The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-07
TIE cAcKLE WITHOUT THE CROW.

| TEE CACKLE WITHOUT THE CROW
Here's state of things. Down in the
Cherokee strip near the classic banks OF
| raging mud puddle, there is an old
| maid settlement.
Vague accounts from Indifferent Mar
co Polos locate this spinsters' covert
| midway between Enid and and Perry.
twenty-five old maids make up this
town. A nomad relates his discovery OF
the roost> thus: at was late in the after
noon when l came upon this strange
settlement. There were several objects
which instinct told me were dom!ciles,
but my perplexify was the more en-
tangled when l observed the wealth OF
porch and lavish, yes, extravagant os-
.entation of exterior display. | was
soon aware that had been sighted and
that tine village was in commotion.
Presently / saw several women emerge
from the town. They came in my di-
rection, carrying something with them
of which they were evidently afraid. A
minute later | saw this fearful OBJECT
was gun. One of the women raised
this and, while the others held their
ears, discharged it. Then she dropped
tie weapon and with shrill cries the
whole kit and posse fed back into the
village.
81 had reason to believe that the bullet
had been intended for me, but as 1t did
not pass within a mile of my person,
made bold to fur her investigate. rode
up to the village and, after securing the
gun, observed everything with that
scrutiny which only an experienced per-
ipatetic may exercise. The first thing
that caught my eye was lot Of chick
ems, and, what was strangest of all, they
were all hens. This gave me valuable
hint and took notice at once that the
three equine grazing at the end of the
street were mares. A strange canine
shutting at my heels, was puzzled to
observe, also bore out this singular mo-
nopoly of sex. [ might as well add that
it was the same way with the pigs.
81 hunted diligently for rooster,
which early rural training taught me to
expect, but saw none. Attempts to
catch the eye of the inhabitants of this
nonde5cripe rookery were unavailing.
Some miles further on [ met farmer.
He unraveled the mystery by telling me
that the village was manned Il mean
womaneO wholly by old maids. They
had abjured the masculine sex entirely.
In proof of this he said that one of his
roosters had strayed into the settlement
and the spinsters had killed the unlucky
fowl with druidistic rites. 1t was an
everyday occurrence, he said, for women
to attack men who approached the ham,
let. He deposed that the women intlct-
ed penalties upon recreant members of
the community and the chief penalty
was to impose upon the guilty one the
duty that was held in great awe among
them.
''He further recounted that the village
consisted of thlrty-three mem
bers but that twelve of them had de-
serted and one particularly ugly old girl
was expelled from the community be-
cause a razor was found in her possess
sion. The local court held that that mas
culine implement was subversive to the
vital principles of the community
This is indeed narrowing. Let us
waive the throes of blighted affection
and the pangs of a heart without an
affinity which must have driven them
to this extremity. Let us be practical.
These spinters have renounced the OPP
posite sex. They have banished it from
their hearth-stones.
But hold! Is not the primal oiect of
every community perpetuity? Can the
spinster retreat, midway between Perry
and Enid, have continued existence
and value in this world, under this
single sex system?
In a word, can there be cackle with
out a crow? We wot not.