| Show Cowboy Joe Last Survivor r Of The IThe Wild By Kerry Ross Ron Boren There Is I one who recalls fondly many may exciting times which occurred In this section of the country although he hasn't visited here In nearly seventy years Joseph Claude Marsters ran away from home when he was very young oung and as did many another fugitive headed for Browns Brown's Park Phil Ma MaM s a rancher on Henrys Henry's Fork spotted the young boy boyat boyat boyat at the railroad station near Fort Bridger and ard hauled him into the country in his wagon MASS HAD two sons sons John and Ed who were members of the Wild Hunch Branch Young Marsters inclined towards Johnny Ma Mass s who taught him the ropes and promised to get him a job with the Wild Bunch Dunch John Mass who answered to the name of One One eyed Jack Mass In 1902 1002 was the man who got me my job horses with Parker and Longabaugh relates relates re re- re lates Marsters Parker was Robert Leroy Lc- Lc roy Parker alias Butch Cassidy and Longabaugh was Harry Longabaugh allas alias al ai- las the Sundance Kid JOE WORKED for Butch Cassidy for fora a short time until Butch and the Kid left leCt for South America Joe stayed on with the remnant of the Wild Bunch from 1902 until 1909 1009 boarding out at various ranches along Henrys Henry's Fork and the Green River such as the Tolls Mass Welch and anti the William C C. C Boren ranch below old Linwood At that day says Joe I knew everyone everyone every every- one in Lucerne Valley and all the way up Henrys Henry's Fork clear to Burnt Fork and on over to Lone Tree According to Joe Butch Dutch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid returned from South America in the fall of 1908 and Joe was given his old job of horses for forthe forthe forthe the gang and he remained with the Wild Bunch for nearly a year during which time he became very close to his boss Butch Dutch Cassidy GIVE OR take no better ever lived Butch Dutch had but one face and talked with just one tongue and when facing the North Star Butch showed me exactly which way to head for Jacksons Jackson's Hole Hole in Wall the the Wall eWall Browns Brown's Park Robbers Robber's Roost and their winter range over south of the Ule east end of the Ruby Mountains of Nevada Everybody who then knew me in that entire area knew Btuch Bluch Cassidy Cassidy Cas Cas- sidy also There Thero is one incident which Joe recalls recalls re reo re- re calls vividly A HORSE kicked me one evening and fractured my arm This they Butch and Sundance bound tight to my body and sent me in to have M 11 M. N N. N Larsen's sister just here from Denmark to do it up She was a nurse I was promised a job just as long as I wanted it with Butch I was wall then only 14 a runaway from home and also a school out drop My poor mother was quite a business businesswoman businesswoman businesswoman woman in Portland Oregon and through the lodges of Eastern Star and Rebec Rebel Rebeccas cas she had a small reward offered for form m me I All the time I was with the Wild WIM Bunch we were camped up a n dry wash just out of sight along alon the cedar breaks on the cast east side Aide of Green River right close b to Bridger Bottom where Buckboard Buckboard Buck Duck board Bay hay on Fl Flaming Gorge Reser Heser Reservoir voir volt Is now located Our tiny shack which no cne one ever slept in just stored grub and ammunition was was made of old charred lumber from that old wagon yard or trading p post past st st. JOE WITNESSED many exciting events In those early davs days He lie IT one member of the Wild Bunch on a horse raid on some Indian ponies from the Uintah-Ouray Uintah Ouray Reservation and led them a merry chase fr from m White White- Whiterocks rocks rocles to Browns Brown's Park He Ile helped bury the body of a Pinkerton detective who was killed at Linwood by another member member mem mem- ber of the gang and he witnessed the hanging of one gang member who spent some of the loot from a rustling foray Into Into Into In In- to the northwest states slates In the fall of 1909 young Joe who now considered himself a full fledged gunman gunman gunman gun gun- man got Into a gunfight at Burnt Fork and his father came down from Oregon by train and rushed him out of oC the country Ills His tenure with the Wild Bunch came to a close at that time BUT IT was not the end of Joes Joe's amazing amazing ing career He lie joined the Miller Brothers Brothers Bro Wild West Show and went on onto onto onto to attain fame as a rider with that group applying the skill and training with horses hors es Cs that had been taught to him by Butch Dutch Cassidy He Ile met many famous persons such as Buffalo BuCCalo Bill Cody Wyatt Earp and the man who was to become his lifelong life life- long friend Will Rogers It was while working the Wild West Shows that Joe obtained the name which he has been known by ever since Cowboy Cow boy Joe He Ile even appeared in several early movies as a rider one example being the 1931 production of oC The Big Trail starring John Wayne TODAY COWBOY Joe resides on a ranch in California and he still forks a pretty good horse The question was put to him him as to whether or not Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in South America in 1909 as theory sup sup- poses Joe states that neither of them were killed there and that both lived out long lives here in the United States under assumed names The last time Cowboy Joe saw Butch Cassidy was in 1915 while Joe was riding with the Miller Brothers Wild West Show at the San Francisco Worlds World's Fair Fairon on the Zone Asked if he knew what became became became be be- came of Butch after that time Joe replied replied re re- re plied I USED to have some good friends up tip around the Browns Brown's Park andin andin and andin in the Jackson Hole country who from time to time used to give me the impression im that Butch was over in the plush harvest country and doing all all right S among real friends Cowboy Joe proposes a visit to his old haunts in the near future Meanwhile fit ts t j i 1 j i iI I i. i S J t t U A At b I r. r i t 1 t t f i I. I 45 j L' L wJ s. s erfa x w W COWBOY JOE Joseph Claude Marclers remembers experiences experiences- with The Wild Bu Bunch ch he is dictating his memoirs for possible publication in the near future His Ilis two greatest ambitions are to establish his old bass boss Butch Cassidy in the Cowboy Hall of Fame and to locate if possible another living member of the Wild Bunch |
