Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-11-12
By A. II. GIBSON.

$50 '.ss,s 3&a IS
"What pint air ger atmtn' far. stran-
gerP'
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 free or slave state was left to
the people settling within her borders,
there was 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, so widely different FLASHED, as
natural consequence bloodshed result
ed, and Kansas was given a title, not of
her own choosing, Bloody"
After the war, in the latter part of the
sixties, 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.
IL W 40 ~ Dt'Aiiis opliiS3 Nue III i1Sp tito
large, heavily loaded wagon, covered
: with thick canvas and drawn by an i'll
matched team, moved slowly along the
old militaryroad, about thirty-five miles
south Of Fort Scott The "otf horse"
was large, bony black while his mate
was rough coated jaded looking gray
mule, whose appearance might have suS-
gested service in the days Of Methuselah.
The spring seat of the prairie schoon-
err was occupied by as oddly an assorted
pair rs the team which drew them south
ward over the billowy plain.
The driver, Adam Hamlet, was man
about forty-five years of age. lie was a
hunchback, his body thick set and his
les diminutive in size and length. His
broad though missnapen shoulders sup
ported Il large head, covered with red
dish brown HAIR; his eyes looked like two
bright blue beads, while his mouth sug
gested hunming birds nest in Il thick
ct. all but hidden AS it was i'll the bushy
growth of whiskera that fortified the en-
tire lower part of his face. His clothing
was made Of coarse jeans and his feet
We're incased in rusty, cowhile boots,
one of which he had elevated upon the
dashboard.
The mans companion, the sole one
who had shared his long trsrels in the
covered wagon, was his daugnJor Nancy,
tall slender girl Of eighteen, in whose
pretty pink checks, 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 or six
years had been living near rcla ives in
thar part of Illinois which j. locally
designated as Egypt" But the death
Of his two youngest children, followed
soon by the wife, made him dissatisfied
with the lOcaAJy, and putting his OILY
remaining child, Nancy, vita THEN
lighter household goods, Ito the wagon
be had st his face westward with the
purpose to take up the burden of life
again" out in Kansas.
Before leaving "Egvpt" Adam Hamlet
had net y claim holder VINO was home
sick, and desired to sell or trade his p.ai
RE land in the wild west. BY turning
oyera few head Of cattle Hamlet caIn-
into possession Of a claim winch he hat
never ~cen-a very unbusinesalilie way
Of doing things; but rs all his neiGhbor
vouched for the man's honesty lIainle
decided torun the risk
with explicit directions from the pre-
v.Ous owner, the settler was now on hi
way 10 the souJheaste part Of the state
where the claim was located.
Hamlet was of a most genial DISPOSE
ton, despite his somewhat unfavorabl,
appearance, and as they iouImeved owe
the seemingly endless plains the girl
eyes would ever and again turn towart
her dcformed parent, and rest upon hin
with an expression Of protective tender
ness and the utmost fllal affection
1--WE KANT reach the claim tonight
pap | reckon she remarked, after
silence.
mo. ! reckon we KANT Nancy" h
answered, looking before them down tn
road. We must be nigh erbout thirt
mile yit from ther claim, eff hahn
missed my calAerlations.
Eyes, an Pete and Molly ac's as e
they was jest erbout tuckered out,
Nancy said pityingly,
Eyes, low they air"
"Bein' rs we KANT git to Deer cree
tonight, we best go into camp airly, al
give the beasts good rest" said the Cir
Eyes, we Will, Nancy, Yer see tina
patch o timber lynn erhead o u.s.
Jest over Pete's right ear?'
"Yes; thet's the patch. | low WEI