The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-10-02

w b, anu umDr6lld! WIFI I'LL cuOTUs
inspired by the knowledge that only
about six feet more of platform kept
us from the wheels, we drew our body
on to the quickening car steps just in
time, it being too dark to be safe to
let go. But in an instant this appear
ed mistake, and about fifty feet
from the platform we Joined the bag
gage!-landing in the weeds below.
The men on the platform had gath
cred up the fragments Of one umbrel-
la, broken in the middle, one grip
minus of a handle, and a package OF
the Correct Doctrine in Bad Shape
and they were surprised to see the
owner climb up out of the weeds.
Now then the romance comes in!
Here it was 2 O'Clock a. m. l must
make station on the N. w. Ry. five
miles away before "a. m. There were
no horses or teams there-nothing
but darkness. There was no place to
sleep or even s'stay." We were sur
prised that the two men who oc-
cupied the bunk in the shed did not
ask us to sit in the chair till day
break; but they didn't. Instead, they
gave all necessary account OF the
bridges, etc., and put the distance
kindly at 3A miles! We were not ask
ing favors that night, so we left the
bundle Of Immortal truths" to be
expressed to Granite Falls, tied up
our grip with the straps, took our
broken umbrella, and moved out on
to the platform. We had to stand
there a few moments until the eyes
enlarged to see enough to get off on
to the track-and then sailed forth.
The little weazen-faced new moon
was stingy of it's light, the clouds Oh
scured it's slight face occasionally,
once the rain drops fell, our Kanga-
roo shoes stopped around like polly
wag in a ducks stomach, and the
grip slid out OF the straps first one
way and then another. On the whole
that was the most delightful tramp
we ever took. 1t was only five miles
long, but it seemed $40 thousand
feet over eighteen miles. We man
aged to keep between the tracks and
on the ties, but our peculiar Joy came
in passing over five actual railroad
bridges, with the black jaws OF an in
finite darkness waiting for our mis-
cradle carcass down acknowledging
his sooty chops every time we stop
ped to curl our somewhat leafy liver.
The exquisite Joy with which we
crawled down the steep thirty foot
grade of the G. N. track, sometime
on two legs, and sometimes using the
fiat Of our breeches Sunday best), to
get under that 5OO-foot trestle and
on to that c.. & N. w. track, was
heavenly. And yet the supreme felic-
ity remains to be told. At last,
APO a. M, we reached the city of
Burchard. 1t was dark, but we knew
it by running up against the post
where the mail hook was slung-and
then the shadowy elevator doomed
heavenward. Then we searched for
station house. 1t consisted of
platform ten feet square-no sides or
roof. 1t was now cloudy and
gloomy, and a warning sprinkle oc-
casionally struck our face with
warning wetness. Hotel? Well, we
at last found two houses-one a
large one-another also not so large!
But we had no heart to go and
arouse those poor innocent women
and children, frighten them into
shivers and compel them to shoot us
into shavings for a tramp. So we
got on the hot side of the elevator,
sat down on restful telegraph pole,
and let our teeth chatter to the tune
OF Pat Malloy-until six o'clock.
Then we found out that the large
house took strangers. They kindly
put us to bed for two hours, fed us
charged us lightly, and put
us on the west bound train. And be-
fore noon here we are at Lake Ben
ton, at the home OF Mr.. Soderlind,
where he and his good wife are trying
to feed off a miserable headache, and
l am trying to keep from swearing in
seventeen syllables. H. R. Keller,
our stalwart, is also in the firm, and
we are carrying on land-office bust
ness in the good-nature line. To-
night at Lake Benton-tomorrow at
Sleepy Eye.
The October issue of the Review
of Reviews pays great respect to the