Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-10-01

II
interest 10 the lover of history. When
| the question as to whether Kansas was
to be a free or a slave state was left to
the people settling within her borders,
there was a wild inrushing of souls from
both north and south, bringing with
them their strongest sectional preiu-
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, so widely different, clashed, as
a 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.
1t was balmy spring day in 1868 that
large, heavily loaded wagon, covered
with thick canvas and drawn by an i'll
matched team, moved slowly along the
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-five years of age. He 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 sGg-
gested humming birds nest in thick
ct, all but hidden as it was in the bushy
growth of whiskers that fortified the en-
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,
a tall, slender girl of eighteen, in whose
pretty pink cheeks, hazel eyes and dark
tresses could be traced a strong resem-
blance to the mother who had been left
behind in a little country graveyard.
The Hamlets were originally from
Tennessee, but for the past five OF six
years had been living near relatives in
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 a claim holder who was home
sick, and desired to sell or trade his prai-
RE land in the wild west. By turning
over a few head of cattle Hamlet came
into possession of a 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 to 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 a most genial DISPOSE
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 deformed parent, and rest upon him
with an expression of protective tender
ness and the utmost filial affection.
"We KANT reach the claim tonight,
pap, 1 reckon" she remarked, after
silence.
"No, 1 reckon we KANT, Nancy" he
answered, looking before them down the
road. 1--WE must be nigh erbout thirty
mile yit from ther claim, eff hain't
missed my celebrations.
eyes, an Pete and Molly ac's as eff
they was jest erbout tuckered out"
Nancy said pityingly
Eyes, low they air."
"Bein' as we KANT git to Deer creek
tonight, we best go into camp airly, an
give the beasts good rest" said the girl.
eyes, we will, Nancy.l Yer see that
patch O. timber lynn erhead o. u.s."
jest over Pete's right ear"
Eyes; thet's the patch. low we'll
find creek thar, an wood ter cook our
supper by. Well 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 a car
pet of tender green grass, enstarred |
thickly with deer tongues and other wild |
flowers which accompany the renewal of |
the year in Kansas. Yellow breasted |
larks sang blithe welcomes TO the new |
corners from some dead indigo or iron |
weed hard by the roadside, while red |
birds darted like a fame across their
way, and perched on last years sun
flower stalk, trilling notes of silvery |
sweetness. Occasionally a huge jack
rabbit would go leaping away with erect
ears across the rolling plain, and coyotes
might be seen lowering along the brow
Of a. ravine bowling dismally.
''It's plumb wild lookin' out hyer IN
Kansas. amt it, pap" the girl remarked.
Yes, I'm erfeard, too. yer goin' ter
&C powerful homeEiek oct hyar, an