Front matter
Reading edition
By
Con Price
(Masachele Opa Barusha)
THE HIGHLAND PRESS
Highland at Hawthorne
HOLLYWOOD 28, CALIFORNIA
Copyright, 1945
By Con Price
All Rights Reserved
FIRST EDITION
After Deluxe edition of 125 copies, numbered and signed by the author.
DEDICATION
To all the old-time cowboys and cowmen whose hearts were as big as the range they rode.
CONTENTS
I. Earliest Memories (1869 to 1878) II. Black Hills of South Dakota (1878 to 1885) III. I Start to Punch Cows IV. With the RL Outfit V. With the TL Outfit in the Bear Paws VI. Line Riding With the Mounted Police VII. In the Judith Basin Country of Montana VIII. With the DHS Outfit IX. Jim Spurgeon X. Tom Daly XI. Kid Curry XII. Fred Reid XIII. Indians XIV. Open Range Days XV. The Johnson County War XVI. Broncos XVII. My Marriage XVIII. The Lazy KY XIX. Memories of Charlie Russell XX. Cowboy Philosophy
PREFACE
Some years ago, through my interest in the life and work of Charles M. Russell, I met Con Price. No one could go far into the subject of Montana’s Cowboy Artist without cutting Con Price’s trail.
These two men were more than cowpuncher friends and associates in a ranch partnership. Charlie regarded Con as one of the greatest bronco riders of his time, and Con considers Charlie the finest kind of friend a man could have had.
It was a long time before Con would talk much about his close friendship with Charlie Russell—a friendship that started on the range before either was married, and lasted until Charlie crossed the Big Divide in 1926. After some urging Con has, over a period of years, written something of his early days in Old Montana, with a few, too few, references to his friend Russell.
My own knowledge of Russell has been immeasurably enriched through knowing Con Price, but more important is our own friendship, which I treasure even more.
H. E. BRITZMAN
July 23, 1945
Trail’s End, Michillinda,
Pasadena, California.
The Lazy KY