthe inthe the interests mterests of order At SL"Cty SLCty sixty SL"Ctyhe sixtyhe sixtyhe " he was recognized as possIbly possIblythe possiblythe possiblythe the greatest scientific breeder of ofrange ofrange ofrange range cattle in m the West , and at atnmety atninety atninety nmety ninety he was an active interna mterna- mterna mternabonal mternationaI international - tional bonal tionaI authority on the economICS economICSof economicsof economicsof of the range industry mdustry . "He He " always rode beyond the theborderlands theborderlands theborderlands borderlands , upon ranges of un- un unspoIled unspoiled un unspoiled - - spoiled grass He knew the Westof West Westof Westof of Jim Bndger BrIdger , , Kit Carson , DICk DICkWootton DickWootton DickWootton Wootton , , St Vram and LucIen LucIenMaxwell LucienMaxwell LucienMaxwell Maxwell . He ranged a countryas country as vast as Bndger BrIdger ranged He Herode Herode Herode rode with the boldness of Fre- Fre Fremont Fre-mont Fre mont Fremont - - - mont , guided by the craft of Car Car- Carson Carson Carson - son The vast and changmgcountry changingcountry changmg changing changingcountry country over which he moved movedthe , the fertility of a mind mmd that quickIv quick qUick- qUickly - ly Iv ly . the me of clunate climate and topography , the m- m in- in me ine.haustible in inexhaustible - exhaustible e.haustible ehaustible e ' . austIble energy of his mindand mmd mind mmdand mindand and body , and the long period of oftune oftime oftime tune time throughhICh through ' \ which \\hICh hICh 'which \ he constant constant- constantly constantly constantly - ly applied apphed himself to the West West- Western Western Western - ern World , operated to producein producem produce m in this man an ample nature sur sur- surpassmg sur- sur surpassing surpassing - - passing passmg many of the more fa famous fa- fa famous famous - - mous characters of frontier hIS- hIS hIStory history his history - tory . . . , . Now , a hundred years yearsafter yearsafter yearsafter after his birth , his massiveframe maSSIve maSSIveframe massiveframe frame looms strong among the thehorsemen thehorsemen thehorsemen horsemen of the storied stoned West . . " So writes J . Evetts Haley m in mthe inthe inthe GoodnightCowman GoodmghtCowman the book "Charles Charles " Goodnight Goodmght- Goodmght Goodnight- - - Cowman and Plainsman Plamsman , " pubr pubMARY pub pub- pubI - I , r MARY DYER GOODNIGHT GOODNIGUT GOODNIGUTlished lished hshed HoughtonMuTlin HoughtonM HoughtonMifflin recently by the Houghton M Mifflin flm company , and this th15 book bookby bookby bookby by a native of the range country countryof of west Texas v/ho v ho who / is a member memberof of the department of history lustory at atthe atthe atthe the onlyis University Umverslty of Texas , not only is isone one of the most unportant important importantWestern unportantWestern Western biographies of recent recentyears recentyears rcceniyears years but it is 15 an inspiring mspIrmg ac- ac account account ac account - - count of an American frontiers frontiers- fro frontiersman frontiersman bers- bers bersman - man who was unique among hIs hIskmd hiskind hiskind kmd kind In contrast to so many manymen manymen man manmen > men of the border breed whose whosechIef whosechief whos whoschief < chief claim claun to distinction dIstmctJon seems seemsto seemsto seem ; to have been their spectacular spectacularcareer spectacularcareer spectaculaicareer career of destruction . , Goodmght Goodnight Goodmghtwas Goodnightwas Goodnightwas was a constructive force in lI1 the thecountry thecountry thcountry ( pioneeredTrue country m lI1 in which he pIOneered True , he had occasion now and andthen andthen ancthen then to kill but the men whom he hedIsposed hdisposed ( dIsposed hedisposed of-rustlers of rustlers of - rustlers mostly- mostly mostlywere mostlywere mostly mostlywere - were the kind kmd of citizens wluch which wluchthe whichthe whichthe the community could spare spareeasIly spareeasily spareeasily easIly enough On the whole wholewhat , what he didalmost did almost always alwaysserved alwaysserved alwaysserved served the best interests mterests of the theregIon theregion th thregion < region where he lived hved and at atthe athe atthe the same time it advanced hIS hISown hisown hi ; own interests mterests . But that was a asecondary isecondary asecondary secondary consideration wIth wIthhun withburn v/itlhim v itlhim vitlhimAgain / hun burn burnAgain Again Agam in contrast to so many manyother manyother man ; other men of the frontier , who whowere whowere whiwere thinghis were noted for only one thmg thing , hIS was an extraordinarily versa- versa versatIle versatile versatile - tIle and many-sided many sided - personahty personality personalityAgain personahtyAgam Agam Again quoting quotmg his biographer . nc He was filled with vigorouszest vIgorous vIgorouszest vigorouszest zest for life . His Observa Observa- ObservatIOns Observations - tions bons Observabons upon nature ranged , WIth WIthremarkable withremarkable withremarkable remarkable freshness , fromthe from fromthe fromthe the prairie prauie dogs of the Palo PaloDuro PaloDuro PaloDuro Duro Plains to the buffalo of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Northwest , from thegrasses the thegrasses thegrasses grasses of the Brazos Valley to tothe tothe tothe the Greenhorns.He GreenhornsHe con conifers rs of the Greenhorns . Be He saw seven horned sheep sheeperazinc sheepgrazing grazing with the Navao NavaJo ] flocks flocksalong flocksalong flocksalong along the Pccos Pecos , Nature's Natures ' own ownphotograph ownphotograph ownphotograph photograph ot of a giant cinna cinna- cinnamon cinnamon cinnamon - mon bear on the mineral mmeral bluffs bluffsof bluffsof bluffsof of the Picketwire , great for- for for - - - . % : , CHEYNNE E ' , IOW A J . . : - .c c .b b , r rA Rt ' j . 'fr fr ' ? w wRANCT RANCT r 1 1a a s . i ikfii . . - kfii , j 4- 4 4ti ; _ ti e r + fdNONCITY } . r ( ' ( 1/ 1 1gt / , , gt n " ' 'GO GO ' DAlC1rT DAlC1rTa I a ' ; x RANCJr RANCJrPUEBLO # ' ' ; ' I4 PUEBLO PUEBLOI Lq5 , l lte I ! - " ! c 1 k AN11tAS 4 , , pW 7 GRANADA GRANADAo GRANADA1a GRANADAI _ I 1a r , 1 1a o 9 'V V ' 'e e ' . PlSIIAP dRA S CI DODGE ' a , y ' te y CITY , aaa I . ) , ' 1 1l7v l//7/v/ l 7 v l7vI / / : / * ! ! / . I - . ' . RAronoASS/- RAronoASS RAronoASSv - / ) ( - v ski Q l lSAA r- r rRAronoASS SAA T FE FEAsp Asp / ' y ' 0 - - of . ) O 0 I . LAS ! o ) k ' FORT DAStrOe rASCO roar I Qn flliorTD . fOBEFTIE oa i iyhc"tJ yhc"tJ yhctJ yhc"tJy * " } ' L Lrk rk . , Drar , 4 4.F . .Ft -t t - . . , + 1 , * y t ,1 1 ,1Drar . . . sous .F F t.tr.J .tr.J tr.J trJ ' 1/ 1 / 1 , f w .AAAfN AAAfN . .AAAfNt CLAREN Ott 6 .1 1 . , t ' ? ' . xJ1itANCx ? ' . t tk k TORT TORTI I t.bde tbde TORTt.bde . SUMACR + FO f fEA r EA 4 4a a . A Ar : ii cI BOSQUL51L 51L 51LDC , a a'I 'I I 'Ii.LiNCOLN ' i.LiNCOLN iLiNCOLN i.LiNCOLNx ' . x BOSQUL DC ' td , layI ' , lay I r ' 0000NIGNT I4ANCN R RI I . tf tfr roRr 'a a ( aaaJ , . STANTON i 't t ' * vi vicxacfc FORT . 4 . cxacfc cxacfcFORT . , , .t t LYJ RAxtxx RAxtxxDfi1fNAP Dfi1fNAP Dfi1fNAPCAMP - i ( } 1 .j j . COOPER COOPERPALO CAMP PALO ' DLACKSPRlC ANCI ( % i\ i \ i , rfi ' ' } tr trPINTO PINTO DALLAS DALLASIYEAiHERFORD . . .tom tom . A I etk ? I IYEAiHERFORD FORT ' - WORTH WORTHCAMP vrr vrro , , tPOPt'S tPOPtS tPOPt'SG ; ' , /G G / ' 1 . , CYOSSING 00 o 0 dCOLORAOO CAMP ' ' ' p A T 0T ; c y , NTGHT-LOVING NTGHT LOVING 4'IGHT 4IGHT _ - LOVING TR TRP \ ' o Tony 0 s st t ; j jails HORSLNGIDCROSSING OHORSLNGIDCROSSING .mac mac . O ,967 967 , A \ l\IAP l IAP MAP OF THE SOUTHWEST SOUTHWESTin SOUTHWESTson son Saba Sabain C1rDtERON in Goodnight's Goodnights GoodniEtit's GoodniEtits ' pioneer days , showing the TralJs Tr which he heblazed Ausr IN blazed INblazed . v , ? t , s sRte Rte HOUSTON 40 , eSAN SANANTONIO ANtONIO + , l lII M ill II IIoSIOHS ID < 71 I1 OSl.JtJNt OSlJtJNt oSIOHS . ! , . $ [ 19J5 I9J6 ests miniatured mmlatured mmfatured m in the agate otthe of ofthe ofthe the Rockies and buffaloes and andborses andhorses andhorses borses horses racing racmg upside down downthrough downthrough downthrough through the mirages of theStaked the theStaked theStaked Staked Plains Plams . . He found tIme tune tImeto tuneto timeto to turn back from the lead of oftwo oftwo oftwo two thousand Texas Te as longhomsto longhornsto longhorns to see doie's doies doe's dose's doses do\ do \ e's es ' nests passed over overby overby overby by thousands of hoofs , and left leftwIth leftwith leftwith wIth eggs untouched . He al allowed al- al allowed allowed - lowed a Texas cow that es- es escaped es- es escaped es escaped - - caped from his Ius herd on the thePecos thePecos thePccos Pecos and back trailed throughfour through throughfour throughfour four hundred miles of desert desertand desertand desertand and wilderness wllderness to die of old oldage oldage oldage age upon the tbe Keechi Keechl range she sheloved sheloved sheloved loved . He cursed cursed-the cursed the cursed.the cursedthe - . the fool who whocut whocut whocut cut down a lone chittam cbJttam chittani tree treeat treeat treeat at the head bead of Dry Creek , on ontbe onthe onthe tbe the JA ranch , a fine , useful usefullandmark usefullandmark usefullandmark landmark in a country devoId devoIdof devoidof devoidof of timber bmber . He carried earned one of ofthe ofthe ofthe the little Sonoran deer firt fifty fiftymiles fiftmiles ) mIles across his saddle m in mfront infront mfront front of him rum , to add to hIS hISstudIes hisstudies hisstudies studIes of wild life hfe in m the Pan Pan- Panhandle Panhandle Panhandle - handle . It was these studies WhICh WhIChgave whichgave wh whgave gave him what fame he had , msufficIent in insufficient m- m in- in insufficient - sufficient though it was , outsidethe outsIde outsIdethe outsidethe the borders of his state For to toanyone toanyone tanyone ( ' anyone at all familiar with the thehIStory thehistory thehistory [ hIStory of the West , the name o of ofGoodmght ofGoodnight : ' Goodnight Goodmght is inseparably mseparably lmked linked lmkedwIth linkedwith linkecwith wIth the name of those great greatshaggy greatshaggy greashaggy shaggy creatures which _ onc oncroamed once onceroamed onceroamed < ' roamed the plams plains by the th mIl- mIl mIlhonsthe mu- mu muionsthe millions - - hons-the hons the ions-the ions l - - the buffalo . His mterest interest mterestm interestin mteresm . m in these animals began morthan more morethan morethan ! than 60 years ago , at a tune time tunewhen timewhen timwhen ' when they were threatened wIth wIthextmctIon withextinction witiextinction 1 extmctIon extinction He roped a little bulcalf bull bullcalf bullcalf calf , which he named "Old Old "OldSIkes "OldSikes "OlcSikes OlcSikes " SIkes , " and carried him hum home hometo homto hometo ( ' to his ranch for his devoted wifeMary wile wife , Mary Dyer Goodnight Goodmght , , to "brmg brmg "bring bring "brmgup "bringup "brin brin "brinup " ; up " Later he rounded up some somemore somemore som sommore < ; more buffalo calves and startec started startec"OLD started"OLD , startedr r "OLD OLD " BLUE " Leader of Goodniffht's Goodniffhts Goodnight's Goodnights Goodnlght's Goodnlghts ' ' Trail Hcrds Herds Herdsthe Herd Herdthe the herd of bison on the Palo PaloDuro PaloDuro PalDuro Duro range whose fame became becamewIdespread becamewidespread becamwidespread 2 wIdespread widespreadin m in this countiy countty country . . Mr . Haley says that Goocnight Good- Good GoodnIght Goodnight - nIght , whom he calls theuBur the uBurbank "Buibank Buibank uBur- uBur "Bur- "Bur Bur "Burbank " , - . - bank of the Open Ranges , " first firsttrIed firsttriad fir ; tried triad the experiment experunent of crossinthe crossmg crossing the crossmgthe crossingthe buffalo with Galloway cattle cattl cattland < ; , and shows that he , , rather than thanthe thanthe thathe ; the renowned "Buffalo Buffalo " " Jone Jones Jonesdeserves ; , deserves credit for that feat H His He His e 13 is also credited with being bemg the themventor thinventor th thinventor e mventor inventor of that essential piecof pIece pIeceof pieceof of equipment eqwpment ( certainly certamIy essen- essen essential essential esseitial - - tial to hard-working hard working - and , hungry hungr hungrycowpunchers hungrcowpunchers hungrcowpunchers y cowpunchers ) of the open rang range e -the the - - rangthe rangethe the chuckwagon . But more morelffiportant moreimportant moiimportant lffiportant important than either of thes thesachievements these theseachIevements thesachievements e achIevements is the remarkable remarkabl remarkableexperiments remarkablexperiments remarkabexperiments ] e experiments on the J JA A ranch ranchwhIch ranc rancwhich rancwhich h hoa whIch brought him recogmtic recogmtion recogniti oa as the greatest scientific sClentlfic breedeiof breeder breederof I Ias of range cattle m in the worldEven worldi worldEven world worldEven i Even if Goodnight had not no1achieved ( aclueved achieved renown as a cowman cowmanhis , , I Iaclueved hIS career as a traIl-blazer traIl blazer traIlblazerwould trailblazerwould trail-blazciwould trail blazciwould - would have been enough to gIve gIveI gIvehIm givehum givehim I hIm hum enduring endurmg fame In reahty reality realitythat , , , that career started in m 1845theyear 1845-the 1845 the 1845theyear 1845 - - theyear year Te Texas .as as > . became- became |