Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-09-18

thing is, that they gain in flesh and value
as they go, so there is compensation
and no time is lost.
The trail leads through the territory of
the Choctaws, Chickasaws and Chero-
KEGS And, under the treaty laws, these
Indians are entitled to certain toll for
the privilege of driving stock through
their lands. Now it is easy enough to get
along with the full-blood ChoctaWs. They
are civil, hospitable-as far as their means
of hospitality go-good -natured, lazy; and
for the most part just comfortably shift
less or shiftlessly comfortable, as you
like, and they never quarrel with the cat
tie men or anybody else if they can help
it. But the Choctaw half breeds are a
different species of animal altogether.
The offspring, generally of a most infer
naIly vicious class of white men, they
combine all the cursedness OF the two
races that are mingled in them, to such
repletion that there is no room for any OF
the virtues of either. About the only
similitude they bear to the tull-bloods IN
the matter of disposition, is their deep
seated antipathy to work OF any Kind. But
their cupidity is by no means as passive
us their laziness is incurable; and thus 1t
sometimes happens that they seek to levy
eXtor,iOnatG toll upon the passing nerds.
Now the Texan pays this Toll none too
cheerfully under any circumstances. he
cherishes a deep-seated conviction that
"the Government is fool, and
does heap % trifiin with the red
skins" And he thinks whereas the brains
of the Vincent COlyers and the Freed
mans Bureau Towards, and that ilk OF
humanitarians, have been exercised from
time out of mind to solve the Indian
problem; he could solve it quite readily
if the Government would just stand out OF
the way for "a year or two. 1t occasional
ly happens that there is halt-breed
| funeral not long after an attempt has been
made to levy double toll. But it must not
be imagined that the funeral business is
all on the haf-breed side of the account;
for many Texan has found bloody
burial alon- the Chisholm trail. What
ever may ue The half breeds vices, there
is no lacL Of fight in him. THUS when he
and the Texan come together, with no
sentimental affection 10 overcome at the
start, it is quite like Introducing q red-hot
iron into key of powder.
Well, an attempt was made, near the
Canadian, to levy double toll on the herd
of Grigsby s. Adams. When it was over
and it was over soon-the firm ofGrigs-
by & Adams lacked Junior partner, and
ont Of the five half breeds, one had gotten
away alive, to say nothing of a ''Greaser"
or two who had been helping on the
drive. This was no new experience for
old Matt. He sorrowtully buried his dead
partner, put gum plasters on two or three
slight gashes where close bullets had
raked his own skin in the scrimmage and
IL GiV ,rti N Or al
happened. Poor Adams had made no sign
except a little convulsivc culver after he
fell Not a last word or message for his
mother or his betrothed, who was wait
| ing for him. Not even a last dying smile
| for old Matt, who loved him as he might
have loved his own son. The fight had
| been of that quick sharp sort, where no
| time is wasted in the sentimental.
Il knowed that boy was game when |
| first sot my eyes on him at Shreveport, "
| said old Matt to himself satisfiedly. llav-
| ing said this much he had exhausted the
Texan vocabulary of eulogium. 1t is
| grand to die admirably. Poor George
| Adams did enjoy the opportunity, he went
! so quick The half breeds bullet that
crashed through his brain Gained his hot
wrath in the sudden freezing of death,
and there was nothing to show that he
| died game, more than that ball-hOle was
in his forehead. But that, together with
| the fact that it took force to discharge his
| pistol butt from the dead fingers, and that
two of the dead halfbreeds lay close to
the dead Illinoisan, satisfied Matt; and so
the poor boy found a place in Mats
memory alongside of the hundreds of his
old comrades who were embalmed in his
rugged admiration for having died
| game"
The list of MATHS heroes was headed
| by the name of Fannin. And the old
man would warm up with the blood OF
| Thirty.s six that the "reminiscences of
| Goliad brought back to his veins again
when he spoke Of that bloody morning
away back in the childhood of Texas,
when the Lone Star glimmered in the
| forefront of her struggles for freedom.
THAT Fannin was yer clean pattern of
what's called a fearless man. he would
say. II think kin see him now, lookin'
| into the betl-muzzles Of them Greasers'
cscopetas, just like he might have looked
into gals eye that he liked" Old Matt
had heard full description of Fannin s
death from Mexican who was present at
the massacre. The Mexican told the
story in Camargo long after the war, and
| iiiNtSI tdiS dltcI Nolidtt, lit tolu III W ali
admiring group of fellow reasers, with
the grim Thirty skier for casual listener.
And old Matt used to add sometimes that
that Mexican, shortly after he told of his
share in that hutchery, suddenly lost his
appetite for pulque, and quit talkin' about
| Fannin.
THE fact is" said Matt, che quit things
| generally" So old Matt conferred upon
his dead partner the apotheosis of a place
i'll his memory by the side of Fannin' and
drove his steers on up through the Nation
and across Southern Kansas to Abilene,
and thence by rail to Kansas City
Matt sold his herd, paid up all the ex-
| penses OF shipping, yardng, etc, and sat
down to count his pile. With the pro-
ceeds of the sale of the brand in the range
and the sum received for the drove of
steers, it figured up thirty-eight thousand
dollars. A pretty good five years work
from start with three hundred. SO Matt
took the money and put it in the bank in
two separate deposits, one ordinary, and a
special package. The first was to the
credit of Matt Grigsby The last was
labeled deposited by Matt Grigsby for
George Adams" There was nineteen
thousand dollars in each deposit
Then old Matt went out about town
with all the serenity of man who has a
large balance in bank He bought fine
gold watch and chain, and the latter con-
trasted quantity enough in its new glitter
with the rusty hue of his old corduroys.