Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-12-04

ThFinins Narrative OF Frontier E4psrl


tale IN the Sun to-day, as follows:
1 have before me an old circus bin Of
which my Uncle Peter Nixon. is repre-
scented as ''SignOr Glani6" and pictured
as tossing cannon balls In the air as a
boy would ming up aPPles. The bill
says Of him: ave viii pay a reward Of
81, 900 to anyone who can match him in
feats OF strength" For i've or six years
he travelled with one show and another
as "The Original Cannon Ball Man" and
1t is a solemn fact that he performed
everything put down for him on the
bills. He was a veritable Goliah in
strength, fairly skilled in boxing and
wrestling, and many q legal celebrity
who took hold Of Uncle Peter to Law him
IN the dust went away sadder and wiser
In 1860 he became Disguised with travel,
married a widow in st. Paul and, after
the honeymoon, the pair settled down
on a piece Of wild land a few miles from
the New UIm. As Peter had not been
able to save any money on the road he
figured that he could not do worse as q
pioneer. He WIS, moreover, rather taken
with the idea Of pioneer life and when ne
found himself buried IN the woods. four
or five miles from the nearest settler and
deprived Of everything IN the way OF
luxury, he was not a bit discouraged.
When the Indian troubles Of 1862
first began to crop up Uncle Peter and
mis- wife were urged to seek the protsc-
non of some fort or settlement. By this
time he had a clearing OF twenty acres
or more around his house, had planted
corn and potatoes and was the owner OF
a yoke of oxen, a horse, a COW and sever
al head Of young stock. To leave his
farm would be to leave everything to go
to ruin, and he determined to stick.
When this decision was made known to
his wife she declared that she would al
so remain, although he was anxious to
have her seek protection in the nearest
settlement. Uncle Peter had time to
learn something OF Indian character
there being scarcely a day but that he
encouraged some Of them. and while
many called him "brOther' and express
ed the greatest admiration for him, he
felt that his scalp would be no safer than
/ any other mans In case the redskins
went on the Warpath. His decision to
remain had no sooner been taken than
/ he began preparations to defend his own.
U p
cabin, made lOOp-hOles at different points
and built heavy shutters for the windows
/ The next move was TO make the roof.
tre-prOOf. By filing the spaces be
/ tween the binders, which ran length
/ wise with the roof, with earth, he very
nearly accomplished the object sought
for.
The cabin stood on a knoll about 200
! feet from a creek. Peter had only one
barrel which he could fill with water
/ The log barn stood sbout $50 feet iron
/ the house, and that structure, Of course
/ he had no idea Of defending. If attacked
/ by the Indians they would probably
/ shoot the stock and set fire to the barr
at once. His preparations for a siege
had not gone unnOdced by the Indians
who called at the cabin as usual and who
seemed to have anything else but muir.
der IN their hearts. They asked why he
was going to all this trouble, and be
answered that some bad white men had
sworn to have his life, and he wanted t.
/ be ready for them. 1t is doubtful if the
redskins believed his story, while on the
other hand he dropped no hint that ht
anticipated any trouble, When the var
iOus tribes we're all ready the war opened
aud they turned themselves loose to Kill
and scalp. For three days not an In
dian appeared at Uncle Pete's cabin, MOI
did he see one in the neighborhOod
This he took as a hint that their plans
we're about ripe and he kept his weather
eye open. On the afternoon Of the DAY
before the war whOop sounded he decid
ed to turn all his stock loose to run thei
chances, and 1t may be said here that hi
afterWard recovered the oxen and horses
AS the sun went down he barred tn,
door, put the shutters up to the window
and turned his faithful dog out door
that he might give the alarm IN case thu
Indians came under the cover OF dark
ness to set fire to the barn. The arm
in the house consisted OF q rife, a double
barreIled shot gun and a revolver. Mrs
Nixon had Practiced shooting with a re
VOiver, and though not a good marks
man, she had considerable skill. TIL
night passed without the slightest alarm
and the morning brought such a beauG
full day and everything seemed so peace
ful that between 8 and 10 o'clock INCL,
Peter determined to venture out. On,
Z
and when he left the cabin it was for tn,
purpose Of driving it OF again. Tn,
calf moved around the corner Of the barr
as Nixon approached, and Just as he wal
turning the corner after it five Indiana
in war paint appeared before him. EacE
Of his arms were seized by a warrior
and as he stood there too dazed and dumb
founded for moment to speak or act
the leader Of the Indians chuckled his
satisfaction and said: "Good. Littl,
Crow want you. Come along.
His words seemed to arouse Uncle Pc
ter from his trance. With a yell which
could have been heard above any war.
whOOp he flung the two warriors to right
and left and seized the leader. Ina iiffy
he had shaken him loose from his weap.
ons and slammed him against the barn
with AWFUL force. It was a little surprise
party for the Indians, you see, and be-
fore they could rally the signOr doubled
one up with a kick In the stomach,
smashed anOther's face with a blow OF
his fist. and after swinging the leader IL
the air and hurting him to the ground, the
| ncanOn- ball man made a run for the cabin
| and reached it without being fred at
After the uprising had been subdued
and peace restored, he was told that the
plan was to capture him alive for tor
ture. In his tussle with them he broKe
one Indians arm and severely bruised
\ two others.
When Uncle Peter dashed into the
cabin he made his wife acquainted with
/ the situation In a word and they picked
/ up the guns and went to the IOop-holes