, 1890-07-17
MRS. GEN. CUSTER.
Chat With the Distinguished
Hero's Widow.
HER IMPRESSION OF SPOKANE
She Is the Guest of General Car
lin, Pursuing Her Liter
airy Work.

CEuR u'ALrSE CtrY, July l6-A RE-
VIEW correspondent has just been ac'
corded most interesting interview WIN
Mrs. General Custer, who is at present
the guest of General Carlin at Fort
sherman.
Tho distinguished lady arrived here
yesterday, having made but n orei
stop over, between trains, at Spokane
Falls, but even with limited opportunity
she was able to gain u very coniprc'
hcnsivc idea of the phenomenal growth
wealth and surrounding resources OF the
city. She states that she was greatly
impressed with the vast labofing iofce'
with the work OF the busy stone'cutiers'
and with the fact that Spokane ta'h Is
the convergng point Of seven railroads,
OF vast mining interests and OF aGr'-
cultural wealth, and that 1t has per
haps the greatest water power In ho
world. She remarked that owing To her
familiarity with booming cities OF the
West. she was in general apprehenhNc
of collapse, but had every reason TO
believe that the prosperity oil spokaho
Falls would be permanent
To look into the soft gray eyes and
kindly face of Mrs. Custer is to know
that you have met awoman who,e many
years OF varied and thrilling experience
have given no trace ol tho shnm hauieur
OF -o-called society, nor tue unapproaeh-
ableness of literary character. but
she iuprcsses one a. icing the graceful
cboIimient Of "A strong, noule, earnest
vet tendcr-hearted woman OF NlNaelous
temperament, whose wide range OF
Thought and feeling must have pecu-
liarIy fitted her to be the companion 81
frontier general and cultured gentle
man.
MIR OBJECT
in visiting the West az this time Is to
gather up material for literary work, a
quest which gives her The delishiful oP-
porlunity Of visiting friends who were
intimately associ,tcd With General Gus
ter and herself while they were stationed
ia Dakota. She will visit tho Indian
missions, some Indian agency and Will
refresh her recOilectious OF army ne,
making Fort Sherman her headquarters
until the middle OF August.
The one word, 'beuutiiul,' expresses
her idea of the location Of Fort sherman
and of the surrounding country. She
remarked that IL was perfect revelation
to lind such scenery and so pleasant 3
post: that tue elegant home which Gen.
crnl Cariin now occupies gave no idea Ol
the deprivation OF military life in gen
cral.
ON her trip to the West, direct from
her home iu New FORK city, she could
not fail to observe tho marvellous dc
yciopmont OF this Western country.
Maudan, OAK, was mentioned as an
Illustration OF the change. Fourteen
years ago IL was not safe for white
man to venture at that point whcru, a
few years later, town with its sidewalk
aud business blocks was built up.
HER LITERARY woRE.
Speaking OF Mrs Cu.ters literary
work called to mind that her first book
Boots and Saddles had at the last re-
port reAchedR u sale uf ~. 90. lthas been
repubished IN Germany under the title
| OF "Closo to the Enemy and given a
faithful translate by German mill
| tary officer, vino has furnished the worb
with most curious ioot'nOtcs, explaining
such terms ns crazy pullt' ami "klu
/ kluN showing how purely American
/ such Institutions are,
I After the publication Of Boots and
saddles the author received some ~
letters from people In all part, Oi Tie
globe, even from China, thanking hei
/ for gIyiug them such an excellent OPP
purtunIty of knowing General custer
In his own home. ana she is still ~ ra-
CciIIt ot such letters, "Ienting On the
Plains WAS her second work. and her
last uuok, which has Just boen issued by
the Harpcrs and nov IN tla process Ul
binding, Is entitled Following tue
GuiiOn.'
Tie tltlo is very suggestive for In tn,
movement VI a regiment the color bearer
Ot each company marches ahead carry
lng thg littlU iiag called - guiduu. When
the regiment Is about to euCaiup To,
commanding officer selected the site Auc
gave orders To the color bearers To iudIs
cate the location OF such company by
placing Ia the ground tue iron pointed
end Of the guidun, and Mrs. Custer 10.
marked how cheefingit was to her to 81,
~ the distance tho nutlctingb anncrs ol
tic stationary guldOns after "a long,
weary march.
rtE STORY W CUSTER
Following the Guidon" gives At
account OF General Custer's lie In Kan.
sus in ~ and 'G7 when IN command q
the Seventh cavalry at the time whcl
was engaged In guarding the civil en-
ginccrs and builders OF tho Kansa
Pacific Railroad through to Denver /
also gives an account Of the general
fighting tue Arapahoes and Cheyenne
In the Indian territory during the Winto
OF rs and 'Gp, and ot the final surrynIe
of Indians at tue decisive battle ul tn
, Washita.
, Ia the following summer Genera
Custer returned to Kansas and mad
permanent camp ON the Big creek, nca
Fort hAys, where hs was Joined by MIR,
custer, who lIyed under canvas tent
untu fall. Here at this camp she am
, three lady friends Joined ia tho builal
, hunt, and were the first women oyc
, known TO engage in SO exciting a pa,
ime,
THE BUFFALO CHASE.
But Mrs Custer, IN all her fruntic
experience, having lived in con,tar
, peril and excitement, was considere
equal to the buffalo chase, her desoriI
. oil which is amusing.
SHE WAS placed In q big trayelin
: wagon and given her colOrel coach maj
l AN arrangement supposed to insu,
- greater safety than riding On hor.ebac
|, over the rough and Uncertain gryunt
I But llonry tho driver, went nearly wi
A WIN oAci1emcnt. Iiu would stand Il
III the seat, lash tho horses, and vel
h "Hi-yl there; Mis- Libby well sec Nh
c buffalo shuah,' aud ON he Would drl,
t ut breakneck spcoI, pluHg,ng dow
INTO guIches and up on the ridges. an
- often ia the excited chase wuuld ru
INC ladies' In at lho death OF Il
hunted buffalo.
HAPPINESS IN CAMP.
q Mrs Custer in hergraphic descriptlc
OF camp life, said she never anywhe
saw anything to equal the happiness
Y; inllliary people, notwi thstandinp "A
}, iact that they were In constant ppril fro
d INDIANS, prairie fires, rom floods al
/. waterspouts and cyclones; that IN,
!. unuef vent cholera small pox, bln,
|. lheases ana inuliny and wretched 10,