Western Kansas world., 1893-10-07

and they wood, so they did"
Many of our northern and western
states had samples of mammoth red
wood planks, a single plank would floor
an ordinary room
We took in the Krupp gun exhibit
which is in this vicinity. This isa grand
exhibit for private individual or firm
to put up. The manufacturer seemed
to think that there might not be enough
about his gigantic guns to interest the
lady visitors, so, in one side of his build
ing he had, scarcely know what to call
it, but it seemed mountain side with
stream of water trickling down among
the rocks, flowers and moss. 1t was
very pretty.
The monster gun here weighs 124 tons
and cost $4,000 to manufacture It's
length is 81 feet, it has bore of 25
inches and projects ball weighing g.
300 pounds over 15 miles. Think of u.s.
ing such weapons in human warfare.
The German engineers in this exhibit
said that if the gun was fired from the
site of the Krupp building that the con-
cussion would wreck every building in
the park.
We could not travel rapidly here along
the lake shore the children were so
taken up with the lake, the piers, the
movable sidewalk and the boats
What fascination a body of water
holds for children and the questions that
are called forth, it taxes ones ingenuity
to answer them all. Here are some pro-
pounded by little seven. eff the water
is on the ground how can it be deep as
you said mamma?" "Well then if it is
in hole why does it look as if it were
heaped up. You can't heap up water
can you?" But harder than either was
the question of the little man. "Where
does all the water come from?" Answer
the three seriously and honestly and you
have quite enough philosophy for one
day.
We walked down among the Indian
wigwams and looked in upon them, as
some people insist, only true Americans.
These Indians are from the down east
reservations, and it is amusing to hear
the questions fired at them by people who
have no idea that many of these Indians
do not even understand an Indian lam
guage, many having come from reserva-
tions where they have had white school
teachers and the white mans habits for
twenty-five years. It becomes very tire
some to them too at times. One girl to
whom had talked, having known one
of their school teachers, says II get so
tired of it, do you know what wish? I
wish it would rain for whole week so
that not one person could come over
here"
This Indian girl was from York state
and was very much interested when l
told here of the western Indians that
might be seen in their native dress on
the Plaisance. She knew nothing of the
feathers and paint of wild Indians ex-
cept from history, and assured me
that she was going to get leave to visit
Rain-in-the-face.
= It is said that the wigwams here are
arranged geographically and represent
all of the living tribes from British Co.
lumbia to Mexico inclusive, but they all
seemed to me very much alike and all
asked the same exorbitant price for
their wares of baskets and bead work.
The ''Totem poles" from British Co.
lumbia are very interesting things. They
are, as we might say, tall wooden "tomb-
stones" They are placed before the
British Columbia wigwams and any one
acquainted with the sign-writing of these
Indians can gather the whole genealogy
of the occupants of the house for many
generations from the characters carved
on this ''Totem Pole" It is a monu-
ment to the dead, history for the liv-
ing.
The children paid visit to La Rabida
for the 54slza 544lzza of the inspiration it may
give them to become acquainted with
the history of all this later. They saw
the Columbus boats and the U. S. gov
ernment battle ship "The Illinois,"
They made up their small minds too
that they wanted boat ride. hesi-
tated about going on the lake with the
children. had indulged in the pas
time myself, but felt that five was too
many to be drowned at once, however,
the children prevailed and we walked
down to the pier. We missed the first
boat going out. then told the little
folks that it would be away after
night when we got to our boarding place
as we would have to go down to Van
Buren, street and take the cars back, and
that three pairs of eyes would get pretty
sleepy and three tired little bodies
would want to be carried and that would
be impossible. They all made so many
promises to be patient and good that we
waited and took the next boat, and shall
I saw right here that those promises