Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-02-15
Engineering in The NorthNcst...No. 6.

D Tue NUtAtnuc hlNtf III lit WiltlHpiu tHt ul1
| lance isthirty-onc miles.
/ found the mail stations EVERY great improve
ment on those beyond Fort Totem They are
very snug log houses There are two rooms In
them. the front hall i. stable for the animals,
the other and living room has mud fire place.
The animals get good hay and grain. iclt that,
10 werc by any trunsmigration, 70 become o
mule should much prefer to be one south Of
Fort Totten than above there for the prairie
does give one o great appetite, and ntion- or
forage are very welcome, and mule or not do
not like outofdoors ON windy nights in mid
winter And in each of these stations an Indian
scout and squaw live in the inner room from DC
tober till spring They keep fire and take care
Of the government property at the stations. At
this iirst one We reached, the scout had guests
who were Indians Of course. There were five or
six Of them, and by necessity We were ucighbory
confess do not like Indians for intimate com
panions ! was not astilous on the prnires,
bus cleanliness IS not one of the virtues OF the In
diau-. But we three were the propriet1rs Of the
stations The Indians were set aside MS having
noright- that white men are bound to respect It
was nigbtlal when we arrived, and we cooked
and ate our supper and went TO bed laid next
10 the logs and larthcst from the Indian nest on
the cabin llJjr. IL was a good bed. and one 3
anxiety concerning q bed ceases when be- can lay
down upon anything, like board, OF the gr lnd,
and sleep we'll lie does not care il the last bed
Is taken, room ON the lo1r will do as we'll
SUNDAY oN THE PRAIRIE.
On Sunday morning We sat out for the next
station at Lake Jessie 1t was only nineteen
miles, and we arrived early in the afternoon.
One of the soldiers went out to shoot some game
for supper. We waited at the station, which
was very duh business in the absence of paper.
and books Towards evening an Indian scout
came ia, on his return to Fort rottcn. lie had
been sent to oyertake train and deliver special
message and that is the way they telegraph on tho
plains man in tic saddle is the swiNcst com.
munication attainable.
Later the sportsman came in with two prairie
chickens We sat about preparing our evening
meal had not cooked great deal before this
trip, hut ! found coud do IT, and deem #
better % cook than TO go hungry. On that sun
d,,y evening we AN put our heads together 20 get
up our supper, lwopuiric chickens were skinned
and dressed Of. These We're put 10 our tin kettle
with breakfast bacon to boil. And when they were
nearly " done, ! toasted few slices of bread and
o,ore1 , cam ,r tomatoes .t,., hoc,r, 'i;r,.l
ae h,;lir, mat r.,,, t,o Giro tl,e ,,,,,,..,s I'D
,,,.+ ,yo-o ,jicl D.. .lo ,i,.,,,, al -. I1,
pepper and salt to taste Upon the ao1r Of the
station we sat in crosslegged, Turkish style and
,,o ,,r .,,,,,or RrooI I.,,tor and -. 49,,
bol,o ,orotalle. h,, ,ory ,o,l o,F., pr
pl., ,,;it ,o.l. 4, b,,..r ~, ti.,, ,..... 49,,
III mi. 80. LII ~. ~
i, moro i,.t;co ,I,on ,,o l o,,rs s;,in., S,,;,i
il crcji.cJ with s,,in,, ,bot f;l ni,t INV. mad
a better berry than the strawberry. bot he did
not 4 man who cats we'll Looked nrairic cli.ken
when le /. bspgrv. will Ia, of the same mind
about this chicken that the reverend epicnre WA.
concerning the strawberry.
While ont cunning. the soldier shota skunk.
lie told the scout and he. accompanied BY the
squaw. went around the lake and brought the
scented game in. and would have brought it into
the house unless forbidden. 1t was cooked out-oi.
doors. over a camp fire. The three Indians ate il
with right keen relish. did not try il; was
content with prairie chicken. But a soldier who
had tried skunk. said it was delicate in flavor
and very white in color, quite like rabbit. Il is
not eaten much in the east perhaps from misap.
prehension of its qualities. peope have not
suspected the sayory qualities of the animal. -
How many good meal has been thrown away by
too hasty deductions in regard % this almost do
nestle creature
rxpre prrrlcrtri,s
Monday morning Nov Z onenei with .t,rp
Of rain and .leet the rain rroze MS fsta.it G.i
everything out side wore an lev arm,r ,rbo
mail carrier, resolved not to start ont 4 team
Of mules is a Door outfit in prairie storm. They
have no pluck Horses are more heroic they
will face heavy, binding storm. but a mule
will not. And after winter fairly sets in. horses
are used between Fort Totten and Fort Aber-
crombe because they have more courage. endur-
ance and intelligence. About O'Clock in the ar
tornoon the storm had 50 far abated that we set
out again. The air was warm tho road wa,
very heavy the free soil out there sticks to the
wheels badly. Our mules soon became quite
tired. We intended to 70 to Sibley's crossing