The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-08-31
THE SUNSET TRAIL.
How Danny Redmond Carried the
U. S. Mail Across the. Dread
Border.

Danny Redmond was a mail carrier
OIL the Sunset Trail, and he fully real
lied the Importance of his position.
Traffic might stagnate, civilization
might pail, but the United States mail
must go right ahead, and on schedule
time at that. AS for the Sunset Trail,
it wound its way far over the dreary
plains of Kansas, across the Cimmar-
ron, and on and On into the great state
of the Lone Star.
But Danny's route only extended to
Crooked Creek, a town consisting of a
grocery store. At this time the popu-
lation of Ford county could have been
easily corralled on a quarter section,
and had comfortable standing room at
that. Danny was an apostle to these
lone settlers, and only one who has ex-
perienced the appalling LONELINESS. of ex-
istence In those thinly peopled plains,
where you a see your next door neigh
boris shanty on clear days only, can
realize the joy with which they heralded
this blue eyed, brown haired bunch of
turbulence.
1.-TWO O'clock" would comment SON.
unkenpt denizen, consulting the sum-.
'DannyT be here in ten minutes"
Then they would look till their eyes
ached afar to where the Sunset Trail
tipped over the roll of prairie at the
horizon. Soon their watching would be
rewarded, and steadily and swiftly
would the bay mare, Dolly, bear her
rider down the trail in that swinging,
interchangeable gallop Of the mustang.
Perchance. some settler coming into
the postoffice would appreciate the best
side of the road and jog along in the
path that Danny chose.
"Git out O the way of the United
States MALL" would come the warming,
and he woulL prudently ''git" to the
other side of the road, for Danny could
and would shoot, and besides didn't he
have every one of those fellows down at
the Office to stand at his back to the last
shot? So, no matter how much Of a fire
eater the INSTRUCTOR might be, he switch
ed off when the carrier demanded the
right of way.
And that was often. For that lad had
the idea inculcated into his being that
all other powers, terrestrial and celestial,
were secondary considerations when the
United States mail was concerned, and
he seized every opportunity to exercise
his authority.
How longingly and expectantly those
eager pioneers would watch the letters
distributed! Though perhaps they had
no grounds for expecting u letter, yet
their hope did not sink until the last one
was put away.
Then the return mail would be made
up, and at the exact minute Danny
would vault into the large Mexican sad
dle-almost as large as he or Dolly
and with the all potent mail securely
strapped to the girdles on each side, he
would recommence his long ride, never
stopping as he tried a flying shot st
some unwieldy rattlesnake that had
dragged its notified form out on the rail
to loll in the sun, and who would not be
able to wiggle into the tall grass ere the
United States mail was upon him. Along
the route the settlers would come out of
their shanties, half bent, and wave their
sombreros and cheer the buoyant rider.
Wabash was the only stop. It was Of
the same Importance as Crooked Creek,
only there were two houses instead Of
one, or rather q double house, for the
owners of the claims that joined up
there occupied a shanty of two compart-
ments, on each claim. Somehow or
other the scamp would sit straighter in
the saddle and pull Dolly's head up
higher when they approached Wabash.
and a pretty little peach of a girl would
come out and chat with the carrier
while her specialized fathers attention
was riveted on the letter packages. Dol
ly would probably think that Danny
was getting rather weighty on one side
as he bent low in the saddle, dangerous
ly close to that pink sunbonnet. And
the sccfhng gopher that sat up con-
veniently close to his burro would won
der for what reason a fellow would want
to bite a pretty girl like her. But Rosie
didn't seem to mind the punishment a
bit. All, Ifear Danny would feign have
fingered longer at the unprepossessing
post of Wabash, but-the United States
mail must be carried on.
Night would fall ere he crossed the
dark Gmmarron, and ON suspicious
nights the moon was up in the sky
when he rode, with a .noop and halloo
that stilled the bowling Of the coyotes,
into Fort D~odge-the journey done.
One day a cowboy came into the fort
with a jade1 mustang and a slash across
his cheek, and reported that he had
been chased by a band Of Arapahoes.
These children of nature had grown in
solent with well feeding and liGtle work.
They often became thus at irregular in
t~ervals, and breaking from the reserva-
ton swept north upon the scattered set
tiers of the plains, considerably depopu-
lating those sparsely inhabited districts.
Their great father in Wash; on, they
complained, was not gi lem enough
blankets, and in consequence they were
compelled to trade their moccasins for
Sire water"
Then q wild flight would commence
for the fort and larger towns for pro-
lection. The heather would rage about
with fire and sword. Occasionally some
wandering cowboy in search of Maver-
icks would share the fate of the settlers.