Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-12-12
A SOUTHERN ROMANCE.

Unless one went afOOt or by private
conveyance over the dreadfully new
and uncomfortable State road, there
were but two routes by which a per-
son might travel from Daceyville to
Bruno.
One was by rail-taking either the
8 a. m. or the p. n, train-Over a
wide circling distance of $50 miles to
the State line junction, thence by
stage each morning at O'Clock thirty
miles to Bruno. The opportunity
came irregularly, or whenever down.
bound boat happened along. By
boat, from Daceyville to Shier's Land
ing was eighty miles, and then by
stage, each morning, to Bruno was
twenty miles.
AS the railway had been built
within the year and with some sight
ing of ballast the steamboat way was
the more popular, but as boats came
two or three times day or two or
three times a week as they saw fit,
the daily trains over the railway were
the most serviceable.
The Town of Bruno was not only a
county seat, but it had the distinction
OF containing the only United States
land Office in section of new country
175x230 miles in area. Not yet a
railway town, that dignity was work
ing its way toward the place as rapidly
as ties and rails could be put down,
and already the premonitOry symptoms
of boom were we'll defined.
had lived in Daceyville five years
as accountant and confidential man
for Col. Ben Eastman, the pine land
baron of that section of the Southern
country, when, one afternoon as the
signal whistle of a down-bound boat
reminded me of the outer, busy and
attractive world, 1 sat in my dingy
little Office trying to figure out why 1t
was that / had been content so long
to seclude myself with most monoton-
GUS work, and society as well, for the
small salary of $500 per year and
board. True, 1 boarded at the
ColOnel's house, but since his only
child, Miss Helen, had been sent
away up the river to the Mount
Marcy Female Seminary, had found
even that consideration of no account.
AS / unused oyer the situation,
Col. Eastman, one of those prema-
turely old men whose devotion to
money-getting had dug dollar-mark
wrinkles all over his face, and whose
excessive hard work in youth and
early manhood had sent him across
the middle-age mark with bent shoul-
ders and painful limp, hurried into
the Office as rapidly as he could, say
ing: sack, want you to take this
boat and get to Bruno by o'clock to-
morrow morning."
Well accustomed to such sudden
orders, 1 began hastily to put few
things in my little valise, and as did
so Col. Eastman explained the purpose
of my visit to Bruno.
He told me that Ross BesSard, our
s.landlooker," had come in from 'sthe
bush" that morning, bringing with
him the descriptions and stumpage
figures Of several valuable pieces of
Government land. All Of this / knew
before. but was considerably aston
ished to hear the Colonel continue:
s'Somehow, don't know how, old
White (who was Col. Eastman's rival
in the pine land business) has got hold
Of the descriptions of these pieces and
he took the O'Clock train this morn
ing for Bruno. II nothing happens
he'll get there about IL tomorrow
morning, see?"
/ saw the situation and as the
:. Colonel gave me package Of money,
together with the mapsO of the coveted
land sections, he continued: SIT that
new land agent tries to question your
authority or in any way Delay you,
why you can enter the land in your
own name. All I care about is to
euchre old White"
And so, with a quick 'tgood bye" 1
ran out Of the ofice and down to the
leyee across the way just as the Bar
terer No. 2 was hauling In her gang
plank. and as she steamed out from
behind the little wharf-boat 1 heard
the Colonel, who was standing half
way up the levee, shout: 500 it in
my name, If possible!'
The Barterer No. 2, little, old,
weather-stained freight boat, was
piled high on her lower deck with
peanuts and yams, and as I walked
att to settle for my ride / confess that
! did not look ahead with any especial
pleasure to the eight or nine hours I
would be obliged to stay aboard.
Al danger OF time hanging heavily
upon me was dispelled, however, a. I
entered the door of the cabin. for
there before me and in her ownproper
person, stood Mss Helen Erstman:
and -, In half-dazed way raised