Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-03-07
Indian Joe.
A TRLEaRAPHER's STORY.

TRLEGRAPHER S STORY.
In the summer and autumn of 1868 I
was the operator in charge of the Over
land Telegraph Company's Office at
Plum Creek Station, Neb., about fifty
miles west of Fort Kearney.
Before / took charge at Plum Greek
q company of soldiers had been sta
toned there to keep the unfriendly In
dams in subsection and to subdue any
outbreak on the part of those who
pretended to be on good terms with
the Government. But affairs on the
plains being quiet, the presence of the
troops was considered no longer neces-
sary, and they were ordered into
Omaha.
Every one else out there being SO
confident that no danger threatened
them, l went to work without any APP
prehension myself of coming troubles.
The company furnished me with coed
horse, two navy revolvers, and car
bine, and my quarters were in an adobe
building, called in the parlance of the
plains "dobey." The walls were
built of sod, and the roof was built of
strong cottonwood logs in the place OF
rafters, and covered with the same ma
terial that the walls were composed of.
In the summer time grass and flowers
grew up on the sides and top of the
"dobey," and made it o very pleasant
place of abode.
My communication with the people
of the world was rather limited, the
only persons I ever saw being travellers
in the overland stage. movers in OK
wagons bound for the Pacific slope, and
an occasional visit from ranchman
Of the plains.
For while the novelty of being al
most entirely alone and free from the
restraints that civilized life imposes
upon us WAS very pleasant, but when /
became accustomed to this, the silence
of the desert during the daytime was
almost oyerpowering, and there were
times when i almost sighed for sight
of even q hostile Indian. The ship
q wrecked sailor who is cast away in mid
ocean alone in boat, finds some escape
from the lonesome stiffness in the soft
splashing of the waves, but man alone
on the plains has not even that much
noise to break the dread monotony.
There were no birds there to charm the
ear and lend an air of life to the scene,
except now and then the screech of the
desert hawk could be heard, the notes
of which were unmusical and far apart
Sitting in my little Office some days.
everything was SO hushed and still
could almost imagine that everybody
else in the world was dead, and that I
had been left behind as sentinel
guarding their tombs. I often found
myself wondering what the feelings of
man would be if he knew there was
not living being in the world beside
himself, and he was destined to live
through all ages to come surrounded
by an everlasting silence. At night
the scene from my Office window was
weird and ghost-like, but the rayenous
coyotes broke the stiffness that reigned
throughout the day by swapping and
snarling at each other until the morn
ing dawned.
For the sake of passing the time, I
got to firing at the creatures with my
carbine and revolvers, and it was as
tonishlng to note how quick they would
devour one when he fell, pierced by o
bullet. Some nights would kill four
or five, and in the morning when I
went out to see what remained of their
earcases, not bone would be found
left behind. In time I discovered that
they would tear the flesh from the
bones and then carry them to their
lairs to pick during the day. I killed
buffalo, antelopes, and iack-rabbits un-
til l wearied OF even that kind ofsport,
and SO glad was to see anything hu-
man, the ugliest and most ignorant
man on the globe would have been an
honored and welcome guest. After re-
naming month in that vast solitude,
resolved to throw up my position
although 1t was lucrative one-and
go where could have the company of
at least one human being, but an Incl
dent occurred Just at that time which
caused me to alter my determination.
Sitting one day in the door of my
dobey," peeling some potatoes for
dinner, was startled by the appear
ance OF shadow but little distance
from me. CHANGING up suddenly.
"Lo the poor Indian" was standing
few feet from the door with lordly
mein and an air which thought de-
noted an intention to possess himself
OF my scalp. Not desiring, however, to
part with it. / sprang from my seat
and had him covered with my carbine
before he had time to "get the drop "
"a me.
''Pale face no shoot. Heap good
friend" said he. "Me good Iniun.
and do heap work for pale faces.
Cooky and wash good. Pawnee brave
-ughr'
At first was under the impression
that there was more than one present.
but when I discovered my mistake /
put down my carbine and felt no fur
Their alarm.
He told me he had been captured by
the Sioux from the Pawnee tribe, but