Omaha daily bee., 1888-12-10
THE COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER
Adventures of aTrio on the West
ern Prairies.
TALKS WITH eRlpsAck KNIGHTS.
Death OF Veteran Travelling Sales
map-The Iowa Banquet-Meet-
OF the Union Notes
Along the Line.


| from Gothenburg to Farnam, a distance OF
| some twenty miles, through the most deso-
late part of our Nebraska frontier. Their
names are Tom Harvey, Jim Hughes and S.
p. Brockway, and those who are fortunate
enough to have their acquaintance will say
that more jovial trio never Travelled to-
gether. The road, or trail rather, leads
through sand hills and across rugged and
almost perpendicular canyons and impene-
trable gorges. Now and then dugout in
the side of miniature mountain marked the
existence of the isolated homcsteader To
pass the time pleasantly our travellers would
indulge in their ever ready wit suited to a
good story, and just as the vehicle surged
into rut, and as jim was putting on the
finishing touches of ''whopper' and
ers was just ready to burst
forth in peals of laughter at
the climax of the story, the axle broke
Brockway rolled out and Tom came tumb.
ling after The bronchos reared and
plunged and sought to eXtricate themselves
from the buggy, but the agility with which
Biuckway was possessed, frustrated their
designs, and he in an instant had them by
the bride, while Little Willien (he was the
driver), held taut the reins. Here was a pre-
dicament. Far out in the desert. no house in
sight, not a human being in hearing dis
tanCe, night was approaching and with 1t
the cold and chilly evening blast of Dccem-
ber The fertile brains of all were taxed to
invent some way out of the scrape, but for
time to no purpose.
"Aha,h says Tom, as he squats himself
upon tuft of bunch grass and deliberately
draws from pocket of his inside coat.
flask Of good old 50, which a friend had
given him to use in case OF snake bite, ~
have au active stimulant Come hither boys
and brighten up your tagging spirits.
Drink to the health and comfort of our
selves" a surprised look passed among
them, for no one would suspect that Tom
carried anything of the kind with him, but
all inGulged in Il social nip. A moment
passed, and then, as though seized with an
Inspiration Jim majestically speaks out: ut
remains for me to be the hero of this occa-
sion, will mount the buckskin broncho and
the other l will lead, and go forth to seek u
hOmesteader beyond the hills of sand, for the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy cOrnplanter
must be sold throughout the land. go, but
/ will return with the means of our. escape
Doubt not my ability to perform the act.
Hours of suspense came and went. Twl-
light had merged into darkness. The vast
soitudes of the wilderness were made reso-
nant with the dismal wailing howl of the
cadaverous coyote, who sits,upon his tail and
throws back his head in the ecstasy of dis
cord and makes the night hideous with his
dOlcful noise.
'rhose brutes take me for the slayer of
all their kin because l wear this overcOat
y
think they will attack us: There seems TO
be millious of them cOngregatng, judging
from the noise they are making. nave been
wrecked on the waters of Lake ManaWa,
chased by policemen in Omaha, ditched in
railroad wrecks, but never i'll all my life
have | found so serious an occasion as
this. If ever / ' get out alive the
Pattee cultivator company may seek for
another man to sell their goods i'll this terri
tory 0, why doesn't Jimmy Gomez
RrOplIyav. off n few feet to himself sDIilo- |
quizes: John Dodds make his Tiger rake to
be used in civilized countries although the
name would Indicate 1t could be used in the
jungles of Indla.n
A Screech owl perched on an adjacent |
preclpice, breaks out in aSonizing screams,
his thoughts.
Jumping to one side OF his companions, he
screams: "That is nothing more nor less |
than the demoniac scream of the hungry |
panther | have so often heard in the noun
tains Of Tennessee in my younger days, and |
here we are in this wilderness as travelling |
men and unarmcd. No more of this in |
minc!'
While Little Willen shivered and prayed |
to be again in the arms of his mother, a dis |
tant rumbling and the sound of wheels pro- |
claimed the approach of Jimmy. The hearts
of the three in harmony beat with JOY. But |
a few moments more and he was with them.
He had found wagon, and the crippled
buggy was trailed on behind, and in the |
darkness Of night, the little party wendcd
itss way on through canyon and gorge
making slow progress, however, as 1t was
difficult to find the tral-so difficult, IN fact,
that our travellers completely abandoned the
idea of following it and found themselves
lost. Not a landmark, not a star to mark
their way, they wandered on and on until
the dreary hour of midnight. when there sud
denly appeared light in the window of a
in whose house anumber of the
family were sick apd necessitated light all
night TO this they made their way, and
inding the host, inquired the distance to
farnam.
'Just about mile straight south, but
you'll run into wire fence out there. Guess
better get Il lantern and show you through
After being piloted safely beyond the fence,
II have wee bit left; take tiny friend, and
keep the bottle, and we thank you for your
says Tom. Farnaln is reached,
)ut not light TO indicate the habitation of
he village. The landlord is awakened after
nearly knocking in the front door.
Zone room, two beds.o
The Jadcd bronchos are stabbed to stack
IF prairie hay, our heroes into the excuse for
bed. Tom and Jim in one, Brockway and
Little Wilfen in the other, too tired and
sleepy to be molested by the festive bedbug,
hey find oblivion in slumber, and the last
accents of their sonorOus voices on the som
1re stiffness of the night, refrains the melody
II Home, Sweet Home"
~