This enterprising cattle dealer drove Longhorns west out of Texas to new markets in New Mexico Territory.
Legend has it that in early March 1880 John Chisum faced down William H. Bonney in Beaver Smith’s saloon at Fort Sumner, New Mexico Territory. The rebellious adolescent firmly believed Chisum owed him wages for fighting on behalf of the cattleman’s lawyer, Alexander McSween, in the Lincoln County War. The newspapers had reported that Chisum was hiring fighters at $500 a head. Someone, probably McSween himself, had promised his men Chisum would stand good, but Chisum himself never promised them anything. According to one reliable account, Bonney demanded $500, and Chisum, after refusing, found himself staring down the barrel of a well-used Colt revolver.
Always a shrewd negotiator, Chisum raised his eyes to meet Bonney’s and calmly replied, “Let me get a smoke, Billy, for then I can talk better.” Chisum lit his pipe while Bonney held the Colt pointed at the cattleman, his finger on the trigger. “Now Billy, listen. If you talked about that money until your hair was as white as mine, you could not convince me that I owed it to you.” Chisum knew Bonney respected old men with white hair. “You couldn’t shoot an honest man, could you, while he was looking you in the eye?” Chisum pressed on. “You have killed several men, I know, but they needed killing.” Thus complimented, Bonney began to waiver in his resolve. Chisum reminded Billy that during the Lincoln County War the cattle dealer had allowed the Regulators open access to his ranch at South Spring River so they could help themselves to food and supplies, as well as horses.
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