The Forrest City times., 1891-02-06
SETTLING IN THE WEST.
SCENES IN PRAIRIE SCHOONER
 DAYS OF LONG AGO.
Pressing on to Posscss tho Iasd Beyond the Big Muddy and Fleeelns the Farmers by the Wsy-A Picture of
 the Past


 points somewhere beyond the Big Muddy. a name deservedly applied to the Missouri river. Yet not all Of the schooners were bound for the west. conquered and were retreating on the back track. Those going east were generally referred to as the ones who were going home to spend the winter with my wife's folks" Some had gone west, fought a good fight against the drought and the grasshoppers, but were finally compelled to surrender and return to Gods country." as they termed the states east Of the Missouri. The motto, "Kansas or Bust" which they had painted on the sides of their wagon covers when on their way west would be changed to Busted. by Ihunder.n Others who had met with ih fortune in the west would, on their return trip, use their wagon covers as bulletin boards on which were painted warnings for all to keep away from the scenes of their misiortunes. Oc- casionally a returning kansan would put his kicking into meter something like this:
 Farewell, Kansas, fare you well,
 A long good-hy forever;
 We may eniSrate some time to h.,
 But back to Kansas, never.
 Notwithstanding the warning of those who through misnanagement or misfortune had been worsted in the struggle. the great stream of emmi- grafton continued to flow toward the land of the setting sun. Westward the star of empire takes it's way" While the disabled and the stragglers were getting back to the rear the great army of homeseekers kept pressing to the front The many huge. white covers of the wagons moving up and down the undulating hills or across the broad stretches of level prairies looked not unlike slow, sailing vessels upon thA bosom of placid sea. They were truly the ships of the prairies making their way across seas of way ing grass to the ful ltiGng or the blasting Of hopes that led their crews to press on to the vanguard of civilization, there to take upon themselves the hard, sturdy lives of those who carve out homo on the frontier. Most of them were bound for Nebraska or hansae but others were bound still farther into the Northwest, West. or Southwest The railway facilities for reaching the lands beyond the Mis- souri were at that time somewhat lim- ited, and the popular means for emil grafton were the white-coeered prairie schooners. An emigrant train in those days popularly meant a long line of covered wagons following a sinuous trail that stretched like dusty brown ribbon across q broad expanse of green.
 The picture thus presented was a very familiar one to the occupants Of nn isolated home On the Iowa prairies. In those days the more or less widely separated western Iowa homes that were located upon the lines of travel were by force Of surrounding circum- stances converted into hotels and places Of shelter for the comfort and entertainment of man and beast It made but little difference whether or Lot the proprietor of Il home cared to ssrve in the capacity of mine host It vas not his to decide, and il frequently happened that he was almost con- p~lled to unwillingly serve those whom hs wished might have tarried under u roof where they would have been more welcome. For periods of weeks at tine there would be no hour during tho day when greater or less number H the white covers were not in sight Ever coming. ever going. drifting by, nas unlike the ceaseless flowing of a n ghty river. From what at times might have in measure seemed a necessity. but much moro often from prcdispositiou so to do. many of the sTigrant trains formed themselves into wiat could have been mildly termed fosaging parties that almost lived upon the country through which they passed. Hay was plentiful every where during the summer season. but corn and other grains could pe gotten only by purchase or otherw SC. IL must be frankly stated that many of the travel era preferred ,o procure these com modities otherwise. and woo unto the field of corn that was hidden by hill from the farmers house or was near iatorite camping ground to be visited under the cover of darkness. When the season for husking the corn arrived. unless the farmer hnd taken xtra pre- cautions to prevent pilferlng. he would ind large share of the work already done and the harvesting nearly com pleted, The taking Of few ears of corn no dombt seemed like very small matter to each of the travellers committing the wrong. but the thcfts, when estimated collectively. assumed considerable proportions. Occasionally an emlgrant would be caught in the act of helping himself to feed of grain for his team, when ne would reluct- antly pay for the grain taken and re- solve no doubt to be more cautious in the future. During the season when