The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-08-10
sDgvrrysLHKE.
Especial Cor. GLOBE. Demccrat. !

lopeCidi SOTs 0lUOe- Denccrat.I
One of the interesting spots on the
shore of DEVILS lake is the famous Pat
Donan claim. To-day there is patch
of weeds where the shack stood, and
the oat field which the colonel had bro
ken and sown to comply with the
forms of the land laws is relapsing into
its former condition of raw prairie.
"Pat Donaa-ef Devils lake, OAK. !"
What autograph IL so familiar as that
upon the hotel registers of the country?
AT the mention of il there arises before
The mental vision an erect figure about
which the black Prince Albert fits
without crease. The long brown
beard and fresh-colored cheeks, the
light blue eyes aud inevitable soft
black hat are before you. And in q
moment you sec m to see the lips move
and hear the well modulated, distinct
tones "''"
-, here goes
| lady down ,.o street | know"
And Donan vanishes. That distin-
guished looking figure has been seen at
moe swell receptions than Ward Nc.
Allister's, and that well posed head
carries longer visiting list than the
most devoted society woman in the
United States.
| Six or seven years ago Pat Donan
was trying to hold down a claim. IL ia
| funny to hear the Devils Lakers tell
how Donau did it. The IDEA .cf ssat
man being abieto make pertr,aAes,t
residence anyHberei But be pick-
ed out his claim and set about fnl-
filling the conditions az residcnce ana
improvements. The location was maq-
nificent. A feattlre Of ID was 4 nremon-
tory wE:-h iutsed o4lf ff6sn tjYe sl,3f6
line and gave e ten miller auE6dt3 1ith6
land was given the name or Chiihoa.
which was supposed TO mean something
| appropriate in the Sioux language.
Donan would so into rhapsodies over
his beautiful home, In telling people
about it, but some way there was s.
fatal hitch about his residence upon it.
The Devils Lakers say that the train
would come in and Donan would alight
coming from where nobody knew. Ha
would shake hands IN his breezy way
with everybody, congratulate them
and himself Oil the future OF Devils
Lake, and then announce that he was
going down to his claim, about three
miles from the city. In day or two
he would be off for another indefinite
absence, only to return after few
weeks, perhaps, aud repeat his visit to
the shack. The Devils Lakers have
their doubts as to whether Col. Donan
ever spent whole night in his shack.
There were some fine young ladies
from st. Paul aud Minneapolis who
had come out with brothers and reia-
tives to take up claims and hase<e3g
btime while proving up. DonAn, the
Il Devils Lakers say was aQenofai favor
ite, and when he started tcr his shack
he often stopped 10 call upon some oi
these congeniai people, and was per-
suaded TO accept their hospitalities. AT
one time Col. Donan had u scheme Ia
get Eugene Field, Joaquin Miller aud
Page M, Baker TO visit him on his claim
and be his guests for couple of weeks.
He even issued the invitations and
laid in supplies, mostly liquid, for the
entertainments. The people got ready
to give the literary men a genuine Dew
lis Lake reception, but for some reason
the scheme fell through.
J The sequelis the saddest part of the
story otseDonans claim A brawny
blacksmith of Devils Lake cast enyious
eyessdpon Chilhoa, and quietly coiiec,-
ed evidence to show that Donan was
not fulfilling the requirements of the
law and was not making his residence
there. When he thought he had the
necessary amount of proof against tn,
Colonel he took the claim. A contes
dragged itself through the oircnmIo
cn;ion of the general land office, an
the blacksmith won. Col. Dona,ta
homestead at Devils Lake is onl,
reminiscence now.