Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-09-13
Social Life on the Pralries.

FOR more than month the writer has not
heard the whistle of a locomotive, nor seen a
daily newspaper He has learned how indie
pendent men may become OF these things. To
be so miles and more from telegraph station
lowers ones ideas of telegraphy. A telegram
and letter dispatched at the same time from a
great city to aninland prairie town are likely to
be delivered together: probably the letter NAV
come first. The mail system grows In import
ance. Riding out upon the prairie 10 or 20
III lies from the nearest embryo of town. one
comes upon a sOd-hOuse with ''pOst Office
rudely painted on a board over the window or
door, or on a box nailed to Tough post A
letter or postal dropped here will find it's way
after definite intervalto any part of the world.
After riding so miles, perhaps. across prairie
down into the steep draws" or ''canons.' -
where at times the track is but torrent bed
then up again with jots and bumps to the
divide" over creek, with a rickety bridge
OF logs and dirt exactly six inches wider
than your wagon from wheel to wheel. YOU
may come all at once upon cluster of white
buildings skirted with q few sod dwellings
or stables, and looking on the bare hillside
like the pictures of some ancient eastern town
In Sunday-schOOl books. There is almost sure
to be one building conspicuous for size and
height. and this is the public school, Perhaps
little church spire also appears somewhere in
the picture. In these little towns the school is
usually the first public building thought of
then probably church, and after that a court
house and a ''lock-up" The private houses are
generally insignificant looking affairs. Lumber
for building is at least three times more costly
than in the middle states An average and. it
may be said. even model house fit for lead
ing inhabitant, is q One-stOry cottage 20 feet
by 80. more or less. with parlOr. kitchen and
two or three small bedrooms all on one floor.
bedroom in which you can get to the other
side of the bed without climbing over it or
moving it is luxury only just coming into
fashion. But the schOOl-house is sure to be of
stately dimensions and furnished with the latest
appliances. The 'principal' gets probably $50
or 200 month; junior teachers. $50 or $50.
This for the towns ranked as county seats or
of size equivalent. Scattered over the prairie
are little township and district sod schools,
which are also used as Sunday schools and
preaching stations.
In the built-up towns there are sure to be
some considerable stores with large stocks of
merchandise. Happily in this region there are,
at present, few saloons, and little fragrant in
temperance. Nebraska is thigh license"
state, but In the newer towns off the line of the
railroad, public feeling practically prohibits the
traffic. Kansas is now prohibition state, and
the good effect of this is apparent to the most
superficial observer. In towns where three or
four years ago rOwdyism and murder ruled the
day and made night Infamous, people now feel
that life and property are secure. The condi-
ton of society has wonderfully changed for the
uCttCi pIoulDIiOil d ldCt- "A law
less and border population has become trans
formed into peaceful and prosperous cOmmu-
nifty. Every one sees and understands this and
the good sense of the people condemns the liquor
traffic in any and every sphere irrespective of
politics.
The society of the little prairie towns now
rapidly growing into centers of influence and
trade, is made up of very diverse elements.
Still, the prevailing tone is essentially Ameri-
can. There are here and there settlements of
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Russians, etc, but in this
region they are the exception. There are very
few Irish. Here and there is a family of Ger
man descent. More frequently still English and
Scotch people. But the bulk of the people IN
town or country are of American paren:age.
OF coored people the writer has seen but one
in the past four or five weeks. Most of the
people seem to have come from Iowa, Indiana.
Wisconsin. Illinois, Missouri and Ohio. All the
eastern and northern states are. however prob
ably very well represented. There are people
of almost every grade of culture. The writer
has asked the question scores of times:
"Do you wish you could 90 back to your
eastern homer" In not one case has the
answer been in the affirmative. Not few
have homes Of comparative luxury-''ceed"
and stored houses, and hired servants,
but. as rule, people trough it, and learn to
do with as few conventional accessories as pos
sible. The writer was honOred with invitations
to several social and dinner parties. There is
nothing ceremonious in these gatherings. The
ladies of the family wait at their own tables,
and are rather proud of it. In one case the
company assembled in the parlor of frame
farmhouse and the signal being given for din
ner, followed the mistress Of the house across
the sward to the old sod dwelling into an ample
dining room with an adjoining kitchen. where
repast was served that was both appetizing and
abundant. The gentlemen came in to dinner
promptly at noon from the farm washed their
hands and faces at the ''settle" outside, and sat
down in their shirt-sleeves Nobody was en-
barrassed, and conversation flowed freely. This
was at prairie farm. At evening gatherings
In towns more fOrmalty is observed. Judges,
lawyers, clergymen, bankers, merchants, and
their families meet each other on these occa-
sions, and with music and conversation while
away few hours. And these little inner circles
are. in their way, exclusive too. Character and
certain fitness of mannerism are Indispensable
to admission to them, but the mere absence of
wealth is no disqualification.