Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-11-19

was lighted only by. the cheerful blaze
of the cracking logs roaring up the
huge threats of its dual freplaces built
diagonally across opposite corners,
watching Maxwell, Kit Carson and
half a dozen chiefs silently interchange
ideas in the wonderful sign language.
so perfect in its symbolism, until the
glimmer of Aurora announced the adj
vent of another day. But not a sound
had been uttered during the protracted
hours save an occasional grunt of sat
isfaction on the part of the Indians,
or when we white men exchanged q
sentence.
Frequently Maxwell and Carson
would play the game of s'seven-up" for
hours at time, seated at one of the
tables in that historic room But Kit
was usually the VICTOR, for he was the
greatest expert in that old and popular
pastime / have ever met. Maxwell
was an inveterate gambler, but not by
any means in a professional sense; he
INDUCED in the hazard of the cards
simply for the amusement it afforded
him in his rough life of ease, and he
could very well afford the losses which
the pleasure sometimes entailed too.
His special penchant, however, was
betting on horse race, and his own
stud comprised some Of the heetest ami
mails in the territory. Had he lived in
England, nobleman by birth-as he
was by nature-he would have ruled
the derby and emulated the most reck-
less and incautious turf madcap" at
EPSON But, TO employ western slang
phrase, more ''jobs' were put up" on
him by INSCRIPTIONS jockeys, taking
advantage of his con6ding and honest
nature. than could be recorded in a
volume, by which he was outrageously
defrauded Of immense sums.
He was fond of cards. as have in
timated, both of the purely American
game of poker" and ''old sledge," but
friends and never without stakes. He
always exacted the utmost nickel he
had won, though the next morning,
perhaps. so generous was he, would
present or loan his unsuccessful OPP
ponent of the night before five hundred
or thousand dollars if he needed it,
an immensely greater sum, in all prob
ability. than had been gained in the
game.
The kitchen and dining rooms of his
princely establishment were detached
from the main residence; there was one
of the latter for the male portion Of his
retinue and guests of that sex, another
for the female, as, in accordance with
the severe and to us strange Mexican
etiquette, men rarely saw woman
about the premises, though there were
many. Only the quick rustic of a skirt,
q hurried view of a re6osd as its wearer,
evanescent as the lightning, flashed for
an instant before some window or half
open door. told of their presence.
The greater portion of his table
service was solid silver, and at his hos
pitable board there were rarely
any vacant chairs. Covers were laid
daily for about thirty persons, for he
was always full of guests" invited
or forced upon him in consequence of
his proverbial munifcence, or by the
peculiar location of his 'manor-house"
in its relations to travel.
It stood upon a magnifcently-sh aded
plateau at the foot of mighty noun
tains, a short distance from ''ford'
on the old Santa Fe trail AS there
were no bridges over the uncertain
streams of the "Great Overland
Route" in those days, the ponderous
Concord coaches. with their ever full
burden of passengers. were frequently
water bound" and Maxwelrs the only
asylum from the storm and flood, con-
sequently he entertained many.
At ali times and in all seasons Max
wells vast assemblage of buildings,
houses, stables. mill. store and their
surrounding grounds were a constant
resort and loafng-place Of the Indians.
From, the superannuated chiefs, who
reveled lazily during the sunny hours in
the shady peacefulness of the broad
porches; the young men of the tribe
who gazed with covetous eyes upon the
sleek-skinned, blooded colts sporting in
the spacious corrals; the squaws, fas-
cinated by the gaudy calicos, bright
ribbons and glittering strings of beads
on the counters or shelves of the large
store, to the ha1f-naked, chubby little
papooses around the kitchen doors
waiting with expectant mouths for
some delicious morsel of refuse to be
thrown to them, all assumed in bear
ing and manner, a vested right Of pro-
prietorship in their agreeable environ
ment.
To this motley group. always under
his feet" as it were, Maxwell was
ever passively gracious, although they
were fattening in supreme idleness ON
his prodigal bounty from year to yearl
His retinue Of servants. necessarily
large. were heterogeneous admlxturc
of Indians, Mexicans and half breeds.
No wonder, then, that extravaganza
and reckless waste were the "Lares ct
Penates" of the curious household, whose
princely. generous, but improvident
master ever foated his banner of well
come ION the outer walls"
The kitchens were presided over by
dusky maidens under the tutelage of
experienced old crones, and it's pre-
cincts were sacred to them. The din
ing rooms during the hours of meals
which were served by boys-were as
forbidden to the females as the mys-
teries of the temple of Isis to the rab-
BILE in Egypt.
Maxwell was rarely, as far as my OBJ
servation extended, while he lived on
the rancho" without large amount
of money in his possession. He had no
safe. however; his only place of tempo
rary deposit for the accumulated cash
was in the bottom drawer Of the old
bureau in the large room to which I re-
ferred when describing that apartment.