The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1883-02-17
THE WEST IN 1919.


I
webb.
]. Watson Webb writes as follows
to the New York Times: am obliged
to you for your kind remarks accom-
panying your publication to-day of my
letter to the COMM. tee of the Trow-
bridge banquet at Detroit, on Friday
last, but am compelled to decline the
honor of claiming in that letter to be
81 Why, that would make me the
contemporary OF my friends Peter
Cooper and Charles II. Russell, who
looked upon me as mere boy as com
pared to their ripper and more mature
period Of life, and who have so justly
won by their length of years and & od
works the honor and respect of all
classes of our fellow citizens. Well
may be proud of their honors, and long
may they be spared to enjoy them. L
am not only made to say in that letter
! that lam 81 instead OF. so, but also made
to claim that 1 was lieutenant OF ar
tillery. stationed at Detroit in 1929, in
stead 1919, whereas in 1929 was actively
engaged in this city in editing the
Courieran Enquirer In fact, shall
not be 81 until the Sth Of February,
and when | reflect upon the progress
of our country since | first entered the
army in 1919, it is scarcely possible to
realize the experience Of single life
time.
was stationed at Detroit when its
population was only 1000; it is now
upward OF 10000. 1 was stationed at
st. Louis when its population was 25,-
600; it now exceeds $4,000. l WAS
stationed Chicago ten years before
the first house was erected, and its pres.
emit population exceeds 100000. When
l first passed through Buffalo in 1919,
it contained some fifty houses, and it
now boasts population of nearly 300,-
600. AT thai slime the shipping of lakes
Erie, Hurol and Michigan consisted OF
one steamer, the Walk-in-the-Water,
lying high and dry on the shore near
Buffalo; three small schooners, tho
Decatur, the Jackson and the, and
one hermaphordite bring belonging to
Canada. Who shall enumerate the
craft OF the lakes now? Then, as com
missary of subsistence at Detroit. re-
ceived my pork and flour for our com
mand from Buffalo, and contracted for
my beef with the late General Vaneer,
of Ohio. who drove his animals through
the black swamp to Detroit, at 81 cents
per pound. Then all the regions west
of the lakes was bowling wilderness,
and when, as adiutant of the Sd Regi
ment, accompanied tho regiment up
to Fox river and down tho Wisconsin
(Ouisconsin the French had named it,,
the Indians alone occupied the country
and the Winnehagoes forbade our pass
ing through Winnebago lake. l, as ad
jutant, was sent by my colonel (Leaven-
WORTH to have talk with them, il be-
ing beneath his dignity to meet them.
We held n council on the banks Of the
lake, and | was Rravoly told that the
gates OF the lake were closed and we
could not pass through them. 1 de-
manded the keys, and received the an
swer that they were at the bottom OF
the lake and could not be furnished.
To which l replied that it was of no
consequence, as my Che-o-ge-ma Ind
q key of his own, consisting of 800
bayonets in the hands OF 500 che-mo ka-
men (soldiers) that at 6 o'clock on the
following morning we should open the
gates of the like and that we should
shoot any Indian who approached either
the river or lake.
We had similar annoyances from the
Indians at the portage from the Fox to
the Wisconsin river, but they were only
idle threats. Now all Wisconsin and
the west OF the Mississippi are we'll
settled, AourishiDg states. And all this
during the active period of single
life. Then all the region OF which
write was solitary wilderness, occu-
pied by the Indian only and game upon
which he lived. Now it boasts a popu
lation of 100000 OF intelligent, en-
terprising, and prosperous freemen.
Pardon this depression. l indended
simply to protect against my being as
sumed to be 81.