Wichita eagle., 1889-06-07
LONE MOUND BOOMERS.

As the last Passenger descanoed from the
sfaln that had just ouffed up to the little sta
tioh at an lnslgnificalt but ambitious prairie
ciVy, hank Fisher utterei a snorting sigh OF
disappointment 1t gave him little satisfac
Slon that the putting and wheazing of the 10
,eomotlve drove his team of half wild ponies
almost frantic, and gave him an opportunity
q exhibit his ability as a driver In cont.ol
Ing them. 1t caused him small qualification
when he overheard bystander remark tha,
daak was fright smart OF a driver, lernmt
tell youn
During the over trip from Lone Mound b,
mad been nursing a sort of unreasoning wrath
against certain absent and wholly innocent
persons, and their anticipated derogatorv re
marks in regard 10 the hospitality to which
he was 20 introduce them. And now thai
they had not put in an appearance, he felt
very much as if he had been cheated ont of q
just vengeance.
His feelings found partial vent in pistol
like crack of his black snake whip, that sent
the half wild ponies flying out toward the
prairie at rate that threatened to whirl
the wheels off from the old blue blackboard
TO which they were attached
Hank growled, hoarseiy, as he retained his
position on the swaying seat with acrobatic
ease: "Mebby they reckon they kin find all
manner o fault Jest cuz they wear plug hats
an air pussy. Wal, if they'd a-said two
words a-pickin' flaws, rd''-
lie turned about as the last Of a series of q
shouts reached him. Had the author of the
shouts been any other but the man who had
uttered the laudation of Hanks ability as a
driver of half broken ponies, it is probable
that he would have treated the hail with con-
tempt. But as it was, lac pulled up to learn
the pleasure of the shouter
New conner wants to go to Lone Mound!n
was the shout.
Hanks spirits rose as he drove back to the
little station
''Mebby it's one Nv 'e1n, after all" he told
himself. Plug hated and pussy9" he ques-
toned loudly, with profound disregard for
the feelings OF the new conner, whom he might
be describing
'NoapF answered the informant, very
promptly. "'Pears quiet like Deacon, I
reckon, by his looks"
The old gentleman, toward whom desig-
mating thumb was jerked, was of benevolent,
almost Of humble, appearance, and simple
dress. Ills was not tall or plug" hat, and
his spare figure was so far removed from
corpulency that by no stretch of Imagination
could he be considered pussy
Clearly this was not one of the presupposed
fault finders.
In his disappointment, Hank half turned
the team about, as If to dash away again
But he thought better of it, and few min
utes later the stranger had taken his place on
the seat of the old blue blackboard and the
ponies were bounding away at a rate that
made the passenger cling fast to the seat to
prevent being thrown off by the terrific
jounces.
But the old gentleman bore it with such
serene humility that Hank speedily rel tied
tride and became confidential as he jerked
the ponies down to something like regula-
ton trot.
WAS lookin' fer some fellers on that train,"
he said. ''Stuck up cusses, 1 reckon, an
pussy, too The boys lowed they'd a-find
fault if the grub want presizely up to the
handle, so to speak. Wal, If they had, blamed
II 1 wouldn't But they didn't come, so it
don't make no difference what I'd a-done
Say"-this suddenly-''plug hated an pussy
capitalists is mighty h'ble to find heap o.
fault if everything h'ain't jest SO, h'aint
theyi'
Mystifed, tho passenger replied modestly
that he believed they bore that reputation
''That's what the boys lowed" continued
Hank. Railroad officials is mostly plug
hated an pussy, h'aint theyl'
MANY OF them are, believe"
"Wal, that's what we lowed, too. Say,
thar's other ways o. spendin' money besides
usin' it TO whoop up boom, hain't tharT
His companion acknowledged that different
avenues Of expenditures existed, and Hank
lapsed into silence.
When, at length, the old gentleman asked |
mildly If the boom at Lone Mound was still I
active and increasing, there seemed to be no
cause for the sudden outbreak on the part of /
the other.
Hang the boomw he half roared. "Hain't |
no boom thar, an never viii be- Towns |
dead; railroads goin' to New Boston, stead /
NV too Lone Mound, an that settles it,"
But | understood that lively boom had /
just begun there" returned the passenger,
''and--and p
'Wal, 1t h'ain't! Say, if the money that !
has ben raised to whoop up the boom is used |
fer sump'n' else it's the business Nv nobody |
but the boomers, is it!"
This seemed more Of defiance than On in
quiry, and the passenger quite modestly and
hastily expressed the opinion that the affair
Concerned no one but the participants
"Course notl' Hank agreed. "An' If them
'ere pussy fellers''- BE paused as if men
tally debating as TO the proper method of pro-
cedure against the pussy ones wal, we
did reckon ON boom, but thar's no signs Nv
St now," he said, regretfully. "Lessn the
foundation of a new school house an the
startin' of a graveyard with one grave cir
boom Sgnsn
The interest of the passenger was manifested
with such unobtruslye humility that pres
emily Hank began TO tell the story OF the
dead boom.
/ Lone Mound and New Boston, insignificant
but ambitious settlements, were bitter rivals
1he citizens Of each were prepared to go 10
almost any length TO advance the interests Of
their own town and discomfir its opponent
/ When the Transconrinental railroad ds
cided TO project its line westward through
the yet unorganized county or Pawpaw, ana
onward toward the range country, each of
the settlements was on the qui vive to secure
the passage OF the line through itself. AS a
result, each was determined TO make the best
possible showing upon the arrival Of the
officials who were expected TO make a tour of
observation of the proposed route.
1t was popularity believed that the settle
ment that appeared TO be most prosperous
and therefore likely TO add most TO the volume
of the company's business, would secure the
railroad 1t was thought too. thai thA