Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12

Correspondents Of The EvEsISa STAR.
LOST CABIN, WYOMING. July /.
IA HATEvER sense of desolation may fill
ANfSvA the mind on hearing the name Of this
AZ AW ranch, doubt IL any place will ever
8A again seem to me quite so much found
%1A~ as when Lost Cabin dawned upon my
tired and expectant vision. 1t was after three
days and half ride (what a comprehensive
gested pleasure) over dusty plains, jolt
ing sage brush, treeless, stony noun
talns and, most of all, those patches
OF aikali, In which our wheels sunk to be white
washed and our horses hoofs clogged The
gust bleached our lips to CHASTITY whiteness
anu maze our eyes proportionately red and
watery. Like warm friend the sun stood by
us-l might say, on us-as long as we had a
leg. When he had to set everybody sets
here) we excused him without a murmur.
s mnle ne was up he did his duty like an sb,
sconding cashier. He drew out what
he could-then silently stole away.
In my case his efforts were rewarded
by nine white blisters ranged over the top OF
my nose like bas RELIEF of the Alps. Had my
portrait been done in color after that ride /
shouid have entitled it, IAN Alpine Sunset"
the 'oas, was so red. / cannot truthfully say,
however, that | regarded the blisters in any
sense as relief. Notwithstanding this un-
solicited facial decoration the trip was not
without interest.
LEAVING RAwLINs.
In the first moments of our joltino We were
conscious Of great happiness. We were leav-
ing Rawlins. that prairie city, that child of the
Union Pacific railroad. where the eve of the
wanderer is greeted by an unfenced scaffold, a
jail, several signs reading Licensed Gam
bling" and chemist shop, over which
is the encouraging notice Whisky, Gin
and Brandy sold all day Sunday for sick
ness" felt that If we remained moment
longer in the place that one or all of
us would catch the prevalent disease
What 1t was l have never found out butt was
raging Everybody seemed to have IL. After
the novelty of our escape from the clutches of
death, as it were, had worn of. we spent twenty
minutes in calling my brothers attention to
prairie dogs. As he has only been in the country
ten years he was delighted-his excitement on
seeing the first hundred and fifty had subsidized
We simultaneously discovered that exclama-
tons were accompanied by more less dis
comfort Each one acted an inlet for
quantity OF dust which clogged conversation
SO we tried silence and then slept until
awakened by a sensation of not being jolted
We had reached
ROAD RANCH.
To the unintiated Washingtonian will here
state that road ranch is neither built nor run
upon the same plan as a city hostelry, although
one might find strong similarity in the pro-
prietor of the aforesaid ranch to the clerk of
any hotel where the rooms are ''all full!' For
instance. here ii one suggested he would like
anything he did not sec he would probably be
told that he WAS too d pertickler," and
that he'd 'better turn out in the sage brush"
On this occasion, however. we so much wanted
everything We did see that we had no thought
for anything not visible upon the table at the
moment Ham and eggs, canned tomatoes
some unacceptable stewed dried fruit and
''tea or coffee are what occupied our atten-
tons at the first meal on the road. The sue
ceeding ones, with one exception, when we had
venison, were alike. Apropos of ''tea or cof-
fee, there is a popular story told in this coun-
try to the effect that a certain proprietor of
road ranch always asked of tenderfoot in a
mild voice when serving him at table. Tea or
coffee, sir?" And when that forlorn individual
had expressed his preference, said III voice to
shatter the crockery, d you, you'll take
milk"
PRIMITIVE SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS.
However, the food was luxury compared to
the sleeping accommodations at these hostel
ries. As they sometimes thirty and even
fifty miles apart we did not arrive at one the
first night out till nearly 10 o'clock. When we
entered we found ourselves i'll kind OF room
the halls and ceilings of which were of logs and
mud. think there was board floor, and on
it stood billiard table which nearly filled the
room. This was known as the saloon. Across
one end Of it was primitive sort of bar and
near the door was a rough, round table, about
which sat four cowboys armed to the
teeth, sombreros on their heads, OBJ
livious of everything but their cards
and money, playing poker. A new
hand being dealt at that moment they looked
up, and as we were led through to the kitchen
we were conscious of having caused stir
among these men. some of whom had probably
not seen a white woman before in a year. The
bunk room, commonly used by all the men in
which to make their beds, was vacated for our
use, and, having transferred our bedding from
the wagon, we lay down to sleep, unmindful of
the crumbling mud which dropped upon our
heads from time to time. The next night our
accommodations were somewhat better, there
being two or three women on the place. We
| slept in a bed in large room divided by cur
tain into two apartments. This time the mud
tumbling had been prevented by the lacking
on OF cheese cloth, which gave the room
a clean look, to say the least
The bed on the other side of the curtain was
occupied by the ''lady what cooks for the out
fit," as she described herself. She inquired
anxiously if we had on our journey that far
met a gentleman what herded mules" called
Hanks On hearing that that pleasure had not
been ours She elapsed into slumber-perhaps
to dream of him.
CAMPING OUT.
DurlnS the next day 8 drive my brother shot
three young sage hens. That night we camped
out. Fortunately We had a cask OF water with
US, as we found but the empty bed of the creek
From the torrid heat it had gone to the clouds.
We stumbled about in the half light and
gathered the dead sage wood, which makes the
hottest fire imaginable. while my brother got
the camp outfit i'll readiness. We broiled the
game and cooked canned vegetables.
steamed stale bread, ate off tin plates. washed
the dishes and went to sleep on the ground I'M
der a canvas cover and a starless sky What a
night it was. In that cold, yellow light along
the horizon, which in this country lasts SO long
after the sun has gone down, we could see the
white alkali plain stretched out before us like
tarpaulin over the earth. The air was full
of the cries of calves too weak to 60 for water.
and the bellowings of the mothers who would
not leave them. How we ever went to sleep
with those melancholy sounds in our ears
don't know, but suppose fatigue will drown
the cries of any suffering not our own.
The following morning we were up at 5 and
after second feast Of sage hen We started on
the last fifteen miles Of our journey. Fifteen,
dld sayI They seemed hundred and fifteen.
The sun shone hotter, the dust rose higher, the
water was all gone, was too thirsty to sleep.
when suddenly on the hill in front of us spied
Lost CABIN. Can you wonder why 1 talked of
rechristening the ranch for a week after nv ar
rNal9 ST. CLAIR OKE.
GRIP AND THE SEASHORE,
The Results Of the Malady Will FIJI Up