The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-04-02
Ran Mad 81 the Aaaek Ilills,
CORRESPONDENTS Chioaeo Times

erty and justice for redress, and I ask for
space in your columns, that the whole
world may know my grievance. ..-..%
My health is gone, my heart is broken,
and, "a God is my judge, 1 am innocent Of
any wrong, direct Or indirect, information.
al or otherwise, toward tho peoplesof this
ity. who, by systematic cruelty and
united effort, have reduced me|to tho
pitiable condition in which now lie, un.
able to move hand or foot, and debating
this letter to Your paper.
l arrived here 1T noon yesterday from
Council Bluffs, and found that the Sioux
City l. St. Paul railroad was blocked by
snow, and that I could not leave for St.
Paul before to-day. As stepped down
from the cars, l noticed singular.look
ing fellow. who eyed me attentively, and
as soon as he could get near enough to be
heard, he asked me il I wanted "White-
water" "Fish Brothers." or "Jack.
SON., and added that he "kept all kinds"
l looked at him in amazement, not know
ing what he meant, and noticing = wild
look in his eye, msde up my mind. that
ne was some poor lunatic who didn't
know what he was talking about, and
passed Oh without answering. Arriving
at the hotel, found . crowd Of gentle.
men congregated about a red-hot coal
stove, chewing tobacco and splitting.
They were all talking very fast and loud, !,
but seemed to be oil OF the
same opinion. At first I imagined
that they were talking about the Beechcr
trial, or Pinchback, or John Young
Browns speech. or the Senator from Ten
nessce, or Bill King, but not hearing any.
thing that | could understand, I took off
my overcoat and sat down to listen. They
paid no attention to me ut first, though
the one nearest did ask me when I was
"going to start" Ireplied inquiringly:
start! Start where!" He looked at
me with the same wild fire in his eye that
[ had noticed in the man at the depot,
and without answering he turned to his
neighbor and said something about "Har.
ney S Peak" then some one else Clipped
in with something about "stockades'' and
"Gordon and Whitcher," and '25 cents
to the pan" and $3.50 day." listened
till dinner time, and then, seeing no prep.
arations looking toward a meal, started
in search of the landlord. l found him,
after littlo trouble, pulling on q pair Of
top boots. He was dressed in a red fan
mel shirt. and had a pair of Colt navys
belted around his waist. l thought at
first he was one Of the James bows, or =
White Lacquer, but he said that he guess
ed that ''could find side of pork and
the frying'pan id sight quicker than
he could, for he had been so busy getting
ready to start that he didn't know MOTH
in about tho hotel any MORE" There
was the same wild, excited look in his eye.
and passed on into the kitchen, whero
] managed to get half loaf of bread
and small piece Of cold meat. The fire
was out no women were to b seen any,
where, and in wonder and amazement
left the house and strolled up town.
Passing baber.shop, thought that I
would take a shave, and walked in. No
one was in sight. The shop was unswept
and cold. called, and presently huge
specimen of 'civil rights emerged from a
closet, where he had been cleaning a
Henry rife, which he still held in his
hand: stated my desire for shave,
and. laying off my coat, sat down in the
chair, wondering at his cleaning the gun
during business hours. He looked at me
in amazement for about five minutes, and
then said, "Can't possibly, sir; ebery
thing is packed up and in the wagon. We
start tomorrow, and I don got NJ time"
At this reply. the first suspicion of nv
own insanity crossed my brain. 1leaped
from the chair, and, seizing my coat,
rushed for the door. The barber 1e-
sumed his gun-c'eaning, and sent that
wild gaze possessed by every man, wo.
man, and child in the city) alter me as
rushed down the street. l stopped at
the corner and said the Lords PRAYER
quietly over to myself to see if had for
gotten 1t. 1was so dumbfounded by the
conversation and action of these people
that my reason tottered, and I doubted
my own sanity. got through the pray
er in safety, but before the .samen' had
passed my lips, fellow rushed up to me,
and said, in the most matter.of.fact way
possible, that if ] "wanted an A No. /
team Of oxen could get 'em around the
corner at his stable.'
The cold sweat started on my brew,
my pulses throbbed, and nv knees smote
together.
/ hesitated one moment only and then
seized h m by the throat, and demanded
an explanation. "Oxen!' shouted I.
That in - do Iwant with oxen
What's the matter with you Sioux City
people anyway go
Then my strength was all gone, aud as
he shook me off only heard his curses
and part Of his answer.
SWELL" said he, :.'you id fool, YOU
don't intend to sonlk to the Black Hills,
do you,"
From this point all il . blank.
swooned and fell heavily on the pave.
ment. How long lay there I know not,
but when returned to consciousness,
found myself in comfortable room and
cared for by kind widow who had wit.
messed my fall from her doorway. soon
learned the meaning Of oil the strange
conduct had witnessed. The city is in
an uproar; all hands arc off for the Black
Hills, where l now learn that gold has
been discovered.
Beecher and Tilton, third term, Pinch.
back, Bill King, and everything else is
forgotten, every man who is not going
himself is trying to sell outfits. to the
men who are going. Gordon and Which.
er are greater heroes than Caesar, Napo.
leon, Washington or Lincoln.
l understand it all now, but the expia.
nation comes too late. The shock to my
nervous system Was too great, and l lie
paralyzed and helpless, victim Of the
Black Hills fever. If you will publish
this, perhaps some kindly disposed law.
yer will offer his seryices and conduct .