The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-02-24

For life IS 50 short, and the ocean 80 wide.
Q boat Of my lover; 50 softly go safely:
inopgh the dear voice is silent. tue Kind
hand is gone: -. j..
But or Ind lG 9Ss. my 'ove'' and I'll live till
Till our parting is over, and our dark days
are done. .-:...
A BRAVE FRONTTERSAfAN.
Fridays Rio Grande train (says The
De'aoer Times ofa recent date), brought
in one Of those characters sometimes met
with in this vicinity, who don't wear
nicely curled locks falling down on their
shoulders, whose waists are not belted up
about half their natural size, who do not
pretend toSbe one Of the families Of ssBills, y
and yet have seen Z hard service as any
OF their strutting, competitors for fame,
and in square tight with man or beast
would not be the first to throw up their
hands. The race is dying out, or at least
is overshadowed by those whose preten.
sions, backed by good figures, have made
themselves: the heroes Of dime novels and
sensation newspapers, and it was abso.
lotely refreshing to hear the subject Of
this sketch, without the least swaeeer
or traggadocio, relate in quiet, sub
dued tone, experiences that would have
tested the couarge;of the bravest, even If
the hardy pioneers Of this region.
He rcjoices in the name Of Harrison
Barndecker, was born in Ohio in the heat
Of the presidential campaign of 1910
whence his given name), and came to
this section with his father in 1855, be.
fore the Pixies Peak excitement was
thought of. His family hal removed to
Texas year or two previous to the above
date and commenced stock ranch. A
sudden raid of the COMMANDERS deprived
them Of every hoof, and in the fight with
tho savages, his mother and elder brother
were killed. This decided the fate of the
two survivors, and having by their de.
termined resistance (which was tprotrac-
ed until the decaying corpses of the slain
made their stay in the cabin almost un.
bearable) worried out tho little band of
raiders, they struck out for the noun
tains. Though they did not ''on Bonded
knees, etc., swear eternal vengence to
the Commanchcs they did not allow an op.
portunity to pass without taking scalp.
Will" On their way over the Texas plains
from :..eir cover in IN arroyo they saw a
band of five Commanches 20 into camp.
Before morning five scalps dangled from
their belts, and they were provided with
horses with which to continue their
journey. They pitched upon point far
into the heart OF the rang as the scene
Of their future life, and there for ten years
they lived, seeing only the trappers and
hunters that stumbled on their retreat,
except when once year one went to
Santa Fc to exchange peltries for years
supply Of powder and lead. Some gilt.
tering sand in one of tho streams near
their cabin attaacted their attention, and
taking some of the stuff to Santa Fe it
was found to be gold dust. They didn'
60 crazy over it, but after that when
game was scarce they washed the sand,
and in the course Of few years had &C.
cumulated enough to keep the old man
comfortable for the balance of his days.
Then old association came back to the
father, and he determined once more to
return to civilization. The son accom-
panied him, but year in Ohio was
enough. It was in 1855, when every.
thing was in a hurrah upon the close Of
tho war. and the young man was disgust
ed with the bombast INDUCED in by pol
iticians, and returned to his cabin alone
Since then he has made frequent trips t.
the settlements, and base on several oc
casions been employeN by parties 0
English Nimrods to assist them in thei,
search for wild game. His bronzed taco
takesla peculiar expression As he tells how
many have taken homo the fruits of his
rife to palm off on their friends as the
result Of their own skill. In the severe
winter Of 1871 he had an encounter with
bear which he had wounded. and re-
ceived q spat which left m ugly scar
extend from his left temple down his
cheek, shoulder, and arm to the wrist
The animal died, but before he could
bandage his bleeding arm a storm arose
suddenly, and for three days, though BIZ
succeeded in building fire, he had al
he could do to keep from freezing te
death. When he did start he was whole
day reaching his cabin, only two miles
distant, and had four toes so badly fro
zen that they dropped off, keeping him
~ OVN SAlVG AuOuSAos A6ot SuuAulcI
party Of New Workers secured his ser.
vices while out here, and one of the mum
Der has organized party for the Black
Hills, which has engaged him to acorn
pany them. He Left Saturday morning
to meet his party at Cheyenne. During
our conversation with him. he related
several incidents that will be Of inter
est some future time. AS we rose to go
he said, "You're = newspaper man, amt
you p We complimented him on his
discrimination. "Well if you write out
any of these ere stories I'd ruther you
wouldn't make mo talk like those fellers
who like to sec their names in the paper
Jest tell these yarns IS told them to
you, and it'll be oil right We assured
him it would be impossible to improve on
his manner Of relating his exploits, shook
hands. and turned to tho door. As We
swung it open, he called out: "Say stran'
ger, save some Of your papers, and send
EN- to me when We VIC gets \ postottice
up yopder." Human nature would CROP
out, but wo readily gave the desired
promise, and left him happy.