Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1875-07-24


built big fire of tat pine, and soon were
happy as little cock robins. Then the
female Obadiahs went to bed up stairs in
the wagon, and the male Obadiahs and
the hunter went to bed in the tent. While
we were out we found two nests of Rocky
Mountain eggs, of which the old hunter
said, If we set them under the right hen,
would hatch out young Rocky Noun
tains. When we get home we'll set
them, and when they're Matched we'll
| give you one. and put one i'm the park to
| grow. When we had been out nine days
the hunter thought we had learned our
lesson well, and brought us back to
Canon, and we bought his mules and
wagon and wild mustang for saddle
horse, and started out by ourselves. But
before leaving Canon must tell you of a
little prison reform they have practiced
in the Territorial States prison here. You
know habit of being out late at night
is very Injurious to the health and NOR
ais, and the officers sOf the prison deter
mined to break up the bad habit, and
made rule that the gates should be
| locked at 8 o'clock every night, and all
the prisoners who were not in before
that time bad to stay out all night. This
/
were there we didn't see a striped Jacket
lon the street after9 o'clock. Iwish you'd
/ sneak to Governor Hendricks and have
the rule adopted in our States prison.
We have now been dwelling in
tents, after the custom of our fathers,
for about three weeks, and tell you that
it is the only way to see this country
good. When you come get two mules
and wagon, and load it with grub, lots
of patience and buckskin. You might
get along without much grub, because
you can get it at the ranches, or you can
shoot and fish some; but patience you
must bring from home, because you can't
buy it nor shoot it, and you'll need lots
of it. And don't forget the buckskin,
you'll need it. You can mend anything
with it with it, from your breeches to the
wagon, and make anything out of itfrom
harness down to a napkin ring. For
company don't take anybody that's lazy,
nor anybody that cross, for there's no use
for such in camp. Now mind all these
directions, and you'll have a good time,
as we are doing. "
Now know this letter is getting too
long, but / must tell you about one days
fun we had on Chalk Creek. We got
there last Saturday, as far as the wagon
road went, which is up to the Hot
Springs. After we'd got our tent pitched,
Mrs. Obadiah says to young Obadiah,
"Bring me some hot water from the
spring." and to old Obadiah, ''bring me
some cold water from the creek, and we
will soon have supper.ps After that was
over we had cali from Mr.. and Mrs. X.
and the Major, all of the tribe of miners
and jewellers in tents like ourselves.
They brought as a peace offering meats
of the land, even Web-fOOred rabbit
| from the snow banks, and grouse from
the woods, and we spake long togei her
| of the good things of the land and were
friends. And they offered TO show us the
beauties of the land and of the water,
even the mountains and the falls in the
streams thereof, if we could ride the ami
mails of the land, even the mules and the
burros thereof, to all of which we said
yea. So on Monday morning we gath
cred all OF the tribe of Obadiah and all of
the tribe of K, and started in the follow
ing order: First the Major and Hezekiah
on trained mountain horses; then Mrs.
Il. and Mrs. Obadiah on burros Just three
feet high then Miss n. Obadiah on Be-
nita, our Mexican mustang; then the
two young Obadiahs, one on mule and
one on jack; then the old OBADIAH on
a mule and Mr.. h. on horse. One of
the burros wouldn't come close enough
for the ladies to mount. so the Maj took
him up in his arms and put HIM down in
the right place. If you'd like to know
how all the ladies rode when there was
only one side-saddle, | will tell you the
clear snow-water truth-they jumped on
and rode like little men.
But that ride! 1t took three hours to
ride five miles, There amt stones enough
in ten miles of indianapolis to make
twenty rods OF that road. On we went,
over and under, up and down, round and
road, along the narrow Indian trail.
Mountains on both sides Of us so high
that we had to look twice to see the top.
On one side as white as chalk, on the
other green with fir and fine. YOU'D
have laughed yourself to death TO nave
seen us when we started back, coming
down hill so steep that we had to come
DOWN sig-zag, the burrOs and mules
twisting round the sharp corners, and
every one of the ObadiahI sitting up so
straight tUey leaned backward. [ rode
behind coming-down that bill. and burst
| off two buttons laughing al them. Mrs.
KS burro fell over rock, and young
Obadiah's jack laid down twice but DO
body was hurt, except my clothes with
laughing, and we goG back TO our tents
and went on our winding way refreshed.
That's all can tell you this time, eX-
cept that this country suits me exactly.
You know never did like TO take my
air or religion secondhand, and out here
both of them are always fresh and pure
When you take a breath of air you know
it hasn't been through any slaughter
house. and it makes you grow; and when
you lay down at night among these high
mountains, with nothing but your blan-
ket around you and the sky above you
there comes softly and quietly into YOU
soul kind of religion which has never
been through an ecclesiastical mill anC
had all the sweetness ground out of it
and if you have enough soul left to make
anything out of, it will grow and gel
strong. Yours, truly,
i OBADIAH.
II A>a Anaoodnfo nf nn1aioI g nSrz.p72.