Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, August 26, 1898, Page 9, Image 9

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    THE OMAHA PATTA" BEEs "PHTDAY " , AUGUST 20 , 1808. n
WOJlEN'SllFEWlTHTIIEARJIYl '
a Western Woman aa Wifa of
nn Officer ,
HARROWING TALES OF THE FRONTIER
'Aiioclntlon with the Inillnnx A
iliine WcddlnK Trip In the Hnrly
Uam K.iicrlenc thnt Will
Never lie Forgot.
There la a period In the history of the
regular army of America which has passed
way forever , yet which lives in the mem
ory of some who went through It , and who
tavo not yet gene over to the great major
ity. It Is a period eo full of wild romance
ml thrilling adventure that It Is a wonder
that no great novelist has seized upon It as
the background for stories which should
rival any yet written In this country ; per
haps for tit ) "srcal American novi1"isclf. .
Sure It Is that one who passed through those
days can recall scenes that match any that
Fenlmore Cooper ever depleted. It Is the
period when the army was clearing the In
dians from the plains ; protecting the set
tlers who were Just pushing beyond the MIs-
Bourl , and laying the foundations for the
empire of the west.
Mrs. Frederick T. Dent of Denver , the
Widow of the late General Dent , has lived
through this period , relates the Denver
News , and her stories of It when she fairly
\varms up to her subject are more InterestIng -
ti Ing than any fairy tale ; far more Interest
ing than "Boots and Saddles. " General
Dent died In Denver In 1892 , after a resi
dence icro of four years. Mrs. Dent Is a
lovely white-haired old woman , who loves
the army , where all the years of her life
were spent until tbo general was retired.
She was born sixty-two years ago , at a fort
on the site of Green Bay , WIs. , then a fron
tier outpost. Supplies were brought up
from Fort Dearborn , which stood where
Chicago afterward grew up , or , perhaps ,
from Detroit. Sometimes they would pass
the whole winter without a mall. When a
child she lived on the site where St. Paul
now stands , when the soldiers could kill
deer from the fort. It was In the days of
the French voyagcurs , over whose brief
page In history Parkmnn has cast a veil of
romance , and whoso ancient * boating songs
Btlll linger among the French Canadians
along the St. Lawrcnco and the Indians of
the northwest.
"Quo of my very earliest remembrances , "
Bald Mrs. Dent , "U that of seeing a scalp
dance from tbo stockade of Fort Snelllng.
I was a very small child , but I can remem
ber watching that weird dance In the light
of the campflres from the walls of the fort.
The Sioux and Chlppewas were always at
war then , though the Chlppowas were long
slnco exterminated. It was after one of
their battles and the Cblppcwas had come
homo victorious. So they celebrated their
dance of rejoicing over the scalps taken , In
the light of their fires the night they re
turned. They would wave the bloody scalps
on long poles , and altogether It made a
scene not likely ever to fade from the mind.
I could talk Sioux llko a little Indian when
I wasi a child. I have forgotten every word
of It now , nnd since then I have learned
and completely forgotten three other Indian
languages. I acquire them quickly , but
they do not remain , perhaps because there
Is no printed page to assist lu fixing them
In the memory , as is the case with other
foreign languages. "
In these days the Mississippi river was
almost the limit of civilization. The ar
mies were transported by it largely , and
Mrs. Dent often traveled upon the mag
nificent old river boats , in the days made
Immortal in Mark Twain's stories. She
went cast a number of times also by the
old National post road , a macadamized path
for the stage coach , running east and west
across the country , and connecting Cincin
nati , Baltimore , Washington and other
large cities. Another distinct recollection of
her childhood is being tucked away snugly
to sleep under a table on a canal boat. The
festlvo canal boat was u great means of
transportation In these days , and was
often so packed that people slept all over
the roof at night. Traveling by stage off
the macadamized road the passengers fre
quently were obliged to dismount and pur
sue their Journey on foot , while the gentle
men of the party pried the coach out of the
mud with convenient fence rails. In fact ,
Mrs. Dent believes she has sampled every
method of traveling ever known in America
steamer , canal boat , stage coach , mule
back , horse back and ambulance , down to
the railroad which so transformed the world
which she knew In her girlhood.
Unique AVcilillnic Trip.
Mrs. Deqt was the daughter of Major and
Mrs. Lynde , so Itwas perfectly natural sn *
Bhould marry .In the army. This happened
In 1852 , when she wa's 1C years old. For
her wedding Journey she started down the
Mississippi and out through Arkansas and
Texas to .a far-off post upon the Brazes
river. That was a wedding tour a little out
of the common and a honeymoon Spent on
open prairies , in tents and Indian tepees.
They did not go alone , for officers could
Dot go then to a western post without an
escort. Her father , Major Lynde , was In
command of a party of recruits going to a
post at Phantom Hill , on tbo headwaters of
the Brazes , so that the young bride , who
was Just out of school , was accompanied
by her father and mother as well as her
husband. They went down the Mississippi
In a chartered boat to Fort Smith , Ark.
Then the party marched to Fort Wichita ,
on the Hed river. The country was very
sparsely settled and full of half breed In
dians. They stopped at night in the houses
of these Indians. All the officers and their
families would occupy the house together ,
spreading their blankets on the floor. Dur
ing the night , if other travelers came by in
need of a night's lodging , they opened the
door , and , shoving the sleepers about until
they made room , spread their blankets and
slept In their turn. After reaching the Red
river they marched and camped ten days
before arriving at the post. They encoun
tered wild Indians every day , but as they
were not at war then they bad no trouble
with them. They would gallop up to the
train , utter a friendly greeting and be oft
again. They had a terrible experience with
prairie fire during this trip , however. The
grass was aa tall aa the horses' backs ,
rising like a wall on either side as they
walked through It. The fire rushed across
the wide , grassy plain , a billowy ocean of
flame. The train scattered In 'every direc
tion , running wherever safety seemed pos
sible. Mrs. Dent and her party drove to a
ravine In the distance. , They fled before
the flames , which singed their hair and
clothing as they climbed , gasping for breath ,
down the steep sides of the ravine. The
fire Jumped straight across the ravine , In
great leaps of 100 feet and more , but it
skipped the interior and passed on. It was
late the next day before the entire party
was collected again , No one bad
been killed , but there were many
with scorched faces nnd burned
clothing. When they reached their
destination the young wedded couple
took up their abode In what was called
"two pens and a passage , " a cabin with a
ball running through the center nnd a room
on either side. They lived on ono aide and
a young bachelor officer on the other. The
cabin was built of logs , the doors and
window shutters being of green boards ,
which had warped and shrunk , leaving
Roodly places between , so thtt the orderly
used to come and thrust the captain's book
through between the boards quite handily
without opening the door , In the morning :
The root was thatched and the floor waa of
dirt. Mrs. Dent spread Runnysacklng over
the dirt and then laid upon that Iba car pet
which Bho hail transported overland from
tbo states. She had brought chintz , too , n < l
other material for hangings nnd upholiter-
ing , and famoui were the chain and toilet
tables road * out of boxes and barrels and
covered with the bright materlali , for not
a real chair or table was thereIn the post.
When It was necessary to open the window
shutter for light the young housewife would
thrust In the space a frame covered with
flour sacking , which admitted a modest portion
tion of light. The roof , being of thatch ,
naturally leaked some , and no matter where
It was patched It would leak In a new place
tbo next time It rained. When It leaked on
the bed nt night tbo young officer and hlo
wife would solemnly rise , move the bed and
then sleep again. The accompanying cut
shows their predecessor In the house one
night when ho couldn't move the bed to any
place where It didn't rain on htm. He
finally rose and spent the rest of the night
beneath an umbrella , and was thus sketched
by Captain Dent himself. The worst fea
ture was the fireplace , though. A Qreplaco
Is a poetic thing In a modern house nicely
heated by steam , but It Is a poor thing to
cook by. The first morning after their ar
rival at the post the captain went out to
attend to some duties that fell to his share ,
before breakfast. Fried venison and coffee
went fairly well over the open fire , but when
It came to hot cakes there was more or less
trouble. The officer who lived on the other
side of the hall came out and saw her kneel
ing before the fireplace. He had known
her all her life.
"What are you trying to do , Lou ? " said
he.
he."I
"I am trying to make griddle cakes , " said
she ; "and I can't turn them. "
"Qrlddla cakes , " said he , "you mean flapJacks -
Jacks ; lot me show you. " So he knelt before
the fireplace and showed her how to loosen
the cake and then fling It up In the air and
catch It on the pan other side up. So he
cooked the flapjacks , and when the captain
came In they all had their breakfast to
gether. All this goes to show what different
quarters the officers of the regular army
occupied then , and how very different their
lives on the frontier were then from what
they are In even the most remote post
today.
Wealthy In Ilnpplneni.
"And yet I have never felt so rich or so
happy since , " says Mrs. Dent. "Everybody
fared alike. There was no competition , no
envy. The whole thing was a picnic for my
husband and me. No hardship troubled us.
We would go in the evening to sit on the
ground before one cabin or another and sing
and tell stories. Each one would take his
stool along with him , made out of a section
of log , for nobody had chairs enough for
company. Sometimes when , wo sat around
a bonfire an arrow would hiss down Into
the mldat of the group , and then the fire
was quickly extinguished , I assure you , and
the group scattered. "
A few years later General and Mrs. Dent
were stationed on the Columbia rlTer and
at various points on the Pacific coast. It
was just along about the time the emigrants
were rushing Into the country to the newly
discovered gold fields , and the coast In
dians were very troublesome. At one time
the report came in that down In the Mai-
heur country the Indians had murdered a
party of emigrants. Some of the party
had escaped and were lost In the desert.
The general took a party and went to rescue
them. There were but two officers' wives
In the fort , Mrs. Dent and one other. They
busied themselves In preparing food and
clothes for the rescuing party to take along.
Little Madge Dent was there , nqw { Mrs.
L. E. Campbell of this city , and 'as she
wanted to help her mother showed her how
to run up a llttlo petticoat of yellow flan
nel for the llttlo child who , they had heard ,
was In the party. The rescuing party
hunted up the lost emigrants , and when
they found them they were just boiling a
human head In a pot for food. It was
never ascertained whether they had killed
any of their number or not , but they hod
been eating their dead. All were crazed
with exposure and starvation. They put
the children in panniers across the mules'
backs and made litters for the grown pee
ple. Llttlo Madga Dent sat on the wall
of the fort to watch for the returning party ,
and far off across the plain she saw the
gleam of the yellow petticoat she had made.
Her father bad put It on a llttlo girl , and
had taken the child on the saddle with
him. Though she was a very llttlo girl
then , Mrs. Campbell can remember just
how that spot of yellow looked in the dis
tance.
"I took one woman Into my house , " says
Mrs. Dent , "but I do not believe that any
person who has ever eaten human flesh la
ever the same again. The awful strain that
they pass through before they get to that
stage unsettles their reason. This woman
was never right again , and she tried to burn
the house up before we could get her away. "
Indiana OB All Side * .
One day General Dent went out to the
relief of Colonel Steptoe , whose command
was reported defeated by the Indians.
About sundown he sent an Indian scout to
the fort to tell them that there were 600
Indians between the troops and the post ,
and that they would probably attack the
latter that night. He also sent his wife
word to go to another post at some miles
distance and Inform the wife of an officer
there that her husband had been killed.
It was a. ticklish Journey , and the woods
full of Indians , but she waa the wife and
daughter of a soldier , and she took two sol
diers and an ambulance and started forth.
She Imparted her sad news and remained
with the young widow till midnight and
then started home , not knowing whether
she would find her own children alive or
not. When she reached the post again she
found that tbo twelve men bad placed her
children and the two wives of enlisted men
In the best protected room of her bouse
and had taken up a position near , ready
to defend It to the last man. For some
reason , however , the Indians were diverted
and made no attack that night. Her son ,
now Captain Jack Campbell of the Twen
tieth infantry , who was in the battle of
Santiago , was born during her stay on the
coast. When he was'four weeks old Mrs.
Dent started with htm to Join her husband
at Walla Walla , and her party was chased
and harassed by Indians during the entire
journey. The Whitman massacre , In mem
ory of which a monument waa erected a
short time ago , had occurred two years be
fore at Walla Walla , and Mrs. Dent found
a coffee mill which the Whitmans had used
for grinding corn. When she first went to
Oregon the Nez Perces were a powerful and
numerous tribe. The Nez Perces trail , as It
was called , passed behind the fort. It was
an enormous swath cut out of the forest , as
wide as a city block , and full of little trails ,
crossing each other In every direction. Here
the Indians could be heard passing and
tinging or calling all night long. The tribe
is totally extinct now , like nearly all the
tribes of the Pacific coast. At The Dalles
one winter , on the Columbia , Mrs. Dent
acted as Interpreter all winter between the
Indians and the commander. The regular
Interpreter had gone away somewhere before
the cold weather came on , and could not
get back , and she was the only person in
the fort who could understand the Indians
thoroughly or make them understand her.
They were coming in all winter , bringing in
their arms , with which her little sitting
room was often stacked high , taking the
oath of fealty to the government and re
ceiving the terms on which they would be
treated after surrender.
Heavy PurcIiMie * of l lr Iron.
CLEVELAND , Aug. 25. The Iron Trade
Review , In Its Issue tomorrow , will say :
Heavy purchases of bessemer pig iron In
tbo Motioning and Shenango valleys at the
furnacemen'i price of flO , furnace , have
been the market sensation of the week.
ARJIY LIFE IN THE FAR WEST
Incident * that Enliven the Monotonous
Bound of Post Duty ,
SENSE OF HUMOR IN EVIDENCE
Herr the Ilvitlmcntal Dnnil find to
Tlay ( or a Corral of Mule
Shaffer and l.nrrton a *
I'ot Commniiilera.
Most of the general officers of the army
and the high-ranking officers of the navy ,
whose movements hither and yon on field
nnd flood have of late months been filling
the American eye not to say , Indeed , the
vision of the world are men possessed of Tin
essential American endowment , the sense
of humor. They are , for the greater part ,
relates the Washington Star , men into whom
long years of service In command of men
who are nothing if not human have In
stilled the strongest sense of humanity ,
which necessarily means that their minds
and hearts are ns harmoniously attuned to
the humorous phases of their military lives
as they are susceptible to be wrought upon
by the darker and more pathetic features
In the lives of common soldiers and sail
ors.
ors.The
The huge , courageous , nnd vastly-experi
enced General Lawton , for example , Is a
man for whom old soldiers of the regular
army have possessed an ineradicable affec
tion for much more than a quarter of a
century. General Lawton's Indian fighting
experiences bavo often been told about since
the beginning of the present war , but these
narrations present the man simply from the
point of view o a care-weighted , stern ,
hard-c mpalgnlng officcr. They do not re
veal much of his human , every-day nature ,
and It Is from this view-point that enlisted
men whose estimate of nn officer Is , after
all , perhaps the most to be relied upon
figure out the merits or demerits of their
superiors.
The passing generation of regular army
soldiers still toll of how Lawton once had
his regimental band spend a day playing
high-grade music for the delectation of the
regimental mules la tbq corral.
Lntrton and the Uoiuliuniiter.
Lawton was in command of one of the
far-western regimental posts. It was a post
that was very much visited by "the society
people of an adjoining city and post hops
were given on two or three nights a week.
The regimental band furnished the music
for these hops. The band was under the
direction of a foreign bandmaster , who pos
sessed a considerable contempt for enlisted
men , although his knuckling affection for
the man with the shoulder straps was no
torious. In the army a man possessed of
these characteristics is called " -
a "dog- rob
ber. " General Lawton had a detestation for
a dog robber. He endured his bandmaster ,
but ho never gave him any of the best of
It over any of the members of the band.
The bandmaster was obsequious in his at
tendance upon the musical demands of the
post's officers.
One day the enlisted , men of the post de
cided to give a hop themselves. A com
mittee of the soldiers approached the band
master to ascertain if ho would be willing
to furnish the music. The bandmaster at
first declined to listen to any sort of a
proposition , but finally consented to give the
services of the band for a night's dancing
for the sum of $10.
"That's a whole lot o * money , my wind-
Jamming friend , " said the soldier who was
at the head of the music committee. "I am
free to say that I think you could take a
heap of a reef in that figure. What's your
Idea , anyhow , in soaking it to us fellows BO
hard , when you play all night for the offi
cers a couple o * times a week for nothing ? "
"But you ain'a officers , nlretty , " replied
tbo bandmaster. "You are netting but
buck privates , atn'd It ? Veil , I sbarges you
vhat I blcase. Fordy tollars. "
"All right , bunkte , " replied the soldier ,
"If you think you can make a hit In this
layout by putting it onto us this way , It's
up to you to make it stick. We'll pay you
the forty , because we've got to , seeln' that
there's no juniper ( civilian ) band around
this camp. But I think you'ro raaUtn' a bad
break , all the same. "
"Fordy tollars , " answered the bandmaster
and that was tbo end of it. He had the
bulge and he worked it.
The soldier who had done the interview
ing with the bandmaster was an old-time
non-commissioned officer , who had soldiered
alongside Lawton on a number of critical
occasions. Ho went up to Lawton's quarters
to have a word with , "tho beak " .otherwise
the "old man , " about this music business ,
"The boss wind jammer , " said the sol
dier to Lawtou , "surely Is' rubbln' it in onto
us some , " and ho told the commanding of
ficer of the only terms the bandmaster
would accepl
"Docs he want it in advance ? " inquired
Lawton , rubbing his cbin reflectively.
"He's got It In bis pants pocket now , " re
plied the soldier. "We had to give up on
the spot. "
"All right , " said Lawton. "Let it go at
that. "
The old non-com. left Lawton's presence
somewhat surprised and aggrieved nt the
matter-of-fact fashion with which the com
manding officer took his report on the smallness -
ness of tbo bandmaster.
The Soldier * ' Hop.
The enlisted men's hop came off all right.
It was largely attended by the sweethearts
of the eoldlers In the adjoining city and It
was a howling success. The band's music
was only fairish , however , nnd the band
master , from his platform perch , regarded
the uniformed dancers on the floor with
contempt slumbering In his eyes. Along
toward 2 o'clock In the morning Colonel
Lawton made his appearance on the floor.
Ho enjoyed the spectacle of his men having
a good time and he told the boys to go
ahead and keep the dance going until
reveille If they wanted to. Then he left
the hall.
The hop broke up about half an hour be
fore reveille and the soldiers made for their
quarters to get ready to stand the first roll
call of the day. The bandmaster and his
musicians , sleepy and very ugly over the
prolongation of the dance , repaired to their
quarters to turn in for a few hours' rest.
First call for reveille went In the gray dawn
of the morning and then assembly. When
the tired soldiers got Into line outside their
quarters they were surprised to see their
commanding officer , who was ordinarily a
late sleeper , standing In the middle of the
parade ground in full uniform , and that at
half after 5.
The company officers -3ade their report
to tha officer of the day , who wheeled and
reported to the commanding officer.
"Officer of the day , " ordered Colonel Lawton -
ton , quietly , "have the trumpter sound the
call 'to arms/ "
The officer of the day gave the command
and In less than a minute all of the men
permitted to "lio In" for reveille , including
tbo bandsmen , came running out on the
parade ground , only partially dressed. The
obsequious bandmaster loped up to the com
manding officer , saluted and stood to atten
tion.
Mullc Lor I u ir Mule * .
"Bandmaster , " said Lawton. "ono of the
characteristics of this outfit of mine that
delights me is that most of the men are
very fond of music. There's not a man of
'em , I believe , that wouldn't walk through
nlna miles of knee-deep snow to hear a bit
of really good ruuUc. Have you ever ob
served this fact ? "
"Veil , I don'd so much know , sir , " replied
the ilcepy bandmaster , rubbing his eyes
and apparently wondering what this queer
line of talk was all about at such an early
hour In the morning.
"Well , I know , " went on Lawton. "It's
about as musical A body of soldiers as ever
I bad the honor to command. But , musical
as these men ore , " continued the com
manding officer , sweeping his arms around
the quadrangle formed by the barracks ,
"I'm in command of another outfit in this
post an auxiliary outfit , it is true the
component members of nhlch are also very
fond of music. I refer to my mules. I've
often taken note of the fondness of those
mules of mine for music. Bandmaster , you
are to at once assemble your band , In
heavy marching order , taking not more
than fifteen minutes for this purpose , and
then you are to march the band down to
the corral. Arriving there , you are to begin
a varied program of select music and you
are to play with spirit and precision and
not lag In your enthusiasm , I'll bo around
from time to time to see that you attend
to these orders. See that you do attend to
them. "
At the Currnli
The soldiers were dismissed from quar
ters. They bolted their breakfast , and re
paired to the corral in a body. Then they
stretched themselves out on the grass In
easy attitudes , chewing straws nnd watchIng -
Ing the performance. The perspiring mem
bers of the band turned up promptly at the
end of the fifteen minutes , and began to
play for the mules , and the mules cocked
up their ears lazily and ke-hawed and
ke-hunked appreciatively for some time.
The sun rose high In the heavens , and yet
the bandsmen played on. Along toward 10
o'clock the commanding officer turned up.
"Just a bit more life to that tune , " said
he to the bandmaster. The band responded
with whatever enthusiasm it could , and the
commanding officer stood by and listened
for a while. Then he strolled off to his
office. The men continued to lie around
chewing straws and listening to the music
until most of them were summoned nwny
by fatigue , drill nnd other calls. The mules
bllnod ! lazily In the sunshluo and regarded
the puffing bandsmen with \\onderlng eyes.
Aa the feelings of the different mules were
from time to time worked upon by pecu
liarly mellow chords , they gave vent to
prolonged ke-hunks. Along about noon the
commanding officer strolled down to the
corral ncaln.
"Just elvo these mules the overture from
'Tannhauser , ' " Bald he to the bandmaster ,
"and I guess that will be about enough
practice for this morning. "
The bandmaster gave the signal after the
music was passed around , and the soldiers
played the "Tannhauser" overture with
spirit. When It was concluded , the com
manding officer beckoned to the band
master.
"I have understood , " said he , "that the
men giving the hop last night had a bit of
a difficulty with you regarding the figure
you fixed for the furnishing of the music.
It didn't strike me , when I heard of this ,
that you acted with any great amount of
generosity toward your comrades. I would
recommend that you seek to adjust your
difference with the men somewhat more sat
isfactorily to them. You may now march
the band to quarters. "
The bandmaster obeyed the order , and It
was not half nn hour later before ho made
his appearance In the soldiers' barracks
> vlth a J20 gold piece In his hand , which he
gave to the soldier who had mode the ar
rangement with him for the hop music.
"Id was a mlstag , " said the bandmaster.
"I was only fooling' mlt you fellers. "
But ho transferred out of the regiment
as soon as he could make , it go through ,
nevertheless.
Shutter' * Love of Fair Play.
General Shatter Is another of the general
officers who , as a colonel , had a keen sense
of humor , allied to a strong' sense of Jus
tice. A few years ago , , when Shatter was
colonel of the First Infantry , and In com
mand of Angel Island , Cal. , he bad In ono
of his regiment's companies a young bucko
of a corporal who had achieved the reputa
tion of a slugger from his entry into the
outfit. The corporal was an out-and-out
bully , although ho was at the > same tlmo a
good soldier. It was one of bla delights to
pick quarrels with husky-looking young re
cruits just joining the regiment from the
recruiting stations , and to "try them out"
In regularly-arranged pitched prize fights.
Ho had never been beaten In ono of these
affairs up to the time of this story. Then a
slender though muscular young chap , a trifle
under the middle size , came along to the
regiment from the recruiting rendezvous nt
Columbus , 0. This young fellow was
quiet enough in his ways and devoted him
self strictly to hla own business. He was
rather fond of physical exercise and so he
set up In his corner of the barracks , over
his bunk , a punching bag , which be worked
at with a good deal of assiduity. The bucko
corporal got his eye on this young chap ,
and proceeded to step on his toes at the
first opportunity. This occurred at the
guard house , when both men were on guard.
The young recruit , when the two had taken
off their belts after being relieved from
guard , stepped up to the corporal and said :
"I can't very well thrash you here and
now , while .you've got your chevrons on
your blouse. All the same , I'd bo glad It
you'd give me an opportunity to get hunk
with you on even terms , so that you
wouldn't have your cheap stripes on your
trousers' legs to fall back upon. "
A Fight to the Fliil.li.
This was what the bullying corporal was
looking for and the fight was arranged to
take place that same night. A select few
of the buck privates and noncommissioned
officers turned up at the abandoned quar
termaster's storeroom to witness the bat
tle. Seconds and timekeepers and bottle
holders and all of the rest of the regular
officials were appointed , and the battle be
gan. The recruit was rather a scientific
man , but be appeared to be somewhat out
classed by the corporal. The latter , how
ever , resorted to foul fighting tactics , and
the recruit's friends made a howl over this.
When the argument \\as at Its height the
enormous figure of Shatter was seen right
In the center of the throng of excited con
tenders. Shatter was always more or less of
a night-wandering Haroun-Al-Rascbld , and
he had happened down the quartermaster's
line of storehouses on this night just to
see what he could see , when the arriving
gang of soldiers Informed htm that some
thing was on ,
"I've seen this thing almost from the first
round , " said Shutter to the startled gang
of soldiers they were too paralyzed with
astonishment to bolt for It "and EO long
as you two men have started In to violate
military regulations you might as well fin
ish the Job. But there are to be no more
foul tactics. And , Doherty" addressing
the recruit "If you don't lick this corporal
within on Inch of his life I'll find some
means to let you decently out of the serv
ice. Go In and thrash him right. "
Then Shatter withdrew. Commanding of
ficers have means of finding out things , and
when he heard the next morning that the
recruit had taken heart after he , the com
manding officer , left the scene , and mauled
the bucko corporal to a proper finish , Shat
ter saw to It personally that the recruit
was transferred to another company of the
regiment and promoted.
"Here He Me . "
Detroit Journal ; The colonel enters , livid
with rage.
"I see , sir , " he hisses , "that you head the
report of my remarks at the grave of the
late Major Snlgley , elr , with the caption ,
'Hlc Jncet , ' sir ! "
"Yea. sir , " we reply. "We did , sir. Yes ,
sir. "
"Well , sir , " the colonel proceeds , "I have
called , sir , to say , sir , that you're another ,
sir ! Y < * . itr ! "
Thi colonel , observe , does not talk in dla-
JOBBERS RND
OR OMAHA.
ART GOODS
Hospe
Picture Moldings.
Mirror * Frame * Backing and Art ! * *
Material * .
BOILER AND SHEET IRON WORKS
[ ) rake , Wilson
& Williams
Soccp orVllNiiu , t Drake.
Manufacturers boilers , prnoko stacks nnd
fereechlnps , pressure , rendering , sheep dip ,
Inrd and wnter tanks , boiler tubes con
stantly on hand , second hand boilers
bought nnd sold. SpoHnl nnO prompt to
repairs in city or country. 19th and Fierce.
BOOTS-SHOES-RUBBERS.
n merican Hand
1 V Sewed Shoe Co
Jobbers of Foot Wear
WrS ERS AOKNTSFOR
Tha Joseph Banigua Bubbor Oo.
F H. Sprague & Co. ,
Rubbers and Mackintoshes.
Cor. Eleventh & Fnrnum Sin. , Oninhn.
. Kirkendall & Co
Boots , Shoes and Rubbers
almooai 1U3-11M-UM Harntr BtmL
\A/.v.Morse \ /
Boots , Shoes , Rubbers ,
AT WHOLESALE.
Office and Salesroom 1119-21-23 Howard St.
BAGS
R emis Omaha Bag Co
Importer- and Manufacturer *
BAGS
614-16-18 South nth Street
CHICORY
he American
T
Chicory Go.
Orowera and manufacturer * of oil form * of
Chicory Oniaht-Fremont.O'NelL
CROCKERY AND GLASSW ARE
M N , Blits ,
*
L
Importer a4 J
Crockery. China , Glassware ,
lUvtr Plate- Ware , Looking Glasses , Chaa
d Urs , Lamps , Chimneys , Cutlery , Btc.
1410 KABNAM IT.
CREAMERY SUPPLIES
T he Sharpies Company
Creamery Machinery
_ _ and Supplies.
pollersi Engines , Ke < 4 Cookers , Wood Pol.
ley- , Shafting , Belting , Butttr Faclc-
MM of all Lvd * .
Jones St.M .
St.DRY
DRY GOODS.
M. E > Smith & Co ,
% latportera aid Jokoert of
Dry Goods , Fitrnishing Goods
AND NOTIONS.
lect ; neither do we ; which Is in Itself rather
funny.
BESSIE , THD MILKMAID.
Successful Baluc N Carried an by a
Little Girl luevr Jer.y.
A llttlo girl In the mill : business ? Who
ever heard of such a thing ! Yet such a
business Is being carried on successfully out
of school hours by a bright little girl In
New Jersey , aged 14. And It all began BO
unexpectedly and In the smallest possible
way like many another successful venture.
It happened two summers ago that Bes
sie's small baby sister fell 111 and there
was much agitation In the family circle when
the doctor attributed it to the cow whose
milk the baby had been drinking. When
Bessie heard her mother giving Instruc
tions to one of their men to scour the coun
try and purchase a cow at any price , Bho
announced that she was going with him to
pick out a cow "good enough for baby , " The
mother kindly refrained from suggesting
that the child's opinion might not bo worth
anything and started her off on her quest.
Whether It was the groom's good judgment
or Bessie's ' intuition , the family has not yet
decided : at all events a splendid Holstein
was discovered In the neighborhood , but
alas ! tbo farmer refused to part with her ,
though ho was easily persuaded to sell the
milk if they cared to send after It. Then It
was that Bessie came forward and astonished
the fanner by telling him she would como
for It herself. She looked like such a boiinlc
llttlo lady sitting so straight on her pony
that ho never thought of opposing her
neither did the groom , who was used to her
Independent ways. So he made an arrange
ment with the farmer which was to be per-
inaucnt 1 ( the milk proved satisfactory and
Bessie bore home In triumph to her mother
a small pall full of milk.
The milk did prove satisfactory and
for a month or more an energetic little
maiden mounted her pony and galloped
down the country road ntI o'clock In tbo
morning. But she did not gallop home
again no , Indeed. A pall of milk must be
carried with circumspection ! -The pony
never quite understood why his llttlo mis
tress held him In check when the air was
so sweet and fresh , and bis feet just
tingled to fly over the ground again ! And
this was not all , for Besile bad learned to
milk. She thought It the most fascinating
occupation she had ever experienced and a
pretty picture It was In the farmyard to
see her firmly planted on her stool , filling
the fchlnlng pall with foaming milk , the
farmer standing by and sometimes lending
a hand , the cow and the pony exchanging
glances aa much as to aay , "What a dear ,
clever little thing- she Is , to be sure , " But
'JCudahy'8 la
DRUGS.
ichardton Drug Co.
902-906 Jackson St.
r O. niCHARDSON , Prert.
a y. WELLER , V. Prwt.
T fit Mercer
Ghomical Co.
U'fr Standard Pharmaceutical I'
Aix-rtal Formular I'reptiml to
Oraer. Sentl/or Ciitalogur.
1 Howard Et , Omite.
.E. Bruce , & Co.
- r
*
Druggists and Stationery
"Que a Bee" Specialties.
Clear * , Wtnco and llrandl * * ,
Coma ? JOth ad Harnty 0tr * ia >
ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES.
w estern ESsctrical
Company
Metrical Supplies.
Electric Wlrintr Bells and Gnu Lighting
a.V. . JOHNSTON , Mcr. UtD Howard St.
U/oIf Electrical
vv Supply Co
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES
l.u. UN rat-am Bt ,
John T. Burke ,
COXTRAOTOli. J'O
ELECTRIC LIGHT
and PO WER PLANTS
424- South 15th St.
FRUIT-PRODUCE.
& Co ,
WIIOtESALM
Commission Merchants.
8. W. Corn.r Uth and Howard Sta
_ femb r of tb. National Leucu * of Comml
fcm M.rehaoU of Ui * United Stale * .
GROCERIES.
McCord-Brady Co.
13th and Lcavcmvorth St
Staple and Fancy Groceries
ItA AND COrrtE ROASTERS , ltd
Meyer & Raapke ,
T WHOLESALE
FINE GROCERIES
I Tl I Ttaa. Bplct * . Tobacc anA Clgwa >
r I 14KMU7 Harney 8utk
HARDWARE.
Fleeter & Wilhelmy Co
Wholesale Hardware ,
Omaha.
L ee-Clark Andreesen
Hardware Co
Wholesale Hardware.
BlcyclM and -porting Goods. U1S-J _ S Barney - '
noy tret.
Besslo was not thinking of the picture sbo
made it was her father who thought of It I
when he rode over with her one morning.
Her mother called the cow "Bessie's '
Own , " nnd that put an Idea Into the child's
head. So when 'her ' father returned from
the city ono day Bessie asked him to buy
her a cow for her very own and then take
milk from her , so that aho might earn
BOIIIO money. She dl-1 not need the money j
In the least , of course , for her father more I
than supplied nil her wants , but her evl- '
dent desire to try her small hand at busi
ness Interested her father , who liked to see
hla children show originality. Accordingly
| he talked the manor over with her quite
seriously , ns if she were a grown woman !
Instead of a sturdy llttlo maiden not reach
ing much above his elbow. It being ono
of bla theories that good business principles
could not too early bo Implanted in the
minds of boys nnd girls , this wise father
dldnotglvo ncow to Bessie , but loaned her
the money to buy one , agreeing to take
milk from her at the market price.
And that waa how Besslo began. She
actually persuaded the farmer to sell her
the Holateln to which Bho had become
greatly attached , and In six months she had
paid for the cow and bought nnother. She
got the neighbors to take milk from her ,
and io rapidly has her business and her
stock Increased that now , nt the end of two
years , eho ouns ten cows and four of the
prettleat llttlo calves ever seen. Her sis
ter , nged 10 , has been taken Into the busi
ness not into partnership ; Besslo Is not
quite prepared for that yet , but she pays
her a salary and gives good wages to the
man who takes cnro of her stock. And
her crowning achievement , up to date , Is
thn barn Bho has built on a pasture her
father gave her. Jt is not nil paid for yet ,
but It will bo In another six months. Though
now a proud little property owner , she is
| still the same llttlo milkmaid , for she and
her sister assist with
I the milking every
I morning.
I All this has In nowlso been allowed to
I intcrfero with her school work a Judicious
I father nnd mother Laving guided her with
film hands and it Is noticed that Hosblo
takes Infinitely moro pains over her writing
lessons nnd arithmetic than of yore. In
deed , her father thinks her very keen at
bookkeeping , Into the mysteries of which
ho Is Initiating her , nnd laughingly says she
will soon have no further use for him , for
ho now lets her do a good bit of ) t herself.
This keeping accounts Is no small feature
of her business ; already she has learned to
make out monthly bills , which nro viewed
with admiration by these of her customers
who recognize her childish , sprawling hand
HARNESS-SADDLERY.
J * HKancy&Co.
atTn
.4.VD COl.tAttg
Jolbin of Ltalhtr , . < ii < ( dn'Harittrart | , JCta >
\ \ solicit' your orders 1315 Howard El
LIQUORS.
Moise & Co
\VIIOIISAIK :
LIUORS.
Proprietor * of AUKtllCAN rtQAll AND
\VAIIK CO.
J-i Buutll l lh St.
Piley Brothers ,
Wholesale
Liquors and Cigr *
1118 rariatStreet. .
tier's Eagle Gin
East India Bitter *
Qotatn Shut Fur * ny * na Bourbon Wh _ * * .
willow Spruit DUtllUnr , Il < r * Ok. UM
Hartxr Btr t.
John Boekhoff , .
* a
WHOLESALE
Wines , Ltquors and Cigars
C-41I , Uth trL
OILS-PAINTS
Standard Oil Oo.
. . A. Uoflet , 1st Vic * Pres. L. J. Drake , Qen Un
. . . . n/r - O < . . .
Caroline , Turpentine , Axle r/rease. Etc.
Omaha Branch and Arenclea , John D. Ruth MT.
PAPER-WOOPENWARE.
Carpenter Paper Co.
Printing Paper ,
Wrapping Paper , Stationery *
_ Oorn r Uth ana Howtgd struts.
STEAM-WATER SUPPLIES.
Crane-Churchill Go. I
1014-1016 Douglas Street.
Manufacturer * and jobber * of Btiam , OM ao4
Water Supplies of All Kinds.
Mnited States
w Supply Co . .
iro8-riro Harney St.
Bteam Pumps , Engines and Boilers , PI
Wind Mills , Steam and Plumblor
Material. Bcltlnv. Host , Kto.
TYPE FOUNDRIES
G reat Western
Type Foundry
Bnpcrtor Oopptr Mired Tn to Utt kM erIk
Ik * market.
ELECTROTYPE roUNPM.
lilt Howard Strctt.
For an up-to-date
Western Newspaper
Read The Omaha Bee
She's up with the larks and to bed with
the chickens , is Bessie , the milkmaid a
sturdy , rollicking , practical child. And
when at school they ask her for a maxim
she says , unhesitatingly :
"Early to bed and early to rise
Makes a girl healthy , wealthy and wise "
ELnCTIIIClTV AXD LOVE.
The Former UHIM | tit Check the Cour.o
of the Latter.
Hero Is a variation of tlie old story of the
true lovurs and the cruel parent , related
by the Philadelphia Record. A prepossess
ing joung woman , living In the vicinity of
Seventh and Tasker streets , has a "steady , "
and also a father. The latter does not op-
in eve of the former , and Is at no pains to
disguise his sentiments In the matter.
When expostulated with for receiving the
visits of the young man the bejolno pro
tested that ho came merely ns a casual
caller. Uut the old man was suspicious , nnd
he summoned to his aid ( in electrical work
er. At cither end of the parlor sofa , under
neath the cushion , contact plates were fitted.
In such a that the
way weight of a person
over each ono of the pairs of plates would
close an electric circuit , ringing a email
ROHB in another part of the dwelling. The
peculiarity of tlm arrangement was that
both pairs of plates had to be brought Into
contact In order to complete the circuit nnd
this could bo effected
only by two persona
occupying the sofa. When the objcctlonablo
Ilnmco made his next visit everything was
scrono until about lOt-15 , when the old folks !
Mipponcilly hail retired. Then the tell-talo
electric buzzer went off , nnd the old gentle
man with Htartllng alacrity , presented him
self nt the parlor door. What he saw shocked
his old-fashioned notions of propriety ,
for In his youth young people wtro not per
mitted to sit without a large nnd yawning
space between them , and this particular
pair of young people tat very close together ,
Indeed. The employment of modern sclenco
In this Instance to dam up the course of
true love was a signal BUCCOSB. The poor
girl , according to the neighbors. Is training
on plain baker's rolls and Ice water , while
the luckless lover declares that "the old
man chucked such a scare Into me that a
mogul locomotive couldn't drag me within
mlle of the house. " ,
De-Cent thn Dane * Treaty.
KANSAS CITY , Aug. 25. A special to th
election for nnd against" the 'choctaw-
Chtckasaw-Dawus treaty yesterday the
vote In this county went 80 per cent against
and it is believed the result given forecasts
' ei
the outcome of the election.
\
*