The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-08-16

days combined some trade with
their labOrs, ina order To get the
necessities Of life. One Of these
diyines cleared quite q profit from
! the products OF his little dairy.
! A man named Booth, with
a slave, kept the ferry that
afforded access to the beautiful
I valley across the river. He came Ia
the place with quite large sum Of
money and as security against theft,
| hid il at the foot of certain cotton
wood tree, bat afterwards forgot
which Que. He spent days in dig
/ ging, but all TO no avail. No doubt
| the money is still there, long hidden
from the eyes Of man, and centuries
/ hence may he unearthed, offering
/ new food for antiquarians.
| so closely was the history Of Fort
/ Riley connected with that Of the
| City Of Pawnee in lS55, that ! cannot
| speak of one without touching
| upon events connected with the
/ other.
During the winter Of - and 80,
Major Montgomery, commander al
| the Fort, proved himself a true
friend Of humanity. To the starv-
ing settlers, who had located on adj
[ Joining claims and were driven
nither and thither by savage tribes
OF Indians, he issued ratiOns, and by
his thoughtful generosity helped
| them in many ways.
His successor, Major Ogden, took
command during the following
summer. He came from Baltimore,
leaving his family behind. During
his short stay, he gained the love
and respect Of all over whom he was
placed. Always kind and cOnsid
crate, he soon gained complete con-
troll over his men. A word from
him was the law of love.
a man from Cincinnati, by the
name of Sawyer, had the contract
for erecting barracks, stables, and
other buildings at the Fort, and he
sent to Cincinnati and st. Louis for
mechanics.
The last reinforcement OF work
men brought with them the cholera,
which soon spread and became
epidemic. Labor was entirely sus-
pended, and those who did not fly
from the dread disease were employ
ed as nurses, until they, too, were
laid low.
Dr. Simms, the Fort surgeon, hur-
ried away, leaving the poor unfOTtu-
mates without medical assistance.
The commander sent to Manhattan
for "A physician. Doctor WhitehOTn
answered the summons. He work
ed early aud late, and TO him
much gratitude Is due. He after
wards became Assistant Surgeon.
Chaplain ReynOlds-whO grew old
in the Forts service-sent his family
away, but remained behind to work
Tor the sick and sOOthe the pains of
the dying. Mr.. Wilson, the sutleT,
locked his store, put his family into
an ambulance, jumping in after
wards, and hurried away.
Major Ogden went about among
the death-stricken patients, never
resting, but devOting every moment
to caring for those who were beyond
hope. He offered high wages TO the
citizens at lasge, as nurses, aud even
then sufficient help could not be had
to dig graves for the decaying bodies.
The dying men, i'm frantic efforts for
relief, broke open the door OF the
suffers store and carried out whisky
in hats, boots, or anything their
haIids could rest upon. The long,
wide balconies that surround the
barracks to-day, were then covered
with the dying and the dead, who,
no longer able to stand the sitting
heat within, had crawled out upon
these pOrches, hoping to find n
breath OF cool air, and there breath
ed their last.
AgOnlZing shrieks rent the air and
death grOans were heard at every
corner. Major Ogden never wearied
nor Jagged by the wayside, but all
day long brushed the cold damp
from the brOws, and listened to the
last messages Of the dying.
One morning he felt himself with
in the grasp Of the dread destroyer,
and sending for citizen who had
become his able assistant In caring
for the sick. to him Major Ogden
confided his belief that his time was
short, but eniOined secrecy as TO his
sickness, to avoid a panic among the
men.
Towards noon he died. Those ac-
to seeing him on his hour
IL rounds Of duty, missed him and
begged to know the worst.
They reasoned, "Of n surety he
must be dead, or our good COM
nander would be with u.s.