This story was reprinted from the Chicago Herald in June 1884 and run in the FLUME.  It seems a Park County cowboy gave the city fellows a first hand view of those wild western brawls.  In true spirit of fun and good rough house play this fellow certainly gave Chicago a more confirmed than ever image of those crazy cowboys.  

“A COWBOY IN CHICAGO 

                A cowboy from the North Fork of the River Platte got as far as the Union Stock Yards the other day on a visit to Chicago.  As things seemed rather home-like in that quarter he tarried there for several hours, imbibing freely and talking with unrestrained hilarity.  Some of the natives gathered around and took part in the conversation, and after awhile, when the fighting began, he declared, as he occasionally stopped to get breath, that he hadn’t had so much fun since he left home.    

‘O, that’s elegant.’ He would say, as some pork packer would bowl him one against the side of the head.  ‘That was a beauty.  What do you think of that?  I’m glad to make the acquaintance of you boys.  You do me good.  Pile on me, why don’t you?  Take that, you long-legged tenderfoot.  Come at me.  Whoop! But that was a good one.  Who was the gentleman that hit me under the ear?  No shooting irons, now.  Just plain fun. There, I’ve laid two of you out, I guess.  Come on, some more of you.  You ain’t getting winded, are you?  Hit me once, hard.  There, that feels good.  How do you like that one, you mud masher?  I’ve a good notion to hit you hard once.  This reminds me of a time I had last winter on the Niobrara, when the boys –‘ 

Just then a policeman, who had been advised of the riot, crept in at the back door, and, coming up behind the cowboy softly, he dealt him a blow on the skull that sounded like a rifle shot.  The gentleman from the North fork dropped like a log, and, after lying insensible for a moment, got up, looked around wildly, felt of his head and observed:  ‘That’s the first time I was ever tomahawed.  Blessed if I knew you had Injuns down here.  How many was killed?  Where’s the troops?”