Show A F merican meerita adventurers d J by elmo scott tt watson long haired sheriff C COMMODORE PERRY OWENS born in tennessee in 1852 went to texas in the early seventies and spent 11 years there as a cowboy before becoming foreman ot of a cow outfit in new mexico he wore his hair long almost to his waist and carried his six shooter on his left side the butt pointing forward old timers in the southwest were doubtful whether such a show off had bad real sand they found out he did have when he killed three navajo indian cattle thieves then the people of northern arizona decided he was the man to clean up the outlaws in their section and elected him sheriff of apache county in 1887 he broke up a band of 16 cattle rustlers after killing ike clanton of tombstone fame and two others and capturing his brother F finn inn clanton leader of the gang but ills bis greatest teat feat was his sin gle handed fight with tour four members of the blevans gang one of the factions in the famous pleasant valley war in this fight which took place in holbrook perry killed three of the four including andy cooper one of Ari zonas most dangerous gun I 1 fighters it was one of the most desperate encounters at close quarters in the history of the state not even excepting the famous fight at the 0 K corral in tombstone refusing reelection election re as sheriff perry became a special agent tor for the santa fe railroad later express messenger tor for wells fargo and then a united states marshal he gave up his man hunting work in 1900 and became a business man in seligman where he be died in 1919 0 at 0 first in yellowstone park WHAT HAT an adventure it must have been tor for the first person who saw the Yellow yellowstone john colter who for three years had served in the famous lewis and dark clark expedition tion was the lucky nan man he had just left the party and established himself with the expedition of manuel lisa from st louis who traveled up the missouri river to trade with the indians A fort was established at the big horn and john colter was sent ahead to notify the red men with courage typical of that period he began his lone expedition into territory never before beffie trod by even the most courageous trappers and pioneers of the time informed by the indians that ahead lay a territory that was bedeviled and that they would not penetrate it his curiosity and his adventurous spirit impelled him to explore it he was well T rewarded for records show that in 1808 he be went through and then completely encircled what is now yellowstone national park alone he saw before any other person the boiling springs towering geysers and strange mineral deposits not only was he a pioneer among white men but more adventurous than even the red men being years ahead of them in risking existence in a land where the earth trembled and groaned spouted fire and an d hissed steam when colter returned he told such an amazing story of smoking pits and the smell of brimstone that the men of the tort fort laughed at him and told others what they thought were ridiculous stories of colkers Col tees hell it was several years before anyone else had the courage to verity verify his bis discovery 6 0 western newspaper union |