28. Teddy Roosevelt and the Bully
Teddy Roosevelt was more than just a rich guy from the East Coast who went out west to play cowboy. In the summer of 1884, he established the Elkhorn Ranch on the banks of the Little Missouri River in the Badlands, about 35 miles north of what is now Medora, North Dakota. He enthusiastically embraced his new occupation as a rancher and set out to learn the ropes – literally – of the profession. He learned to ride, rope cattle, and hunt, and wrote three books about his experience. Later that year, Teddy Roosevelt went on a days-long horseback ride to clear his head and take in the scenery, and eventually came across the Nolan Hotel in Mingusville, Montana.
The place looked like a seedy dive, and TR was reluctant to enter – especially after he heard a pair of gunshots coming from the bar. However, nightfall was near, and and it was cold outside, so he went in. He saw a “shabby individual in a broad hat with a cocked gun in each hand was walking up and down the floor talking with strident profanity. He had evidently been shooting at the clock, which had two or three holes in its face”. Soon as he saw Teddy, who wore glasses, the lout hailed him as “Four Eyes”, and announced to the bar that “Four Eyes is going to treat!” The future president tried to play it off as a joke, but the loudmouth followed him around. As seen below, it did not end well – for the loudmouth.
