Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-11-01
THE COLONEL.
He Realizes His Duty as Di.
rector and Does It

he ho6llZo9 a16 OuCy as a III.
rector and Does It
Durin' war times the gorillas he'd
torn up most of the cypress ties an
used 'em for kindlin' an stove wood,
an the result wuz that when the war
wuz over there wuzn't any think left
NV the Han bull md St. 10 but the roll
in stock md the two streaks Nv rails
from one end Nv the road to the other.
In the spring NV 81 had to go out
into Kansas. and taking the HANDFUL
md St. 10 at Palmyry Junction wuzn't
long in findin' out that the Han bull md
st. 10 railroad wuz jist about the wust
cast of rollin' prairer l ever struck.
There wuz one bunk left when !
boarded the sleepin' car and he'd
presence NV mind huff to ketch on to
it. 1t wuz then just about dusk an the
niger that sort Nv run things in the
car seq to me: Boss" SEE he, "rll
have to get you to please not to snore
tonight, but to be uncommon quiet. ~
what for?" seq l. "Hain't paid
my 81 an hain't entitled to all the
Injuries NV the OUTFIT"
Then the niger leant over an told
me that Colonel Elijah Gates, one Nv
the directors NV the road an the
the richest man in Marion County,
wuz aboard, an it wuz one of the rules
NV the company not to do any think to
bother him or get him to sell his
stock.
The niger pointed out Colonel
Gates nd l took look at him as he
sot readin' the Palmyry Spectator.
He wuz one of our kind NV people
long. raw-boned md husky. He
looked to be about sixty-may be not
quite on to sixty. He wuzn't both.
cred with much hair onto his head.
md his beard was shaved, all except
two rims or fringes Nv it that ran
down the sides Nv his face nd met
underneath his chin. This fringe
filled up his neck SO tibet he didn't
hev to wear no collar, md he hadn't
no jewelry about him excep' a big
carnelian bosom pin that he'd the
picture NV a woman's head on it in
white. His specs sot we'll down on
his nose nd l could see his blue eyes
over 'em, small eyes, but kind III
good-natured. Between his readin'
Nv his paper nd his eatin' plug ter
hacker he KEEP toler'ble busy till
come bedtime. The rest on us KEEP
as quiet as We could, for We knew
it wuz an honor to ride in the same
sleepin' car with the richest man in
Marion County nd director Nv the
HANDFUL nd St. 10, to boot.
Along about eight o'clock the
Colonel reckoned he'd tumble into bed
when he'd drawed his boots nd hung
up his coat md laid in a fresh hunk
NV nat raj leaf he crawled into the best
bunk nd presently we heerd him
sleepin'. There wuz nuthin' else for
the rest NV us to do but to foller suit,
md we did.
1t must have been about an hour
later-say along about Prairie City
that a woman came aboard with q
baby. There wern't no bunk for her,
but the niger allowed that she might
sit back near the stove, for the baby
'peared to be kind Ov sick like nd the
woman looked like she had been cryin'
Whether it was the jouncin' ov the
car or whether the young one wuz
hungry or he'd collie into it l dom,
know. but any how the train hadn't
pulled out Nv Prairie City afore the
baby began to take on. The Niger
the young woman that she'd have to
keep the baby quiet because Colonel
Lily Gates, one Nv the directors Nv the
road. wuz in the car nd wunt be dis.
turbed. The young woman caught up
the baby scart-like nd taxed soothin'
to it nd covered its little face with
her shawl nd done all them things
tibet women do to make babies 60 te
sleep.
But the baby trould cry. and, in
spite of all the young woman nd the
niger could do. Colonel Elijah Gate:
heard the baby cryin'. nd SO hi
walked up. First his two blue yarr
socks come through the curtain nc
then his long legs nd long body nc
long face hove into sight. He come
Gown the car to the young woman nj
looked at her over his specs. Didn'
seem to be the least bit mad; jes
solemn nd bizness like.
My dear madam" SEE he to tn,
young woman, '.you must do sumpin
to keep that child quiet These PEG
pie have all paid for their hunks nj
they are entitled to q good night
sleep. OF course know how tits will
young children-wiN cry sosnctimes-
have raised 'leven Nv EN- myself. M
know all about EN-. But as directo