Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-01-01
New Year on the Frontier.
By Sonora Isabella.


The sun was slipping down behind the
Frisco mountains. Peak after peak
lighted up as with fire for an instant
then faded to q cod snowy white Until
then the day had been dark and gloomy
showing hard most of the time, and
everywhere was a mantle of white
which reached out miles and miles, with
nothing to break the vast eXpanse save
pinor, or ragged cactus tree, and Span
ish needle.
1t was desolate place, away out in
Arizona, On the very outskirts OF clviliza-
ton. A railroad trailcd like great SER
pent over the narrow valley and was
lost to the eye among the foot hills.
Just where it crossed one of the great
chasms SO common in that country, was
an iron bridge spanning the yawning
rent in mother earth, and not far from
it stood lonely house, the only sign OF
human habitation in all that dreary
space.
Canon Diabolo was well named, for q
more diabolcal hole could not well be
found, but that great motor of clviliza-
ton, the railroad, had crossed its seem
ingly impossible boundaries and gone far
on west. On its eastern bank, during
the process of constructing the huge
granite pillars which upheld the iron
trusses, tented town had sprung up,
where for months sin and crime held
high carnival among the hardened
wIetches who gathered there. Life was
of small value, held no dearer than the
powder and lead with which it might be
ended. When the railroad went on to-
ward the setting sun the tents followed
it, and the one house, used as q depot
and telegraph Office, was left isolated
and alone.
The agent was at one time All operator
in Chirago, but the failing health of his
wife induced him to try what mountain
air would 10 for her, so they turned
their faces westward, and came to halt.
ing just is sight of the beautiful Frisco
hills. Their one girl was womanly child
twelve.
In that scarcely settled country the
stations were nothing but water tanks
and small sheds for the pump man to
live in. They were many miles apart,
and one man generally tended two en-
gines and tanks.
Mr.. Gale was operator at Canon Dia-
bolo, and his wife being as skillful as
himself at the instrument, he had token
charge of the tanks at Canon Diabolo
and Angels, fifteen miles west, thus add
ing to their little income, and Mrs. Gale
did most of the operating. 1t was Mr..
Gales custom to go west on the early
freight TO Angels, fill the tank and re-
turn to Canon Diabolo on the $40 freight
in the afternoon.
The morning in question was the last
day of the old year, and had opened so
foIbiddingly that Mr.. Gale hesitated be.
fore making up his mind to leave the
canon.
Il wish you wouldn't 60 to Angels to-
day." said Mrs. Gale. "The snow is
drifting badly, and will be stopping the
trains" &C d." came clicking over the
wires, and Mrs. Gale went to the key to
answer the summons.
mo. two hours behind at Flagstaff.
Snow filling the cuts. Engineer reports
tank at Angels out of fix and leaking
badly. Go out on No. 4 and repair
damages if possible"
THAT settles il Laura. That tank has
been out of fix for a month. have re-
ported it a dozen times, but the well
force are SO busy on the west end of the
road that no attention has been paid to
it. There isn't tank west of Angels
that will hold water, and it won't hold
long if this weather continues" While
Mr.. Gale was speaking he was getting
together the things he would need to
take with him. Suddenly the shrilI
whistle of No. 4 was heard, and hurried
iy bidding his wife vanish all thought of
danger, he kissed Meta, his little girl,
and running out stepped on the engine
as it came slowly by.
Hello Gale. If had home think
Iwould stay in it to-day" was the greet
ing of engineer Cushing.
$50 would, if hadn't been ordered
out of it. Do you stop here for orders."
mo, we will take orders at the box at
Angels. They won't be much account