The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-07-30

::s;;...,Sssz9AH
~ 2sses&>&A .
"WAGt p't"t Gir YER, ysr, StmtR fur straw
The period Of the early settlement Of
Kansas Is replete with excitement and
interest to the lover Of history. When
the question as to whether Kansas was
to be o free or slave state was left 10
the people settling within her borders,
there was q wild inrushing Of souls from
both north and south, bringing with
them their strongest sectional preju-
dices. Each element was aggressively
determined to establish political suprem-
acy on those untamed prairies Of the
buffalo and the Indian, and when those
feelings, 80 widely different, clashed, as
o natural consequence bloodshed result
ed, and Kansas was given title, not Of
her own choosing, Bloody"
After the war, in the latter part Of the
sixties, a great influx Of immigration set
into Kansas. These settlers came from
many different states, and were more the
true homeseekers, in the broad sense Of
the term, than the classes first referred
to in this tale.
It was a balmy spring day in 1868 that
q large, heavily loaded wagon, covered
with thick canvas and drawn by an Ill
matched team, moved slowly along the
old military road, about thirty-fve miles
south Of Fort Scott. The ''off horse
was large, bony black, while his mate
was rough coated, jaded looking gray
mule, whose appearance might have sug-
gested service in the days Of MethuselAh.
The spring seat Of the ''prairie schoon-
er" was occupied by as oddly an assorted
pair as the team which drew them south
ward over the billowy plain.
The driver, Adam Hamlet, was a man
about forty.fve years Of age. BE was a
hunchback, his body thick set and his
legs diminutive in size and length. His
broad though misshapen shoulders sup
ported a large head, covered with red
dish brown hair; his eyes looked like two
bright blue beads, while his mouth sug-
gested q humming birds nest in thick
ct, alhbut hidden as 1t was in the bushy
BKOWJu VI WulbkcAb IAab AOkbiucu buo Gu
tire lower part Of his face. His clothing
was made Of coarse jeans, and his feet
were incased in rusty, cowhide boots,
one Of which he had elevated upon the
dashboard.
The mans companion, the sole one
who had shared his long travels in the
covered wagon, was his daughter Nancy,
q tall, slender girl Of eighteen, in whose
pretty pink cheeks, hazel eyes and DARK
tresses could be traced q strong resem-
blance 10 the mother who had been left
behind in little country graveyard.
The Hamlets were originally from
Tennessee, but for the past Eve or dz
years had been living near relatives 10
that part Of Illinois which is locally
designated as Egypt" But the death
Of his two youngest children, followed
soon by the wife, made him dissatisfied
with the locality, and putting his only
remaining child, Nancy, with their
lighter household goods, into the wagon,
he had set his face westward with the
purpose to take up "the burden Of life
again" out in Kansas.
Before leaving Egypt" Adam Hamlet
had met q claim holder who was home
sick, and desired to sell or trade his prai-
RE land in the wild west. By turning
over few head Of cattle Hamlet came
into possession Of Q claim which he had
never seen-a very unbusinesslike way
Of doing things; but as all his neighbors
vouched for the mans honesty Hamlet
decided 10 run the risk.
With explicit directions from the pre-
vious owner, the settler was now on his
way to the southeastern part Of the state,
where the claim was located.
Hamlet was Of q most genial disposi-
ton, despite his somewhat unfavorable
appearance, and as they journeyed over
the seemingly endless plains the girls
eyes would ever and again turn toward
her defoFmed parent, and rest upon him
with an expression Of protective tender
ness and the utmost filial affection.
"We KANT reach the claim tonight,
pap, ! reckon" she remarked, after q
silence.
"No, l reckon we KANT, Nancy" he
answered, looking before them down the
road. 1--WE must be nigh erbout thirty
mile yit from theE claim, ef / hain't
missed my calkerlations."
Eyes, an Pete and Molly ac's as ef
they was jest erbout tuckered ont"
Nancy said pityingly.
. "Yes, low they air.
"Bein' as we KANT git to Deer creek
tonight, we best go into camp airly, an
Give the haaska A good naak - said The oiri
"Yes, we will, Nancy. Yer see that
patch O timber lynn srhead o. .nsP
"Jest over Pete's right carp
"Yes; thets the patch. l low wen
find q creek thar, an wood ter cook our
supper by. Wen camp thar"
They drove along In silence for some
time, during which the girls Intelligent
hazel eyes were kept busy observing the
strange forms Of nature around them.
The prairies were covered with car
pet Of tender green grass, enstarred
thickly with deer tongues and other wild