Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-08

"SoHy dIu lTIRnC, TWO
women will six children cIinging to them.
Instantly d%ismounting | cut their tents
.''" oiuerea Tie women to quit crying and
10 lay mold of the hind wheels of the
wagon: We backed it across the trail and
soon all were saved with slight scorching,
Ii'en came a scene. Two women with
hearts full of gratitude Rugged and kissed
me often had | felt the q%uickening SEN
satloh OF one at a time, but to be held by
the double vlce of two was the acme of de-
i'ght. But If their husbands had come in
on inc scene the situation was expleinable.
80 for once in my life at least l had PLAYED
ar heroic part. Mounting old Bona I
Dade them God speed and better judgment
IN making camp in the future.
Inc hateful white flag, which indicated
land taken" still Haunted in my face and
marked the course of the swift chargers
VINO mad rode on ahead. On the 10th
cached the home of an intelligent half
blood PaWnee and he showed me a vacant
claim and | stuck my states and planted a
pesky white flag. Weary and foot sore I
Slept soundiy That night, the awful anxiety
OH OF my mind. The next morning l Dor.
rowed an TX of my new Pawnee friend
Morris and began cutting logs for a cabin.
roor old Bona was tired and half famished,
Here l stayed lnearly a month for him to
gam strength. Finally l started back to
Guthrie in October. Many men have been
lOst, and numbers murdered over claims,
Ihelr people will never know what be.
came OF them. Poor old Bona did not gain
strength, and two miles out. homeward, he
Tell down with me, so l footed it back and
led the faithful old fellow. A prayer: yes
l. prayed on reaching the Cimmaron river.
Inc sun had settled down behind a smoke
crested bluff, the wind was blowing a gale
from the north and l shlvered and shook
IN my cotton fringed garments. The Chm
mar0n Is a more hateful river than the
Mlssouri-quick sand bottom and a deem
ford. 1t was dusk when on my knees in the
sand l prayed that faithful old Bona
might have strength to cross the river.
PUTTING my letters in my inside vest pocket
SO that In case l was drowned nay corpse
might be Unidentified, we waded in. Bona
trudged and heaved, but reached the other
shore. l dismounted eighteen miles from
home, a dark and stormy night ahead of
me. At 10 O'Clock at night l lost the road.
l find a cabin-the hospitality of a poor
claim holder-inquired the road and started
on. The settler came out of his cabin and
hailed me with stranger, haint got
much room, but don't like to have We
60 any further tonight; come in
or l wont sleep any thinking
about yOuw l accepted, and in that
humble cabin a kind hearted woman with
children in rags m woes of hard times
plainly visible, a hospitality was rendered
far more acceptable than a prince or poten.
tate could have extended, for the stranger
under the roof hadn't a cent, and told them
so. Bidding these good people farewell
as the sun peeped from its eastern screen.
Bona and l were on the road homeward.
Arriving home Mrs. E. weeps with joy,
Bona lays down. We help him up. He
lays down again and dies. and l shed tears
as we haul the faithful beast to the bone.
yard. In two days we loaded up to return
to the claim and rustic for money to pay
the freight. l raised 1925. l gave the
driver IS and promised to locate him on a
claim. Three days travel and we are back
on the claim. Mrs. Emmons is delighted
We name it "Stonewall farm" not so much
for the distinguished general OF my native
and much loved state, as it is indicative OF
the qualities OF the claim. l wanted in the
start one that nobody else wanted, so YOU
see | got it. After paying the driver we
had a silver quarter left. Mrs. Emmons
and l commenced the cabin, 1t completed
We felt the need of a we'll, and she noticed
a place where a crawfish was throwing up
mud, and l began to dig. l never dug a
hole but what [ am reminded of two old
Bismarck friends you will remember
Proctor, Bismarck's first assumed desper.
ado-and how fierce he looked when he
was toggled up-and my dear old compan-
ion, E. A. Williams. +. A. was then a
young lawyer. He and Proctor got on the
same claim. Williams was out n after
noon digging a cellar where his home now
stands. "Proc', rode up, armed to the
teeth, and told him he was digging his own
grave, and when it was deep enough to
bury him, he, "Proc," would kill him. E.
A. came to the city in a very perplexed
condition of mind, and called on me for adj
vice. l told him to go back the next morn.
ing and take a double barreled shotgun
and let the muzzle rest in plain view.
"Proc" soon rode up and spying the peace
maker, was in a very friendly tone of mind
and | believe was ever afterwards a friend
of Williams. But l have depressed. We
dug the we'll six feet deep, and have plenty
of water.
Now, my dear Mrs. Bailey, give our
most intense love to all the old pioneers
We have never failed in our wanderings to
feast out newspaper friends on turkey on
Thanksgiving day, and two will dine with
us this year.
Now a request. 1 loaned the Metho.
dist church a bell many years ago
with the understanding that it should
20 to the first church built in Emmons
county. Mrs. Barley was to see that the
request was carried out. If it has not been
complied with will you kindly see that il
is delivered. Now hoping that the icebergs
of my old friends will be. transformed into
diamonds, and their kernels of wheat into
grains of gold, we remain, most affection
ally, your friends,
JAMES A.:and NINA B. EMMoNs.
May Purchase the Store.
j. j. Freeman, Dickinson's leading
druggist and one of the most prominent
business men of that town has been
looking over the Hollembaek stock here,
with a view to purchasing it. If the
deal is made, Mr.. Freeman will put a
competent man in charge of the store,
---L "a Ill .... - A.. A..