The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-10
ORPHANED BY FIRE.
An Incident OF Life on the
Prairie and in the Min
ing Camp.

When the rush for the Kansas farm
ing lands was at its height, and eastern
farmers, tired Of the red soil at home,
were selling out at a sacrifice in order to
join the pilgrimage to a land rumored to
be literally flowing with milk and honey
where broad and productive acres
could be had for the asking-Andrew
Wright, an honest, practical young
Granger who had spent all his life in the
Mohawk valley, was taken with the
western fever. He was not wealthy in
the goods of the world, but he had a
wife and 2-year-old boy that helped to
more than make up for the lack of
financial resources.
BY shrewd bargaining he found after
he had sold everything he owned thathe
had enough crisp bank bills In his hands
to go to the west and make a start on the
new place. His objective point was Kan
sas, but when almost there be was in
duced by a land agent to go over into
Nebraska and take a quarter section
within three miles Of that muddy and
cratic stream dignified by the name Of
Platte river.
Once settled, and with q three room
sod house built on his claim, he started
in to work with a will, and at the expira-
ton of two years he found himself well
on the road to the complete ownership
of as fine a farm west of the red Missouri
as clay outdoors"
His one great trouble was the scarcity
of farm hands in the busy season; SO it
was not at all surprising when n day a
tramp who applied for work was taken
in as almost one of the family and looked
upon as a veritable godsend by the over
worked young emigrant.
stony" Williams, as the newcomer
called himself, was a hard looking, un-
couth sort of individual, who worked
with a will during the day and at night
romped with little 4-year-old Joey until
the lad used to watch for his coming,
and find the most pleasant hour out Of
the. twenty-four when Tony was with
him.
It was rather a queer sort Of friend
ship, but it lasted all through the win
ter, and until one spring night, when
the old restless spirit came back upon
him and the farm hand packed up his
little bundle and quietly stole away in
the darkness.
A a spent in the mining districts
did not increase ''Tony's" financial con-
dition nor his appearance, either, for that
matter, but it found the young farmer
Just so much nearer to the complete own
ership Of his quarter section, and at the
expiration of that time the tramp turned
his face to the rising sun, and by dint of
sundry lifts" and stolen rides on freight
trains, found himself n fitful night
treading the land he had plowed some
months before. It hardly seemed like
the same place to him, for instead of the
sod house there stood a one story frame
building, and less than q hundred yards
away was a big roomy barn.
"Ill Jest crawl into Their barn" solilo-
quized Tony, ''so's not to wake Their
folks. / wonder how the little chap is
and if he will be glad to see me. They're
pretty white sort Of people, and I guess
I'll stick by 'em this time and take ther
old mans advice an make a man outer
myself"
Thus satisfying his conscience at hav-
ing run away, he crept into the barn,
and half burying himself in a pile of
straw which had been left near the open
door, was 0 asleep.
1t was hours later when a lurid red
glow, which lighted up the sky and
heated the air for miles around, caused
Tony to shift uneasily on his rough but
comfortable bed and to finally open his
eyes and an instant later jump to his feet
with a bound.
The prairie was on fire!
Away off, on what seemed like the
lower edge Of the horizon, was a sheet of
fame which had formed itself into a bar
rier through which none might pass and
live. Forked tongues of fire, leaping
from the mass, licked at the air as if to
find more food for their greedy appetite.
The tall, dry grass swayed and shivered
as If each particular stalk was endowed
with life and was making an effort to
escape a certain fate.
AS the tramp looked, particles of
burned heritage floating down the wind
fell about him and he heard distinctly
the cracking of the consuming element
as it ate its way through the matted
growth.
The grandeur of the sight ~stupefied
him, and he was lost in contemplation of
the awful spectacle. The uneasy lowing
of the cattle, and the fretful whinnying
of the horses aroused in him a sense of
the danger, and he instinctively turned
and looked towards the house.
There was no sign of life.
It was time for action now, and he had
already lost many valuable minutes. He
ran to the house and beat with both
hands on the door.
"Mr. Wright, the prairie's on fire-the
prairie's on 6re!"
There was no answer. Time was pre-
cious now, and when Tony saw a spade
standing up against the side of the
house 1t seemed t him like a provi-
dence, and he took advantage of it. The
door went in with q crash and as he
jumped through the opening he met
Wright coming out of the bed room.
The room was brilliantly lighted by
the reflection, but not a word of recog-
milton was. spoken.
"Get the horses" said Wright. in a low