Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-02

went first to Chicago. but could And no trace
OF Maj. Delmar's brother-in-law. Unjust make
my pilgrimage alone. So, one beautiful june
day turned my face toward the setting sun
and followed it to n little town away out in
Kansas, some twenty miles from Fort Riley.
| At this point the conductor appeared on the
scene and informed US that the bridge over the
Wild Cat creek had been carried away by a
freshet and we could get no further that day.
There were few passengers and was the only
! woman.
"The town where we were stranded was . new
institution. There were probably $50 inhab-
itants and they lived In tents and board
| shanties The depot Was q box car. Hotel
| there was none. The business houses were q
| general merchandise store, O blacksmith shop
and four saloons in tents.
"We found the inhabitants in state Of hilar-
ious excitement. 1t was the evening of the Sd
| OF July and they had suddenly concluded to
hold Q celebration on the Fourth. The women
had prepared the viands and the bill of fare
would have given French chef the collie, am
sure. As sat with those kindly hearted women
In front of the store that evening, where
they discussed the plans for the picnic with the
male portion Of the community, rolling about
| in the grass in the street, discovered much of
the economy practiced in pioneer life.
Some Of the women had been gently bred.
but life had not been kind to them and varying
| fortune had at last stranded them on this in
|
families they were beginning again, as they
had probably done dozen times before in as
many different states. 1 wish could give you
the menu for that day. but remarkable as 1t
| was 1 can't remember it all. It was to be
shared in common-spread upon one long table
on the grass.
"I was Just bound to have some slaw,'
heard one woman say. AN there want no
cabbige in forty miles, as knew of. But Bob
was doVn to the bend last week an got some
turnips, and jist experimental on them.
cut 'em up fine an dressed 'em like NAV ulster
her cole slaw, an, law. you couldn' tell it from
| the real thing
said another proudly. When Jim come
home this marnin' an said we's goin' to hev n
sure huff celebration I set to work on them
pies. I didn' hev much to work with, but tell
of buffalo yist day an billed that tender and
soaked up some dried apples to chop an he'd a
few dry currants. was just put about fer
cider or sumthin', but Barkeep Bill smelt the
buffalo cookin' an stuck his head in the tent
to know what rs doin', an when told him he
said he d send in his contribution, an it were
some lemons an q pint Of smackin' good
brandy. You jist waltz
1--we go; jar of sass left frum the barl of
relief pervisions cent us in Barton county last
winter, put in third and 40 they went on. There
was a whole volume OF trial and privation and
disappointment expressed in these little house.
wifely bursts of confidence. but the women
were all CHEEKY and bright. hopeful and patient.
1 never quite understood how it could be SO,
when some Of them were suffering such fearful
reverses.
1.-The celebration was to be held in a grove.
five miles distant, on the SCI ranch. In the
riffs of conversation l learned that major had
promised a hind quarter of buffalo roasted
ready to eat dozen antelope roasts, a keg of
powder and several gallons Of milk. Major
had also promised dozen cow ponies for the
'grotesques' to ride, and had consented that his
niece, child Of eight. should Join the dinner
party. and 'mebbe SO, he would come over him
self at noon. While was vaguely wondering
if this major had anything beside handle
for a name a small boy broke in shrilly on my
meditations.
81 say, dad. we hain't got no fagr
"'Well, I'm a coyote eff the kid amt druv the
nail clean to the headr calculated dad dis
gustedly.
That's whateverr said another.
60 We'll. what in gehennan we do?' queried q
Fourth of Ju New Years 'thout no flag, I'm
thinkin'.'
"'Reckon the majors got one,' suggested
some one.
"'Mebbe so, but we KANT trust to luck fer
this. We got to hev one, shore. Kin you ladies
he'll us OUT! he said appealingly.
"There was q general shaking OF heads and
mutual murmur Of regret. The town didn't
even possess O red flannel shirt, it seemed: one
woman had torn up Sans last one a few days
before to wrap around his legs, 'whar ne he'd the
rumatiz awful, an the hnerment hez spilled it
clean
II ran my possessions over hurriedly. I had
but one red article in my wardrobe, merino
shawl. l offered it up on the altar Of loyalty,
and was cannonized at once. A bride of q week
gave her only white petticoat and young
mother turned her baby's cloak over to the
common fund for blue field.
II entered heart and soul into the making Of
that tag, and by midnight it foated, little
heavily to be sure, still it really foated, from a
pole spliced from broomsticks, where it had
been stuck in front of my door, as though to
keep watch and keep guard over me as l went
to rest in the little dog tent which had been
thoughtfully set aside for me by the hOspitabie
people. Despite my strange surroundings l
went to sleep at once, only to be awakened in q
few moments by succession of war whoops,
anvil firing and the crack Of '44's' and VIM
chesters. The boys were ushering in the
Fourth as was the fashion back on earth
They kept it up till daylight. and it was
rather a tired woman who appeared at break
fest the next morning. which was served on a
goods box on the shady side of a shanty, with
beer kegs for seats. l never met kindlier
greetings or more generous hospitality than
was offered me by those people, with their
primitive surroundings and scant means.
The 'percesh, headed by very proud man
on horseback, with cartridge belt and AS in
lieu Of sash and saber, and with our flag
streaming rebelliously above his head in the
strong. cool wind, wound over the trail across
the prairies to the grove by 10 o'clock. Just be-
hind this improvised marshal were a dozen or
more 'grotesques,' none the less hideous be-
cause of their limited means for appareling
themselves. Then came all the boys and men
who could muster horses, and bringing up the
rear were the five prairie schooners' the town
possessed, the sides Of the canvas rnised that
the motley crew riding in them might take in
the awe-inspiring grandeur Of that great pa
front of the first wagon. The Wild Cat, still
running bank full, prevented the repairing of
the washout, and determined to make the
best of the situation and get all the fun posi-
BILE out Of the occasion.
"Jack rabbi4 scurried with low-lying ears
across the trail prairie dogs barked frantically
and dipped into their holes on our nearer ap-
proach, while the half-tame antelope OF the
settlements fed affrIghted from the medly of
sounds made by the grotesques and a cowboy
fiddler. Shades of Paganini! how he did MUIR
der melody.
'Once at the celebration grounds, a pretty
tree-shaded spot on the banks of Coocoo creek,
the women began to arrange for the dinner,
while the men rolled round the grass.
smoking and spinning yarns, and the children
trooped down to play in the water. Twas given
the place of honor on the spring seat under a
tree, and was watching with interest the strange
L