Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-11

MNNSWN elouding of the highway
oWf}V$x& slowly ceased, two pedes
WSssTEA trians developed into view
TN AI as though materialized on
NIH/ the spot, by some whimsi'
cal phenomenon, from
that which the Bible says we all are and
shall return to. That the dust was a cor
poral part of these persons was not hard to
believe, for the new deposit merely mixed
itself with that which had previously
whitened their heads, shoulders and other
places of chance Judgement. They did not
take the trouble to brush any of it off their
clothes. They clapped their hands together,
and, having thus shaken it from those men,
bers, they rubbed it from their faces. One
of them was man who strutted so pompously
that more of the dust remained on his breast
than on his back; but If his over-erect
posture came of personal pride it must have
been accompanied by abundant mortifca-
ton, for dilapidation wasdisclosed wherever
the dust did not hide his frayed and dis
colored suit. But the frock coat was closely
buttoned over figure which it fitted by
original design, not by secondhand chance,
and the trousers, although they had not re-
tanned their shapeliness equally we'll, had
been made from o measurement Of the same
legs which they had too long inclosed. The
decay was not careless; 1t was unavoidable
The prosperity Of the man the endurance Of
his clothes had evidently passed away to-
gether, and only the length of time that had
suficed to bring the wearer and the worn to
a state of harmonious nl-fortune remained
matter of estimate. In one particular, how
ever, his aspect did not show any unsightli-
ness. Scissors and razor were still his to
use. His hair was cropped neatly close, his
mustache dropped gracefully at the sides of
a smoothly shaven chin, and the gray of
both was in an effective contrast with the
redly sunburned complexion.
The companion of this unrelaxed efigy
Of dignity was contrastingly lissome girl,
16 years old, if judged by her face, but less
if measured by her small stature, on which
the tatters of a once jaunty jacket and gown
were no Disagreement; whose countenance
was not q loser of prettiness through tan
or frickles; whose hair wrapped her head
with brown, and was powdered like court
beauty's with the dust; and whose feet
stepped as lightly in pair OF shattered
shoes as though newly slippered. She was
the falrest OF tatterdemallons.
"Dad." she said, and then stopped to
teck grain or two of the small cyclones
deposit from her lips. dad, this eight
"Daughter," he responded, as he
shifted the strap of shabby leather
bag from one shoulder to the other,
say tramp Say trudge, if you OBJ
ject to calling it walk, or mention it as a
saunter-a stroll-anything that doecn't
make us out vagabonds. We mustn't con-
fess before we're convicted"
Whatever tits, tramp or trudge," the
girl retorted, 'it's something we've got to
do; 50 let's jog along"
The fathers tone was a little queruIous.
although he tried to speak loosely, and the
daughters smile was something like peev-
ish grimace; but as they walked along the
girl took hold OF the bag, to relieve the map
of some of its weight, whereupon he gently
removed her hand and held it in his own.
Telegraph poles made 100-yard measure
ments along the road. with their still sappy
surfaces of hemlock from which the bark
had lately been removed, and the small
rounds of freshly-pounded earth at their
bases outlined sharply by the surrounding
turf, showing that the work had mot been
done long. The evidences of newness in
creased steadily, and when the pedestrians
had gone q mile further they came to the
men who were making this line of telegraph
from civilization across the boundary into
the transitional territory of Oklahoma.
There were several canvas-topped prairie
wagons standing in row, and the horses
belonging to them, unhitched but still har-
messed, were nibbling the grass near by.
Other vehicles consisted merely of heavy
running gear on which lay loads of the
barked trunks Of tall, straight trees. ready
to be set up, and still others were freighted
with wire and the appliances for stretching
it from pole to pole. Two tents of the army
pattern had been pitched where big old |
tree overhung them, and close to brook |
which seemed to be constantly washing |
itself, so clean did the water look with its |
of white pebbles and its border |
ings of very green grass. A roof of canvas
On which tin plates and cups were ready for |
the meal which two men were cooking at a |
portable stove. Some tethered cows and |
sheep and stock of canned eatables in a
box wagon, showed how little dependence /
'or food was placed on the route. This
movable encampment had been located for
he night, and the sun had already sunk
INTO the distant edge Of rank grass. Not a
'ign of cultivation or permanent habitation
was in sight, and the unfenced roadway was
10 more than a wide abrasion in the prairie
where the "boomers" had dragged their
way toward the land of vague promise.
This was the nineteenth nightly place of
top, and therefore was called Camp Nine
cen. The last one had been named Eight
'en, and the next would be Camp Twenty.
Halt hundred men were erecting poles
hort distance further along, but the wire
lad not been carried beyond the SPOT where
he nights camp was fixed, and there the
'nly person beside the busy cooks immedi-
tely discernable when the pedestrians ar
ived was young man busy at telegraphic
instrument. A tripod made the legs of a
mall table, and on it was the apparatus
or sending and receiving messages over the
Vire, which was brought down ftom the
asst pole to which it had been adjusted
The operators name was William Brown,
nd it goes far toward describing him to
ell that, in the rough and impolite COM
ANY of telegraph constructors, he was
allied Will Brown and not Bill Brown.
70 doubt some of TINS consideration on the
art of the men given to hard nicknaming
7as due to young Brown being the cleo
rician of the expedition, and therefore
cienti6c mystery to most of them; but
1ore than that, his unvarying suavity Of
manner, modesty of speech and careful re-
ention of Eastern department character
red him SO markedly as'to make "Bill".a
lisnouaer and "WilP' appropriate.
Look, Dad, the dusty girl whispered to
er companion, as her eyes fell on Will
Irown; I'VE haven't seen a thing like that
ince we quit rsiiroad tracks and took to
'otprints.. Isn't he pretty?" Il
He glads my eyes, daughter-he glads
Hor nQ 70 fko ~ofx1 <~1 Il