Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-04-25
A New R.p Van Wink!e.


Down on the flats, yesterday. we met
Jake Gil6llan, in his original dress of
80. The buckskin patches were greas-
ier, glossier and blacker. HIS wolf
skin cap showed patches and spots
above the snow line that looked as
though the mango had struck it, and
the tai of the animal that dangled
about his right ear was draggled, as
though trailed in the snow and slush of
a dozen winters. Jake's woolen shirt
was in tatters and strings, and it was
plain that to perpetuate it's usefulness
he had never entrusted it to
the tender mercies of Biddy or
Sing Lee. Jake came heading him
self up II street from the river bank,
meandering easily and gracefully from
side to side, and occupying the full
width of the 'tcannOn," as he called
it. Hanging listlessly under his right
arm was an old style Springfield mus
ket, with the muzz1e to the front. Wis.,
ions of Carl Wood, Jim Harvey, and
others of that ilk, hoated through our
mind as he arose the hill, but they
vanished as we recognized good-hearted
slmple-minded Jake. He essayed to
stop as we met, but could not steady
himself until he bad thrown out his
gun as brace. Leaning upon it's
muzzle he asked -
II say, cap'n is this 'Rary9 "(Aura-
ria.)
"No, you are in Denver"
"Jes SO; Genl Lar'mer's town"
"Well, where's Denver hall
It stood up to the head of the next
street, but it was burned down nine
years ago."
He mused for few moments, and
then said, rather to himself: "Many's
the lively times we had there, when
the pistol balls whizzed through the
canvas partitions and the thought
seemed to sober Jake on the instant.
Says he, "Where is Jack Henderson,"
"Gone to San Domingo.
Ill, but that's just like Jack.
He left as fellows up there to Dead
wood and come down to get some
grub. told the boys that Jack had
likely forgot us, and I'd come down to
'Rary and see about it. So struck
out across the hills, and waded Clear
creek over by Jim Bakers, and the
Platte right down there, and here am
But say, who built these housen2'
We named dozen Of 50 bloated lot
owners of to-day, but Jake looked more
and more incredulous and shook his
head. Says he, 81 don't know none of
them fellers. Where's Bill Clancy and
Gen. Rowen and Judge Smith and Jack
Jones and Squire Hiebt and Wagner
and Mcclure and all the old boys2
Patiently we answered his enquiries,
until he could think of no more. Gath
ering his musket again under his arm,
he started off with the declaration that
he was a-goin right over to Uncle Dick
Wootton's for square drink of Wall
pet" As he swung round the corner,
up at Pierce's block, we observed that
the holes in his moccasins were larger
than when he started out with Jack
Henderson aad Jim Goodwin for Dead
wood diggings, in April, 1859, and we
sorrowed at the grief that would over.
come him when he failed to find Uncle
Dick under the old cottonwood over at
the corner of Ferry and Fourth.
Jake's sleep has been long and un.
broken. He knows not that there has
been war, that we can talk with Eu-
rope, or that iron rails span the con-
tinent. He mistook the Rio Grande
track for an arrangement to stretch an
telope skins, and the other to aid in
tanning buffalo hides. Fancy the
surprises that await him as he traverses
the streets of Denver and learns the
events Of the last dozen years.