Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-12-03

cisco. and. having missed the steamer, Sc
cured an overland passage to Washington;
tboueht better of it, and partly changed his
mind mn hour after the ticket was purchases
but ,nnulil,c. once having made practical
stcp in a wrong direction, he kept on rather
than admit an Inconsistency to himself. Yet
he was not entirely satisfied that his journey
WINS a business one The impulslvc, weak lit
file Mistress Carmen had prudcnty scored
one against the strong man.
Only II small part of the present great
transcontincntal railway at this time had
been built. and was but piers at either end OF
n dcsolatc and wild expansc rs yet unlridgeh.
When the overland traveller left the rail at
Reno. he left, as it were, civilization with lti
and until he reached the Nebraska frontier,
the res, of his road was only the Old clnlgraho
trail Travelled by coaches of the overland
company. Excepting part OF "l'cNI Cuil-
Won" the way was unpicturcsquc ana haUi
and the passage of the Rocky MOUNTAINS lar
from suggesting the alleged poetry OF that
rogiou wa. ouly a reminder of those sterile
/ distances of Il level Now England landscape
The Journey was dreary monotony lhat
was scarcely cnlvened by its discomforts,
meyer amounting to actual accident on Incl
dent but utterly destructive to all nervous
Tissue. Insanity often supcvcncd. ION the
third day out said Hank Monk, urlVer
Speaking casually but charitably OF a rare
ION the third day out, after aXlnS no end
of question, and getting no answers, he TOOK
to chewing straws that he picked outer
the cushion. aud kussn to hissclf. From
that very day knew it was all over with
him. and handed him over to his trends at
'Shv Ann strapped to the back seat, and
/ rovin' and cussn at Ben Holiday, the gen
tlemanlv proprietor" 1t is presumed that
the unfortunate tourists indignation was eX-
cited at the late Mr.. Benjamin Holiday, then
tho proprietor of the line-an evidence Oh ms
insanity that no one who knew that large
hearted. fastdiouS and elegantly-cultured
Californian since allied to foreign nobility,
will for "A moment doubt
Mr.. Royal Thatcher was too old and expe-
renced a mountaineer to do aught but accept
patiently and cyncaly his brother Caltor-
MANS method of increasing his profits. As it
was generally understood that any one who
came from California by that route had some
dark design, the victim received little sym
pathy Thatchcr'S equablc temperament and
indomitablc win stood him i'll good stead, and
helped him cheerfully in this emergency He
ate his scaut meals, and otherwise took care Of
the function, of his weak human nature, when
and where he could, without grumbiing, and
mt times earned even the praise of his driver
by his ability to rough it." Which trough
inc it, bV the way, meant the ability Of the
passengers to accept the incompctency of the
company. It is true there were times when he
regretted that he had not taken the steamer;
but then he reelected that he was one of n
vigilance committee, sworn to hang that adj
mirablc man. the late Commodore Cornelius
Vanderbi t. for certain practices and cruelties
done upon the bodies of certain stecrage pas
sengcrs by his line, and for divers irrcSulari-
ties in their transportation. | mention this
fact merely to show how so practical and
stout n Voyagcr as Thatcher might have con
founded the pelpexities attending the admin
istration Of Il great steamship company with
selfish greed and brutality; and that he, with
other Califolmians, may not have known the
fact, since recorded 10y the commodorc's fam
ily clergyman, that the great millionaire was
always true to the hymns Of his childhood.
Nevertheless, Thatcher found time to he
cheerful AMI helpful to his fellow passengers,
and even - be 50 far interesting to "Nuba
Bill" the driver, as to have the box seat placed
at his disposal. But, said Thatcher in son e
concern, the box seat was purchased 10y that
other gentleman in Sacramento. He paid ex-
ira for it, and his names ON your way billr'
"That,' said Yuba Bill, scornfully, don't
fetch mo, even eff he chartered the whole She
bang. Look var do you reckon I'm goin to
Spite my temper by setting next to a man
with a game eye! And such an eye! &c
whillikins Why, darn my skin, the other
day when we We're watering at WebSter'S he
got down and passed in front of the or leader
that Yer pinto colt that's Tn accustomed to
lniinS grille, and huilalo-anl I'm bless cf,
when her eye tackled his ef she didn't jist lit
up and rar round that reckoncl I'd hev to
60 down and take them binders of from her
eyes and clap on his" But he paid his
money, and is entitled to his seat" persisted
Thatcher "Mcbbe he s-n the Office of the
some folks knowed that out in the plains
| run this yer team myself a fact which
was srlf-cyident to most Of the passengers
81 suppose his authority is as absolute on this
dreary waste as ship captains in mid
ocean," exclaimed Thatcher to the halcful-
eyed stranger. Mr. Wilcs-whom the reader
has recogniaed-aSsenled with the public side
of his face, but looked vengeance at Nuba
Bill with the other, while Thatcher, innocent
of the presence of one of his worst enemies,
placated Bill SO far as to restore Wilcs to his
rights. Wilcs thanked him. shall | have
tho pleasure of your company far Wies
asked, insinuatingly ITO Washington" re-
piled Thatcher, frankly. Washington is Il
gay city during the session. again suggested
the stranger I'm going on business, said
Thatcher, blunty
a trihing incident occurred at Pine Tree
Crossing which did not heighten Yuba Bills
admiration of the stranger. As Bill opened
the double locked hoy in thn ,bootV of tbo