Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-09-19
BORDER "REMINISCENCES,


blings for nearly half a century over
almost every district embra-
Iced within the vast expanse OF our
huge domain it has been my fortune
to encounter good many hard
knocks, as well as great variety Of
curious and merr y adventures. One
| of the latter which amused Inc vast
ly for the time, aud which never
think 0 without an inclination Tor
a hearty laugh, | propose to relate |;
and II my description conveys to the
readers imagination one half of it's
superIatigely ludicrous reality | am
sure he viii! feel abundantly repaid
| for the perusal.
| | passed the winter of 1904 in
the very hospitable city of H,
where | was so fortunate as to form
an extended circle of agreeable &C.
quaintanees, who by their genial and
intelligent social intercourse, con.
tributed greatly to my happiness,
and enabled me to while away the
monotony of protracted Northern
winter in tho most satisfactory man.
ner. La the Spring following l was
about taking my departure, my
friends called, and after wishing me
all manner of good fortune babe me
q kind adieu, and all excepting my
particular friend J. s., had left.
lie detained me for some time upon
the little porch fronting the hotel,
seeming 10th to say good ; but it
was nearly time for the arrival of the
tram and | was forced to tear N.Y.
self away from him, and was on the
point OF stepping into the carriage
when he entreated mo to come bi ok
and take q farewell glass.
was oblige1 10 decline, remark
ing, as | closed the carriage door,
that We would postpone our drink
until my return and away went
consoling myself with the fervent
anticipation that | might soon be
permitted TO visit the excellent
friends ! was leaving behind. But,
alas for the Tealization of my cherish.
ed aspirations! my tortuous trail
led me into Texas, Mexico, Arkan-
SAG, and U ah, and it was nearly
twenty years before could get
back.
The time came at last, however
and I anxiously drove towards the
old hotel, where l expected TO see
great many changes /; but, to my
surprise, l found all the surroundings
looking precisely as when left, and
TO my utter as.onishment there was
my old TREND J. s., who was the
last TO bid me farewell, seated on the
same spot upon the little porch, ap.
parently ia the same armchair, and
with bis feet raised at the Same ele-
walton, and resting against ideni-
cally the same post as when l declin.
ed his invitation TO Din him in the
| stirrup-cup.
Getting out of the carriage walk
ed directly up to him, gave him
hearty Flap on the shoulder and said,
well, S--as you are so pressing |
don't care if | do take drink
ishment and did not recognize me
He looked up with aston.
at first but he soon appreciated the
joke, and, Selling my hand, replied
that his patience was nearly ex.
hausted in waiting for my return,
and that if | had not arrived within
the next five or six years he would
have bren obliged to drink alone.
Various ingenious cxpedients
were devised to make the time pass
off agreeaby during my sojourn in
H; and ono Of these, which orr
iginated with myself, is the adven-
ture | proposed to relate at the com.
mencement of this paper.
1t go happened upon occasion that
| had obtained two complete Sioux
Indian warrior costumes, and l pro-
posed to a gentleman Mr., c., that
we should dress ourselves in them,
and try our powers in personating
the Indian character. Accordingly
my wife, at our suggestion, accepted
on invitation to tea-party that ev-
ening at the hospitable mansion of
her friend, Mrs. c., thus vacat-
ing our apartments for US to make
our toilets in.
With copper colored crayon, pull.
verified and mixed with oil we be-
smeared our faces, necks and hands.
We then put on the coats, leggings.
moccasins, horse hair wigs and
feather head dresses, and with our
tomahawks,pipes and toDacco-pouch-
es, we were probably the most met.
| amorphosed white men, and the best
representatives of the characters we
were about to personify, that could
possibly have been imagined.
In order, however to enable the
reader to get foil appreciation of
what am about to relate, | remark
that both of US were very tall, erect
and we'll developed, and our dresses
fitted our persons admirably, so that
! when we surveyed ourselves in the
large mirror in my parlor our trans.
formation was so perfect that really
could not for my life have told
! which was which.
| had passed several years among
the Chippewas and other Indian
tribes. and was familiar with many
of their habits, and some of their
songs and dances, and could even
make myself understood In the Chip
pewR tongue. And fortunately for
our project an acquaintance of mine,
who was o stranger in the place and
who also could speak some Chippewa
arrived just in time to take the part
of interpreter on the occasion.
After the completion of our elab-
crate toilets we sent out the inter-
prefer to procure carriage. and at
about o'clock 10 the evening quiet.
ly slipped out of the back door, and,
entering the carriage, drove around
Ito the front door of our hotel, when
the interpreter went in and inquired
of the landlord if he could furnish
lodgings for two distinguished Semi
nolo chiefs Jim Jumper and Wild
Cat who had just arrived from
Florida en- route to visit their Great
1 Eafh at .