Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-04-21
JIM LANE. OF KANSAS.
A Graphic BIT of History Concerning
"l3leeding Kansas" and Her Early

from the north were almost without
exception from civil life, laborers,
farmers, mechanics and artisans,
young men Of the middle class,
reared in and Injured to poverty, un-
used to arms and unsch0Oled in war.
They were intelligent, devout and
patriotic. They came to plow and
plant, to open farms, erect mills, to
saw lumber and grind corn, to trade,
teach school, build towns and con-
struct free state. But one of them,
James Henry Lane, had any military
experience. He had been a colonel in
the Mexican war, of an Indiana regi-
ment, and was afterwards lieuten-
ant governor and member of congress
from that state. He had an extraor-
dinary assemblage of mental, moral
and physical traits, and with even q
rudimentary perception of the value
of personal character as an element
of success in public affairs, would
have been a great leader, with an en-
during fame. But in arms he was q
Capt. Bobadil, and in politics Ritz
meister Dugald Dalgetty. He pro-
posed to 'ssettle the vexed question
and save Kansas from further OUT
rage" by battle between 100 slave
holders, including Senator Atchison,
and 100 free state men, including him
self, to be fought in the presence of
twelve United States senators and
twelve members of the house of repre-
sentatives as umnires.
He was the object of inexplicable
idolatry and unmistaSab,ee execration.
With his partisans the su2erlatives
of adulation were feeble and uieager.
With his foes the lexicon of infamy
contained no eLithets sufficiently
lurid to express their adherence and
detestation. They alleged that he
never paid debt nor told the truth,
save by accident or on compulsion,
and that to reach the goal of his am
bition he had no convictions he
would not sell, made no promise he
would not breake, and had no friend
he would not betray.
A lean, haggard and sinewy figure,
with Mephistophelian lear upon his
shayen visage, his movements were
alert and restless, like one at bay and
apprehensive of detection. Profess
ing religion, he was never even ac-
cused Of hypocrisy, for his followers
knew that he partook of the sacra-
ment as political device to secure
the support of the church, and that
with the same nonchalant alacrity
had he been running for office in Him
dostan he would have thrown his of
spring to the crocodile of the Ganges
or bowed among the Parsees at the
shrine of the sun. His energy was
tireless and hisactivity indefatigable.
No hight was too dark, no storm too
wild, nor heat or cold too excessive, no
distance too great to delay his mete-
oric pilgrimages, with dilapidated
garb and equipage, across the track
less prairies from convention to con-
vention. His oratory was voluble
and incessant. without logic, learning,
rhetoric or grace; but the multitudes
to whom he perpetually appealed
hung upon his hoarse and harsh
harangues with the rapture Of devo-
tees upon the oracular rhapsodies of
prophet, and responded to his apos-
trophies with frenzied enthusiasm.
He gained the prize which sought
with such fevered ambition, but af-
ter many stormy and tempestuous
years, Nemesis, inevitable in such
careers, demanded retribution. He
presumed too far upon the toleration
of constituency which had honored
him solong and forgiven him so much.
He transcribed the limitations which
the greatest cannot pass. He apos-
tatized once too often, and in his sec
ond term in the United States senate.
to avoid impending exposure, after a
tragic interval of despair, he died by
his own hand. surviving ten days af-
ter the bullet had passed through his
brain.
The Drawbridse Keepers IIero,sm.
Drecker, while stationed at his
post OF duty at the drawbridge above
the Passaic river, heard the whistle
of an approaching exnress train Tn