Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-09-22

from it's lofty front high up
among the hoary peaks, flows brook
crystalline in its purity and melodious
in its movements, carrying sweetness
and verdure to the thirsty vegetation
below.
Let me take you to this valley, called
by its people Goods country" and
show you some of it's beauties. And,
in order the better to view it, let me
conduct you to lofty point. Let US
ascend by way of Santa Anita canyon,
through alternating sage and man
Zinita, to Wilson's peak, ten miles up
the Sierra Madres, to one of the finest
natural observatories in the country, if
not in the world.
This is the scene, and there in the
valley, at La Puente, is the spot
whereon dwelt the heroic woman of
whose brave deed the following is q
record.
In yon village some twenty years ago
lived Uncle Billy Madden, a genial
country merchant. and his good wife,
lady from Arkansas, of whom he was
ever ready to relate some humorously
turned anecdote or speak a word of
praise.
They had seen some of the rough side
OF life together and, as Uncle Billy was
wont to boast, that Arkansaw wom-
an of his always kept things moving
along smoothly" She was born and
reared near the city of Little Rock and
came of a highly respecta BILE family of
the middle class, of quite ample MEANS
and was fairly educated and possessed
many of the minor accomplishments.
The then young and somewhat adj
venturous Bill Madden wandered rather
aimlessly through the states, having
left his home in Ohio with the half
formed intention of locating in some
new and unsettled portion of the coun-
try. In beating about he found himself
in Little Rock, where he met his AR
kansaw Woman and married her.
After quite an extended tour of the
west in search Of likely place in
which to build home Uncle Billy
and his bride brought up in the San
Gabriel valley at La Puente.
After short residence in the valley
the new couple com bined their efforts
and means in starting a little store for
general merchandise. Here they turned
their small stock of goods to gold, and,
renewing it constantly, went on gath
ering in the coin and enlarging their
store until@it came to be noised about
that Uncle Billy" (which name he had
acquired soon after his arrival in the
valley through his fondness for chill
dren) and that Arlansaw woman of his
Were getting rich.
The bulk of their trade was with the
Mexicans, who were in the valley.
among them being a number of ugly
customers OF the Chavez stripe who
used to sometimes render the surround
ing country, and particularly the .'Old
Mission" close by, anything but fit
habitation for peace-loving people.
They would fill up with ''owadiente,''
the native brandy, and bestriding their
bronchoS dash through the highways
In manner highly threatening to the
personal safety of any who might be
coming their way, yelling meanwhile
like demons and whirlino their lassos
about their heads until they whistled
q shrill accompaniment to the uuroar.
According to Uncle Billy that Arlxan-
saw woman of his often grew uneasy in
the presence of these rufians. and Il
was her firm conviction that sooner or
Later there would be trouble at Ia
Puente. He would ridicule her fears
and would try to persuade her out of
her notions" as he termed them. Int
though she appeared to be calm for the
time, she resolved within herself to be
ever on the alert for Mexican mischief
and her fears were not groundless-
One day black-muzzled Mexican
entered the store, and CHANGING about
An hstless way inquired the prices of
various articles. He seemed to have
ample leisure, for, after making few
trining purchases, he hung about for
several hours, exchanging at intervals
q lew words in Danish with the store