The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-10-16
FROM THE FAR WEST.
Indian Alarms, Bear Hunts
and Other Interesting News.

and Other Interesting News.
Fort Assinaboine, or A Assiniboine, a:
some people do spell it, is fast becom
ing a glorious reality; it is wonderful
to see these immense brick building:
springing up out here. You know
when we came there was nothing but
the grayish-green hill, lonely plain.
For several weeks after we came,
everything was delightfully."- still and
quiet. Sweet solitude brooded over
hill and plain; the soft greyish green
hills and lonely plains seemed to
breathe ''there is no joy but calm. .
The peaceful care-free days glided
away obedient to the spirit of hill and
plain; but all thai was changed when
the Quartermaster came with his
workmen. Instead of the sweet
notes of the Montana lark, or the gen.
tie murmur of the unruffled waters OF
Beaver creek, we hear the sound of a
hundred hammers. There are three
immense barracks for the soldiers
almost finished; the hospital, which
is large and handsome; eighteen sets
of officers quarters, that is line Off
GERS quarters, and the field officers
quarters are almost finished. The
bakery, telegraph Office, guard house,
and two large store-rooms were CONS
pleted some time ago. We are de-
lighted with our new quarters. A
change was made in the original plan
and each set of line officers Captains
and Lieutenants, you know quarters
has eight rooms. The commanding
officers quarters is very handsome
building, sixteen rooms. The. officers
quarters, have mansard roofs, that is
why we get more rooms. This was
intended to be the largest and best
post in the L. S. but unfortunately
the money has been exhausted, and
the work not near finished. One hum
dred thousand dollars was appropriat-
ed, and it is gone, and | suppose there
will be some delay about the next ap-
preparations. 1t is great undertak-
ing to build such post as this out
here. There are "wheels within
wheels" so many men at work, each
with his part assigned him, some max
ing brick, others hauling them, some
digging stone from the hills and bring
ing that in; but | could not begin to
tell you of all the work that goes on
here. l am wonderfully impressed
by yankee enterprise and energy"
The soldiers have worked real hard,
too; they go: the stone from the hills
and mountains. They worked all the
summer digging stone, and not one
cent of extra pay for them, and the
officers have not led lives of "dream>
full ease," though they have been mel
ancholy enough because they could
not. The soldiers have been doing
carpenters work this month; they
have put all the shingles on the Off
GERS quarters, and as soon as it is too
cold to stay in tents, some of them
must make ten days march to their
winter quarters at Fort Shaw. The
quartermaster's wife and daughter
spent several weeks here during the
summer; our bachelors were devoted
to the young lady and quite distin-
guished themselves in the hops and
parties they gave in her honor. Wo
did not 60 to these hops, of course,
but we sat in our tent, or walked in
front of it, if it CHANGED to be
moonlight, and listened to the sweet
strains of the selection of Pinafore,"
or the Beautiful Blue Danube ming
led with the howls and cries of the
Coyotes. We are serenaded nightly
by these wolves. / was afraid at first
that they would devour Nix and Conn,
but we soon discovered that they, Nix
and Conn did not desire any acquaint-
ance with such distant relatives, for
when the Coyotes begin to howl, our
dogs come home and retire.
The latest excitement has been a
bear in camp. The officer of the
day while making his rounds one
night about two weeks ago, saw in
front of him large dark object, ne
couldn't tell whether it was man or
beast. A sentinel near challenged,
and the object ran off towards the
creek. The officer declared, next |
morning that he was sure it was a
bear he had seen, but he was only "chaf-
fed" very few believed it was a bear;
but, you know Mr.. M. was greatly |
interested; the bare idea was enough |
for him. He Immediately determin-
ed to have a shot at the bear. He
came on duty as the officer of the day |
the next day and laid his plans. The
officer of the day makes his rounds.
that is, visits the guard, sentinel and |