Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1897)
WMIUWUIU,WJ.IMft"V tsssasssassssssss v?j 1 T-.. WWT fc-"-'"l-?- rvy rf '".w'yT- ywtit iwrr-.f -a- HI t II 111 II III !! tb Lisa: ' li .0 rv,i - - I . . . J -nt-'-r4"inr.T .ir ,- THE RED CLOUD CHIEF, FRIDAY, MAY 21 1897. 8 m7 t-i' jiirjr,,iilj!4KrflMlW(IHIW'WW!B1SWWrrWIW""'W y H 0 r "- vy 17 I,' fir, '$P -- J ISL aJ -T lZ3-J I. , . dmmkmr ' w JKRUD'S RHEUM AT1Z. ICH-I-TAJ" This was tho namo that tho brakeman scream ed, ns our train steamed slowly up to a low, unpnlnt ed freight house, a,t tho terminus of tho railroad. One car conveyed tho pas senKers. thrco In number, to this wilderness station. We took up our bags and walked out on tho platform. There was no wait ing-room; nor was there even a solitary hackman to whom wo might appeal for transportation. If hackmen thero had been, wo could not havo Given him or ders whero to drive us. The sun was Eettlng. There waB no shadow of a hill or trco. Slowly tho prairie changed from green and brown to pale yellow, and thero wero no out lines of Irregularity to mark Its outer circumference. A few blanketed Indians stood about, watching their "supplies" with evident anxiety. An occasional oath, borrowed from tho vocabulary of tho whlto men about them, was all the English which they uttered or knew. No ether building was in sight, save a pnc-stprled red structure just across what Is now, I suppposc, tho main street In tho city of Wichita, Kansas. In the doorway of this red structure, above which was a sign In black let ters, "Tavern," a woman suddenly ap peared. She beckoned to us in the twilight, and seconded her motions by a shrill cry of "Como over hero!" Wo obeyed, and entered the tavern. Supper was soon provided atn long board table, whero wo nto with tho cowboys and tho freight hands. Wo had corn bread, whlto bread, canned vegetables and fresh pork, roasted and fried. Black coffee was served In cracked cups without saucers. Wo were government employes, on our way to Fort Sill. At Wichita tho railroad gavo place to tho stage line. Before daylight wo wero aroused for breakfast, which was what was left of supper, made Into hash. Wo paid our bill to tho landlady, who wrapped our greenbacks In a plcco of buckskin and deposited them In a long, home knit stocking which hung from her apron band. Tho stage-coach was drawn up to tho door by four horses, as gay and pranc ing Btccds as one could wish to see. Tho vehicle Itself, a stage-coach of the truo overland Btyle, was largo and strong, with three seata bcsldo tho driver's. The canopy, sides and cushioned scats wero of genuine brown leather. Wo started off at high speed. Tho curly spring buffalo-grass seemed as coft as wool. Tho ground was un broken save by tho settlements of tho prairie-dogs, whoso towns mado almost a continuous city on each sldo of tho trail for many miles. Tho saucy in habitant wero out early, probably In tho interests of farming, standing straight up and talking to ono another, darting out of sight down thoir door ways, and peeping out again as sud denly. Tho morning bun appeared, without shadows, as he had set tho night before. Thero wero now and then little farms planted with small peach-treeH. From tho doors of dugouts, or tiny framo houses, half-dressed children peeped curiously forth. On wo sped through creek and river, up slippery batiks and on over tho plains. "If this is staging," wo said, "then good-by to steam cars for tho prairie." But our pleasant way, Ilko many -mother, was subject to change. At tho end of fifteen miles wo halted for a to lay. Our horses wero foaming, and must bo replaced by fresh ones. Wo alighted at a small stage-lino station, and were told to "tako out our lug gage." In six minutes wo wero ready to start again. Tho four horses and leather covered vehicle, which had daBhod out of Wichita with its pledge of comfort and rapidity, gavo place to a dirty, canvas-topped, two-mulo coach without cushions. m Tho seats wero high, and without backs savo as we leaned cornerwlse against tho slender supports which bold up tho' canopy. Our now steeds woo slow and stub X! i . bS5 born. By much flogging from a rnw hldo Instrument, whoso like I have nev er seen, they were Induced to plod along. They were thin In flesh, and lame. Now and then wo saw early wild cro cuses and canterbury-bells, and tho soft, trailing sensitive plnnt, with Its silken balls spattered with golden dust. Thero were no more houses only lev el, unbroken plain, with nn occasional steep-banked stream, on whose margins grew a sparso frlngo of cottouwood trees. A gray wolf trotted out of the tim ber and stared at us. Deor In tho dls tanco bounded away, while one solitary "prairie schooner" crossed our path, with Its Jingling kettles hung low un derneath tho wagon, grazing tho tips of tho graBs. "Twenty-Avemlles before another re lay," said tho driver, "and It will tako us all day." If tho driver had been communica tive tho hours might havo passed, quickly; but ho was taciturn. Such pay as ho drew from tho stage com pany was well earned, for between tho stubborn mules and the sometimes bad road ho had a hard time of it. Toward evening wo drew up to a lit tle shanty, tho first building wo had seen for twenty miles, and alighted for supper and to chango mules. An old woman and her son kept the house. She was "glad to see me," eho said, "for women don't como this way much, and I get lonesome." Wo bad expected to move on after supper, but the driver carao In to Bay that the relay mule had strayed away, and we should havo to wait till morn ing. Tho old woman was delighted, nor were wo sorry. "Staging" was losing Its fascination, and wo felt much obliged to tho relay nnilo for running away. "Ho'll bo back bright and early In tho morning," snld tho old woman. "Elnathan, ho tied tho big dkiner-bell onto his neck bo's to bo sure to find him. To-morrow'B Decoration day; did you know It?" she asked, as wo sat by tho corn-cob Are. Wo had almost forgotten It. Our hostess went on: "Wo always docorate, Elnathan and me. Thero ain't any graveyards around hero, only Just ono single soli tary grave" Sho wiped her eyes, which had filled with tears. "See it out there, that bit of whlto loomln' up closo to tho earn?" Wo could distinguish in tho gloaming what looked like a headstone, and told her bo. "Yos," she went on, "that's a grave. It's my old man. Jerud; Elnatban's father. He died three years ago, and , A FEW INDIANS STOOD ABOUT, wo buried him out there. That head stone you see arfi't marble It's a plat ter that Elnathan bought up to Wichi ta. We couldn't And no headstones proper, so he got the namo and dato painted on this and set It up at tho head. Llko to look nt It?" We answered that wo certainly should llko to seo it, and followed her. In tho bnrn-yafd were our mules, somo prairie hay, a bunch of last year's corn stalks and a Tcxbb cow with vido branching horns, a look of dollanco lu her bony, repulsive shape. Tho fonco was made of cotton-wood rails, and, to the south of It, on the outside, was tho grave. At tho head was a very largo Queen'u waro pluttor, with "Jerud Whitehead" painted across It In black letters. It stood straight up, llko any hendstone, and though, as tho old woman Bald, "It BomctimcB topples over, especially In the spring when the ground thawa," It was little trouble to right It again. "I'm going to tlecornto Jcrud's gravo tu-morrow," eho sold, on our way back to the houso. tt jk" - j& . i. d y x a -v . ib mm i "Was your husband a soldier?" wo asked, sadly and respectfully. "No," sho answered, "not exactly; but he would 'a' been. They was going to draft 'cm In our town ono tlmo, and Jerud ho was took with rheumatlz bo he was confined to hta bed for a month. Ho was nwful sorry, for ho did want to fight for his country; and Jio said ho'd Just as soon be dralted as to vol unteer It showed how bad they want ed him. "Then another time," she went on, "Snulro Smith offered him Ave hun dred dollnrs to go as his substitute; and I was willing, for wo needed tho monoy bad enough. Jerud got all ready to start, ns poart ns could be, but tho very last thing ho was took down with tho rheumatlz again. Jerud was as good as could be. and as bravo; and I've soon him stand In the door leaning on his cano and cheering the boys when they mnrched away, and saying how ho did wish ho could go, too. " 'Well, Jerud,' I would say, 'supposo you start In one of your good spells?' And ho'd nnswer, 'All right.' Halt n dozen times I'd pack up hU things nnd get hlai ready to go, when all of a sudden his rheumatlz would como back, and ho'd havo to stay at home. So tho war passed, and poor Jerud, ho sighed when tho boys enmo homo, nnd pretty near almost cried. "Jerud wasn't given to work very much, on account of his rheumatlz; but I never laid that up ngalnBt hlra. We como out hero for the stage com pany flvo year ago, and done pretty well. Elnathan and I dono most of the work. "It always seemed to weigh on Jerud that ho hadn't been a soldier. Ho would Bit out on n bench at tho door for hours, watching Elnnthan and me plant the corn, and having that far- -fjkufift ft SEATED ON THE QUILT, away look In his eyes you hear talked about. And ono tlmo ho died. Wo'vo decorated hlB gravo ever since, Just as If he'd been a soldier." "Do you havo many flowers around here?" wo asked. "Oh, no, thero ain't no flowers, bo to speak. I don't caro much for them llt tlo wild things, and I ain't never plant ed any poppy seeds and hollyhocks and geraniums and plnles. I'vo got some thing in that trunk over thero that's better than flowers to decorate graves with." Wo looked at tho trunk. It was cov ered with calfskin, tanned with the hair on, thp fur side out, and Btudded with brass nails. Wo wanted to ask what was In It which was "better than Howora to decorato graves with," but wo restrained our curiosity. That night wo went to sleep to dream of grassy mounds aud shining concave headstones. It was lato in tho morning when the relay mulo was found; but tho driver himself had then disappeared, and our starting waa postponed. After the breakfast dishes wero washed tho old woman dressed herself In her old-fasli-toned' best clothes, put on a bonnet which had been hers "before tho war," and sat down by tho ancient trunk. Wo did not talk, for sho seemed sad and absent-minded. Sho unlocked tho receptacle which held something better than flowers to decorato graves with, and drew care fully forth a neatly-folded patch-work quilt. Then sho walked slowly out to tho gravel After standing for a fow mlnutea talking with Elnathan, tho two took tho quilt by each of its four corners and spread It evenly nbovo tho gravo. Then tho old woman sat down on one corner of tho "decoration," whllo El nathan went away to his work. Tho quilt was set In diamond pieces grass-green and yellow and blue and black and purple. It was tho gayest of Its kind that I had ever Bcon. Tho warm spring tiunuhlno lighted up the bright tints Into a kaleidoscope of beauty. Tho Texas cow peorcd through the not too substantial fence at tho amaz ing brightness, astonished Into a be trayal of unusual emotions. Presently sho wlskcd around tho yard in a free dom of movomont which startled me. Tho old woman, after Bitting for an hour with her head bent low upon her loyal breast, roso and folded tho quilt. My companion was sure that sho hail been asleep, but I saw traces of tears aa she laid tho quilt nway In tho old trunk, remarking, as If to herself: "Yes, I shall always decorate Jorud's grave. Ho would 'a' been a soldier If It hadn't been for his rhoumatlz." Elizabeth Grluuoll In Youth's Compan ion Ot the fifty-one thousand broworlos estimated to bo In tho world, twenty Ix thourand are In Germany. iKtvi.k 'VAMlAJCnm TtT7 FINNY BIRD - C. P. Ilotdcn. In New &Wm&&Ji&t Tho extent to which birds prey upon tho small fry and denizens of tho sen Is not appreciated except by thoso who arc constantly afloat and In position to niako continued observations. In tho dmnnl of Snnta Cntnllnn n deep, blue body of water that lies be tween the Island of that numo nnd tho mainland of Southern California an opportunity frequently offers to witness tho depreciations of ocean bltds. Cer tain gulls and their allies aro found hero In great numbers, ten or fifteen miles from land, eagerly watching for schools of small fry. Tho tell-tnlo In almost every Instance Is the largo tuna, or horso mackerel, and tho alblcore, which drlvo schools of smaller Ashes hither and yon nnd sometimes cover tho Bca with foam for miles, tho nlr seemingly at times being Ailed with lenplng nshes. This unusual disturb nnco la noticed by tho birds, which Hock from far and near and attack tho small Ash on tho surface, whllo ilu big AbIi dnsh at them from below. These birds often so gorgo themselves with food that they with dlillculty avoid tho steamer that piles between tho main land nnd the lalatul. In shore tho big, brown pelican piles his vocation, and on tho lakeH and Btreams of tho malnlnnd, nnd oven along the shoro of the Island, we And tho kingfisher, n voracious Ash-catcher. Somo of tho birds chaso their prey beneath tho wntcr, as the loons and gnnnets; theso birds having been caught on hooks nt great depths, whllo tho little water ouzels walk along on tho bottom nnd catch fish spawn and vnrlouB objects. In theso nttneks upon tho flahes tho birds often expose them selves to many dangers, nnd numerous Instances could bo chronicled whero birds havo fallen victims to voracious fishes. In tho harbor of Santa Catallnn Is- A LONG, SHARP-NOSED FISH CAME OUT OF THE WATER AND CAR RIED OFF A BIRD. land, which forms an attractive crescent-shaped beach, flocks of llttlo sand pipers aro seen In September every yenr, swimming about and feeding upon tho eggs of various fishes, which float on tho surface. Theso birds, which nro attractively colored black and white, fairly cover tho water at times, swimming leisurely along, dipping their delicate bills Into tho wnter and utter ing a not unmusical note. Whllo watching theae birds upon an occasion, ono somewhat separated from the rest was seen to flutter its wingo, then disappear, a great swirl of water marking tho spot; then another bird disappeared, and tho head of n sharp nosed Ash shot out of tho blue water In tho midst of tho Aock, which rose In a body nnd flow away. The Incident showed that tho tables wero turned, and, instead of birds going a-fluhlng, wo had flsh going a-blrdtng, as be neath tho flock of little web-footed sandpipers swam Inconceivable num bers of sharp-nosed barracudas, which, attracted by tho moving feet of tho birds, dashed upward and carried them off. That various kinds ot birds fall vic tims to tho voracity of fishes Is well known. A goose-Ash, or angler, was caught, having In Its enormous mouth a loon, which it was endeavoring to swallow, and probably would havo dono so had it not been caught. Many tragedies in bird life occur that are not suspected, especially among tho birds thnt descend deep Into the water In pursuit of gamo, as do many of tho loons, divers and penguins. Tho shark and Aerco orca are pitiless foes to ev ery living thing, and many birds leave tho surf a co novcr to return. Somo flshoa do not rely upon birds that enter tho wnter, but follow them Into tho nlr. Such an Instance was noticed In an English stream whero swallows wero darting along near the surface. Sud denly something dashed out ot the water, and, with a splash, a bird disap peared, then camo to tho surface, flut tering to escape, to be seized again. Tho marauder was a flerco pike that bad been watching tho little birds. I CATCHERS. York Leditr. I Pk Another observer, Bitting on somo ledges, saw soma young birds sitting on a branch Unit extended over tho Btrcnm, and au ho watched tho attempts of tho mother to Induce them to fly, a long, sharp-nosed Ash enmo gracefully out of tho water and carried off a bird. Tho parents uttered loud cries, but wero evidently utterly defenseless to prevent It. In a few momcntB tho fish returned to the attack, and In nil car ried off tin co of the llttlo family. To accomplish this tho pike had to leap two feet out of water nnd grasp Its prey In tho air In crossing tho limb an ex traordinary performance nt best. Tho llttlo bird previously mentioned that enters rivers nnd wades nbout up on tho bottom 1b often caught by tho pickerel. This bird has a rcmnrknblo method of progression, literally walk ing under the water clinging to peb bles and Btoncs and hunting out worms Insects nnd flshspawn that aro found there. Birds aro not the only lnnd nnlmnls that Ashes prey upon. Snvornl years ago tho proprietor of n well-known Ash hatchery found that somo depredator was preying upon tho spawn, and finnl ly It was discovered that mice wero tho guilty partlos. Tho little creatures not only entered tho tnnkH, but dived to the bottom and nto tho eggs. This led to further Investigation, nnd It wns found that this habit was n common occur rence nmong tho mtco of tho locality, nnd that they wero In tho hnblt of en tering tho wntcr nnd feeding upon Ash eggs thnt hnd been deposited nlong sliorc. In this somewlint untisunl and adventurous proceeding thoy often fell victims to tho predatory Ashes, as was afterwards shown; not only did largo pickerel Ho In wnlt for them, but tho trout allowed a partiality to mice, and caught them as they swam to tho bot tom. Somo ycnrB ago somo scalers were following their avocation on tho rocky shoro of a Pacific Island, when they ob served a commotion among tho Beats. Running in thnt direction, they saw several largo killers a small whalo about'as largo as a black-fish attempt ing to selzo tho seals from tho rockv. Tho big flsh-llko animals would dash up tho sides ot tho rockB In their eager ness and flounder about upon tho kelp, gradually falling back again a singu lar Instance la tho struggle for exis tence. FROOS AT MUSKOKA. A Fortllo-llraln (icntlcmitu'i Musical Yarn from tho WlltU of Canada. President Georgo R. McKeo was In a talkative mood a night or two ago. Somo ono said tho frogs had entirely disappeared from MuBkoka lake in Canada, and after removing tho toby from his mouth, Mr. McKeo began, ac cording to tho New Castle Couront Guardian: "I remember when I was at Muskoka with the first Ashing party that over visited that spot. Why, do you know that frogs woro our prin cipal article of diet? Wo used to get out In a boat after them, and as true as I tell you the frogs used to run after us. It was no uncommon thing for us to capture forty pounds of frogs' legs in ono evening. They'd bite at tho baro hook. I'vo seen thorn there fully as big as a young pug dog, and we had a dozen that wero solocted for tho dif ference In their tone ot voices. I was enabled by tho aid of a small stick to make thoso frogs sing a kind of a tune. Wo had a bass, a double bass, a tenor, a contralto, and, In fact, every known voice In that choir, Mnny's the night I'vo been lulled to sleep by tho muslo from that bullfrog chorus. Why, I havo scon " but ho never finished, for every member of tho symposium had escaped through tho back door. Tho city of Liverpool is about to copy Glasgow and take over tho whole of the street railroads. The prlco to be paid is about 2,803,G00. 0 ' m ELECTRICITY ON CANALS. Towing Mct Ity Mean of Motor oar tlip llniikn. Americans hnvo good grounds l'or I t.l.tl.l.... II.-I .1 1 !... I .. luinniiiK inni nicy imvo uvuivcu 111 i system which hnH been ndopted for the Erie canal tho best mothod of propel ling boats electrically yet known, tmyB tho Pittsburg Dispatch, In this meth od, It will bo remembered, tho motor travels on n cablo running alouR tho tow-path, nnd It Is tinder tho control of a mnn Bented upon It. Whllo In spend attained and general efllclcucy this mode of canal propulsion la far ahead of tho bent European developments, Bomo experiments In UiIb direction, which aro reported an having takon placo on tho Bourgogno canal In Fmnco aro not without Interest. Two meth ods wero tried, ono of which wan called tho "rudder motor." Tho motor wnH contained In n light dctnclmblo metal box forming part of tho boat'B holm, nnd working n Bcrow attached to tho shaft, running nt about 300 revolutions a minute. Tho entire outfit mounted complete weighed about 1,800 pounds. In tho Bccond method there waa em ployed a thrco-whcelod electric motor enr running on tho bank of tho cnnnl on n Axed track and towing tho bouts along In tho usual wny by means of n ropo. A motormnn wns car ried on tho enr, which weighed about two tonH. Current in Imth ensca waa conveyed to tho motors from nn over head wire. Both systems gavo n tpeed of about two and ono-hnlf miles nn hour In towing slnglo barges, and tho motor car towed thrco bargos In n utrlng weighing 418 tons, nt a speed ot ono nnd one-fourth miles nn hour. In re porting on theso results a govornmont commission expressed Itsolf ns pleased with tho ready way In which tho barges equipped with tho rudder mo tors anawcrcd their holms, and also stated that tho towing car ran perfect ly well on Uio bank without cxccbbIvo strain. On tho whole, tho prcfcrcnco wns given to tho latter method, al though tho fact that It required tho services of an attendant who would bo of no use on tho bnrgo waa regard ed as a decided disadvantage No trou ble was experienced with the canal banks from nny wash ot tho ruddor motor, and Its ubo leaves tho bank freo for animal traction or other purposes, but Btlll tho tow car, It was concluded,, gavo tho best results nil around. PAPEH OF THE OXFORD BIBLES Only Thrro Tenon Who Know tho Hecrrt of III Making. Tho papcrmaklng for Oxford Bibles Is a specially Important nnd Interest ing part of tho work. At Wolvercoto, a mllo or two out of Oxford, tho unlvcr Hlty hns n largo mill for tho supply ot Its own requirements, says Chambers' Journal. A good deal of tho paper they turn out there Is made out ot old ships' sails, tho matorlal ot which, after bat tling with storms In all quarters ot tho world, como here for tho purpooo or being mado into paper, printed in al most every language under heaven and bound up Into volumes to bo again Bcattorcd far and wldo Into all tho ut- , termost ends ot tho earth. This Wol vercoto paper mill has much to do with tho great reputation that Oxford has acquired In tho production of Bibles nnd other devotional books. Twenty years ago and more tho manngoment hero hit on a valuable Invention in papcrmnklng, and over slnco thoir "In--din paper" has been the envy nnd the puzzlo of manufacturers all over the kingdom. Thero nro Bald to bo only thrco persons living who know tho se cret ot Its make, and, though tho pro cess has novcr boon legally protected, and all tho world Is frco to Imltnto tho extremely thin but thoroughly opnquo nnd wonderfully strong nnd durablo papor of tho best Oxford Bibles If thoy only know how, all tho world has, hith erto quite failed to do so. It Is thin as tissue, but perfectly opaque, and so strong that n strip of it threo Inches wldo has proved to bo capablo of sus taining a quarter of a hundredweight. Over ICO works and editions aro now printed on this pnper. This special advantngo has vory largely helped Ox ford to retain tho leading position which it originally gained by being nearly the first If not quite tho first printer of books In tho kingdom, and by tho prostlgo ot Its namo. Overcoats Not Needed. A medical paper says: "If, Instead o wearing overcoats pooplo would wenr coats of different thicknesses, accord ing to tho wenther and conditions gen erally, thoy would avoid the danger of cooling by evaporation; tho gnrmonts saturated with raolsturo would bo re moved and dry off tho body, instead of on it. Wo believe thnt no consid erable proportion of tho 'coldB.' at tacks of lumbago, and even moro for midable results of what are popularly called 'chills' may bo traced to the practlco of wearing overcoats." Teething at SB. Henry Garrett of Punxsutnwny.'Pa., who will bo 88 years of ago next May, has Just recovered from nn attack ot the grip. Mr. Garrett Is getting a new set of teeth. He lost his second act. of teeth somo twelvo years ago. Ro-.-contly his gums became soro and swol len nnd ho consulted a dentist about IL The dentist examined his gums and In formed him that ho was getting a nor. set of teeth. l'lf 119 Day Under Bnoir. Chnrles Da.vls of Cumralngs, N. I!., who lost several pigs during tho sno storm last Thanksgiving and four.d ono of them about two months ao now tolls a stranger story still. 'To uIp own amazement ho found another ot his pigs which waa alive and still lives after bolng burled 132 days. It wa found only by tho thawing of tho snow a few days ago. ft i ,!M ' . f,tU I I W. OW f A m v A VI 4 I Wl I'.i PWt. 2 m JWtl m im I , ffffiy pffSfl Ktiiv