Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-11-17

"a. Z. L." whom we take to be
Hon. ALFRED Z. LEE, editor of the
Gazette, Delaware, in this State, has
been on an excursion through Kan
sas, via the Kansas Pacific r. r., sin
terviewing" the prairies, plains and
buffalo of the frontier region. From
a letter written in the Columbus Jour
nal we make some extracts, graphical
ly descriptive:
PRAIRIES on FIRE.
After passing Topeka the burning
prairies gave an additional novelty to
the scenery. The long, dry sedge grass
which covered the broad plains and
low hills wherever not cultivated was
fired in hundreds of places, in some
cases probably by design andin others
by accident. The long, seried lines of
flame driven by the wind swept across
the plain with the regularity of in
fantry on parade, flashing like the
waves of ocean made golden in the
! glow of sunset. The smoke from these
fires gave the hazy Indian summer
| tinge to the atmosphere, and made q
very distinct and appreciable impress
| sion upon the OlfactOries. And when
[ the sun went down and these million
I fires were pictured on nights sable
I curtain how grand was the scene pre-
/ sented! Like a million torch bearers
IObed in fire these regiments and bri-
/ gades of fame kept their nightly
/ march over hill and plain, presenting
{ to the eye the perfect illusion of NOV
! ing objections. Sometimes rank above
rank appeared on the hill side, and at
F others the fires intercepted by the
+ line of the horizon were seen only in
| their crimson reflection on the smoky
heaven, appearing like the cOfagra-
I ton of q dozen distant cities. Hour
after hour our little cOterie sat tOgeth-
er watching this wonderful phenOme-
non of the prairies, which charmed
! away all desire for sleep, and presented
with each change of scene n spectacle
apparently more beautiful and strik-
ing than any which preceded it. As
the train sped along we had one splen-
did succession of natures own pyro-
| technics, grander than any ever de-
vised by human skill. Sometimes the
flames were so close as to leap almost
up to the car windows, and at others
so distant as to look like beads of mol
ten gold trinkling out of the ebony
blacknes of the burned prairie.
Daylight found us approaching Fort
Hays, military post on the frontier,
and brought new and very different
surroundings. On every hand now
was the open plain stretching to the
sky like the broad expanse of ocean,
and excepting the short, crisp buffalo
grass, almost entirely devoid of vege-
tation. L was the beginning of the
"Great American Desert,m the wild,
treeless and almost waterless plains of
Western Kansas. A crimson light
against the eastern heavens harbin-
gered the coming sun, and its broad
red disc appearing above the smoky
rift, crowned with its morning aureo-
la, presented n picture strikingly simi-
lar to that described in Fitz James
O'Brien's beautiful stanza:
The red moon, like a golden grape,
Hangs slowly ripening.in the sky,
While DER the helmets OF the hills,
Like plumes the summerlightnings fly.
A few minutes aftersunrise the train
halted at Fort Hays, where fieet-foOted
anticipation had pictured a splendid
buffalo hunt on the prairies,
The party had expected to find horses
and an escort here, for the hunt, but
not being so fortunate, the hunt was
spoiled, and the train resumed its for
ward movement, the eXcursiOnists
''trusting to luck" for their expected
sport. At every station there were
reports of buffalo few miles away,
but none could be seen from the cars.
AMONG THE GAME.
In the afternoon droves of antelope
were distantly seen, scampering MINI
bly, over the plain, and the cry of
wolf occasionally created a sensa-
ton. Arrived at the station of Coy
ote, buffalo hunter, who had just
come in, reported immense herds of
those animals in the valley of the
Saline, only three or four miles dis
tant, and exhibited some splendid
buffalo hams, just brought in, to attest
the truthfulness of his statements
This set all amateur buffalo hunters
agog, and determined them to have a
hunt, or at least reconnaissance, at
all hazards. The train was run to a
switch four miles farther on, and there
halted an hour to give the coveted OPP
portunity. 4 large crowd, equipped
with all sorts of weapons from Spen-
Ger rifle to a pop-gun revolver, imme-
diately struck out upon the prairie
Only a few, however, went far, and
those were not unTewarded for their
persistence. After crossing one of the
elevations of the plain, there, iD a
ravine below, appeared three dark OBJ
jects blOtting the gray surface of the
prairie. a nearer approach develop
ed the fact that they were buffalOs re-
clining. The wind was blowing di-
rectIy towards them, and they soon
scented the approach of Strangers
Rising, they stood for a moment with
their great shaggy heads alOft, three
magnificent buffalo bulls, very mon
archs of the herd. They were out of
effective range, but that was no mat
ter TO the skillful hunters who were
evidently confident that the only
thing necessary to bring the animals
within range of their weapons was to
fire at them as often as possible. Away
scampered the butfalOes up the next
ridge with dozen or so of Nimrods
in feeble pursuit. Occasionally the
animals-that is the bufialOs-stOpped
and took a leisurly view to the rear,
and then went off again at a moderate
gallop. Finally, the valley of the Sa-
line appeared in the distance, half
shrOuded in smoke from the burning
prairie, and dotted with hundreds of
buffalo. 1t was a grand sight, fully
compensating for the four miles run
over the parched prairie. The three
bulls made for the main herd, of which
they were apparently the pickets, and
lust at that time a kingdom for a
horse would have been considered a
bargain by any one of the half dozen
pursuers. Regretfully the latter turn
ed back from the chase to reioin the
train, to which they were vigorously
summoned by the impatient whistling
of the locomotive.
Judge Andrews tells of an Occa-
sion when, to use Il Southern phrase,
he was "taken down. by one of his
audience during a political address
He was a candidate for Governor of
his State, and was explaining to a
large crowd how his friends had
pressed him to be candidate, and
that the Office was seeking him and
that he was not seeking the office.
I'm fact" said he, "the office OF
Governor has been following me for
the last "ten years !"
Just then a tall countryman in the
audience arose and shouted But
here's yer consolation, Judge-yOu' re
Ill 4frr1a anH II will