Weekly Council Bluffs bugle. (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1857-1860, 1858-02-03

A HIGHWAY ADVENTURE.
Mr. business called me thro' the north
sgn part Of the State of Illinois. | cross
ed the Illinois river st 0ttswa, intend
| ing 70 strike Rock river at Foater's Hi LIS.
Foster was al old friend, who had goue
cut some years before and erected mill
upon oas Of shs tributaries Of the above
river, having boaght whole township
/ ia that ssetion.
L. IL was soma cat OF Ry way, as nay di-
rest Pease was very near due west from
/ Ottawa, whereas this route took nae oveg
slxsy miIas farther north. However, ]
learned that there was quite a good road
TO Rock river, and tagned my horses
head in thss direction. / calculated my
time, and concluded that By moderate
travelling l soald reach the mill ia two
days.
During the fFst day my road lay thEo'
3 country mostly cleared, and well tray
eled but on the second dag | struck in
to wilder region, and the way was little
better than bride path through dense
: forest.
Ipassed several eleaEings, whore small
hu4s were erected, and at one Of the lat-
tar | stopped and got some dinner.
found 4 young man in charge Of the
premises, the father having gone to 'the
milis.'
asked what mills they meant, and
the old lady said they were "Foster's
Mills"
From these people learned thai Foa-
ter's place was forty miles distant, aud
that the only dwelling, after leaving two
near Big between here and there, vas a
sort Of stopping place, kept By man by
the name Of Daniel GrooIne. They said
ho generally kept feed for both maH and
beast, aEd also had q good supply Of iiq-
uoy, principally whiskey. His house was
twslTs miles from the mills.
This just suited me. | could reach
GToome's By six O'Clock, and there get
some supper, and rest and bait my horse,
aud then easily reach Fosters by nine
o'clock. as the moon was well On in Its
Erss quarter. -~s ...
The good people refused to take any
thing for nay dinner but / bestowed half
dollar upon aaxeu-headed urehin who
vas trottipg around upon bis bare feet,
and then set forward again.
There was another house, but at the
distance of half mile and second
about mile of. saw no more human
hahitations unlil reached Grooms's.-
found the travelling full as good as
had expected, and arrived at the forest
inn ak iusa half past FIVE.
This inn was situated upon roman
TIC spot, and TO lover Of Isolated na-
turs must have been charming retreat.
The house was built Of logs, the outside
surface hswn. snd the seams Rllsd with
csmgns formed Of some sort Of 6ue tough
moss and pitch. There were three sep
aEata buildings 70 this house, the PTinsi-
pal one being built with the gable sad TO
the read, and tho othar two upon either
aide, running like two D's,--Ehsn there
was barn 3 short distance of, with
pigKexy connected. Taking it altogeth-
eY, and il Was quite place fer such
| locality. A small stream run close by,
20 shat water was plentiful.
a. ITods up TO the door, Mr.. GFo0me
himself came out. he was tall gaunt
man, with fery-red hair and face IS
coarse ~ it was ugly. But was sur
prised when heard his voice. / had az
peetsd Q voica like the below Of bull
buE instead Of that, his notes fell upon
nv ears ike the speech Of Woman
He smiled IS he spoke, and thoaght TO
myssh how his appearance wo'd deceive
any ous, fox in conversation he seemed
diffeEsRt man.
informed hlm that vas than on ray
way 10 Fosters milI, and eo'd only stop
long enough 10 rest my horses and get
soma supper. He gaGed into my race
for soaas moments withous speaking and
| finally said
"Ah-yes-Humph."
When he turned into the entry, &ad
| called tsTke.'' Ike eams-a tall, strap
ping youth of one OF two and twenty
| With : red head, and festurss such as
could belong TO none but 8 child Of my
/ host. .- ......
ssIks'' took nay Aorss, snd Mr.. Grooms
led the way 10 the sitting room, a. hs
called ID.
IL was Eoagh bat comfortable, aud the
furniture consisted Of pine table, ma
hogAuy bureau, and four long bsnehas,
/ which being sufficient to accommodate
! suits an assenblage Of people.
Groonas asked me il wo'd like some
thing warm. supposed he meant whis-
kay, aud tsld him no. he said | had
bsttar take listle--'twoald do nae good.
i But assnHed him I nswsr ased it~-thas
/ I fell bastAg without il. =
1 txxEwz4 4 that zfNxs Rs@aS@W
drink whisky 20 he added With eieyAtsa
sYshrews. .-za -....5 F
| sESeveg, % told hiH.
ssDgsndy, I s'poss; or ,msbby rais old
gin s0 pursued any homs. "a
oNo,0 / replied. ssT do not use stimu.
latiug drinks Of any kind.p - 81
sSYou dOnss f's burst IRON his Iipa, 80
he syed rae from head 30 fees. "Nall
stranger, I'd give sd thin FOR your pia-
! tar 10 haag ap in nay house. Yoa nsvaa
drink How in @axgy's nams d1ys soa'
tEiya wAen yon ges wss aad cold z,
ssWhy,n said ], With sailas sst "a
/ dry again as soon ~ possible
II aEry my sakesl I sAoatd shaAk lpd
Be 40 ss@glaasar day Wal, here pss
lived ysAk III an year oaa, goin' On A1.
| sssn ysaRs, saa yoaars ths faas man tha'
Il evsg seed as wonidn's drink drop oi
whisksg 60 sass sop Of ! long joarnsy r
Pas, ssrasger - ssiss by shanaaF lss
i Tsold him | thought Il very probable
and BE wszs pus, Ard hasra BIN lsav'
shA h0aas.
j ID halR AZ hoaR my hoas aazas and ln,
koRmad ms thAa suppAg was geasy. ~
Led ne to ! back Toeaa, whaRe i sahl'
was 81 vasy zsapseaaSay, aAs aiaAas g
tfag u hlaa wsrss aad neasay nsw. q
J - LIS 80 aawn wfsh 10, azld ID / say