“‘There were no streets, and people built their houses wherever preference or caprice dictated. The townspeople were mostly frontiersmen who settled there for the sole purpose of . . . preying upon those who travelled the Oregon Trail. The population consisted chiefly of men; about two dozen permanent inhabitants, mostly gamblers and saloon-keepers, some loafers . . . and a few women of well-known reputation.
When immigrants put their herds out to graze these fellows would sneak them away at night and run them off a few miles around a bend in the river, reporting that the Indians had taken them. . . . In a conveniently short time a suitable reward was offered, the vagrant would go out and bring in the stock, deliver it to the owner, and get from the latter a liberal reward in cash and gratitude.'”