The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-05-11
THE AVAILABLE SKILLET
A sketch of Western Life.

III INC " Hter VI ioS-, business leo me 10 jour
ney IN northwestern Missouri, then very
sparsely settled frontier country. Taverns there
were none; and their substitutes, islands" IN
the phrase OF the country, poor and far between
urged my weary horse forward, over the broad
prairie, covered Win inud ana snow, during sew
eral tedious hours, heading toward distant
grove, and muslng all the time. The timber
once reached, L may ma lodging place for the
night, thought L. L soon did reach the grove,
ana IN IL found single log cabin, surrounded by
low fence of rails, worm-lad. The cabin
tenanted by young married woman and her
Two children. Her husband was away from
nome.
AS rode up to the door, the woman came I'M
nesitatihgiy forward, and TO my inquiry, Gan
Dc accommodated with entertainment for the
nlghtI answered: 81 reckon so. We never turn
ed any body away, whether friends or foes; they
are all made comfortable at our house. The
strange traveller would mud cold lodging on this
road, II we didn't keep hini-it's so far between
STANDS. lie Is gone forty miles to mill, but will
be home tomorrow. | will do my best, so you
may as well come in" thanked the kind-heart-
ed Lsdy, and accepted her invitation.
Truth prompts me to say, that, nOtwithstaud-
ing the settlers were then generally very poor,
ana very llliterate, and possessed of only few
comforts, or even conveniences, more open
hearted, generously disposed, and less suspecting
people, never found. To me, Yankee educated,
such welcome to the firesides of private families
as was everywhere given to perfect stranger,
was unaccountable.
lhls woman, to the eye, was rather attractive
LOT the country; and, by her men, showed that
she was, or felt herself to be- one of the supper
ten thousands fact soon found cOrroborated.
Her husband was a candidate for Sheriff.
The rude log pen was the whole house-parlor,
bedroom kitchen, pantry, all in one. Having
asked for supper, took my seat at a respectable
distance from the fire, with my attention to the
cooking operations, and very curious to see how
place OF so little promise, could make me COM
portable"
The first motion towards my supper was the
enough of its kind. Into this skillet handful
of coffee was put and the parching, browning
and smoking operation was commenced. The
skillet being placed in the blaze of the fire, the
process was soon over aud, If the coffee failed
IN being well parched, the deficiency was made
np-it was well smoked. The vessel was now
duly ceansed, filled with water, and placed over
the hre to boil, while my hostess briskly ground
the conee soon the boiling water from the skill
let was poured upon the toured coffee, and the
skillet set TO boil upon the Goals. By this time,
my curiosity had become excited by the double
and singular use OF the Skillet; and l watched
with increased interest. Next The skillet was
turned into an oven, and three bullet-shaped
dodgers (loaves) set u baking My hostess then
took seat, to entertain Inc by her conversation.
On my remarklnS upon her few conveniences,
she answered:
Yes, stranger, that's all truth but we now do
so much better than when we first came here-it
seems, really, quite like living Then we pound
ed our corn in hollow stump, and baked our
bread on CHIP, but some folks like Johnnycake
the best; but when he brought me this ere new
skillet from Fort Usage, felt my fortune was
made; because could now have such good
bread, and could almost use the skillet for
Thousand other things besides baking. Yes,
stranger, you may think 1t queer, but when he
got me this skillet, was gladder than If he had
brought me the best black silk gown in st. Louis
and told him so; for it does me more good
than fifty dresses could"
L assented to all my hostess said; but, after.
all, It was tedious hour, this waiting for the
bread to bake, while all other snpper operations
were suspended. My hostess, after giving the
dodgers three successive thumpings, pronounced
them baked, to my very great satisfaction, as the