Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-04-22
SIMPSON OF SOUTH DAKOTA
Why He Didn't Tarry Longer on
the Banks Of the Wye.
A Breezy Young Man o! the Far West Who
Stirred Things Up In Picturesque
Derbyshire... Th,ught Him an
Escaped lunatlc.

and violets blue" peeped from beneath
hedge-rows, and patches of yellow butter.
cups, like so much golden sunlight, varied
the color of the deep green fields. The
beautiful little stream--more a cataract
than river--whose banks we followed,
came chattering and roaring from rock
to rock, throwing showers OF bright,
sparkling spray in every direction, re.
iminding me of those beautiful words OF
Tennyson's,
''I come from haunts of coot and hern;
make a sudden sally,
/ sparkle out among the fern;
bicker down the valley
There were four Of us in the party, all
from America; DIR. Munsop, of New York; /;
Mr.. Chatsworthy, of Chicago; the writer,
and Mr.. Simpson. whose home was in
seme little town In South Dakota. name
forgotten. Simpson was doing Europe"
for the first time. and as a consequence
was eternally making mistakes, some of
them quite serious for the rest OF us, as
well as for himself. Our acquaintance
was commenced on board the ship Servia,
while crossing the Atlantic. and a
few weeks of wandering in England and
Wales and caused the acquaintaneeship to
ripen into firm friendship. despite the
fact that Mr.. Simpson had got himself
mixed in good many broils b. reason of
his not understanding the people, or Gus
toms. OF the country; and who had, by
reason of this, many times forced the rest
OF us to move on to other scenes and
places sooner than we desired 60.
/, We were all anticipating much pleasure
from our stay In the Derbyshire noun
tains. We had only the day previous
mapped ont quite an extensive program
a program that 1t would take at least
week to fill We were to climb the high
peak of the Peninc chain, TO visit any
mum Der of rocking stones and caverns-
one Of the last being reported to be nearly
5000 feet long; we were TO drink of the
waters of the mineral springs at Buxton
aud Matiock; TO sec the remains of the
so-called Druid circles, barrows and
cromlechs. We were to walk on roads
built by ancient Britons, and by Romans
OF Casar's time; to view the ruins Of
Roman baths, and to examine and old Ro-
man altar at Haddon hall. At Hardwick
hall there was some furniture that had
belonged 70 Queen Eiizah beth. and some
EN- mbroidery that had been done by Mary,
queen of SCOTS, that would be of interest
to us and we were to explore the Penine
chain, the mountain range that forms
the watershed between the Mersey and
anticipated much pleasure, in this
most delightful of all months in
the year, the month of June, the month Of
flowers But in all of this we were doomed
TO general disappointment. We were
forced to depart before our week of pleas
ure had well commenced. 1t happened in
this way.
beautiful little riyer--the Wye--before
Simpson asked the name of the stream.
We had all left our guide books behind, to
be forwarded with our baggage, and not
having these useful companions with us,
no one in the party could name the stream
We were all at loss TO know what IL
was.
II will make inquiry, here comes gen
tleman now" said Simpson, aecosting the
portly. gentlemanly looking Englishman
who was approaching tle spot where we
had oil stopped on the river path
The name of this stream, please"
Simpson asked, politely. Now, your av-
crage Englishman-especially II he be one
OF the cid schools man who does not
do, and this gentleman, happening TO be
one Of that sort, bowed politely, said
Wye" and passed on, leaving us all
staring after him.
"Deuced insulting, that, TO have n ma.
ask You why when you simply request
him to tell you the name of a creek and
then the gall of the man to pass on and
not wait for you to explain after he has
asked you to do SO Thank God,
there's no saeh men as that fellow
out in Dakota-if there was we'd
hang them. But here comes another; I'll
have a go at him." said Simpson, eyeing
the approaching Briton as he spoke.
viii you please tell me the name OF
this streami We are tourists here--stran-
gers-and would like to know"
THAT river" said the stranger. point
ing with his stick to the stream, "Oh yes
Wye. Good day, sir.' aud he walked
away, leaving the majority of us little
wiser, but Simpson not a bit.
"Well. I'll be hangedr' Simpson drew a
long breath, ''if this don't cap anything
ever saw: such set of impoite devils
never met anywhere. II III a met
either Of those men In Dakota, I'D
from the Jim to the Canadian bor-
der, and said drinks to them he.
sides; while here they nod at me, smile a.
me, ask me why and walk of, Perhaps
they think / want to steal their internal
little branch. It's an insult-that's what
1t is--an insult! think ] see it ali now
Here's conspiracy to draw me into a
English prize lighters, and nos being able
to whip John L. Sullivan, they take de.
light in bullying me. I'm no match for
such great big devils, of course. aud they
know it; but just let them send along a
man Of my size and you'll hear the eagle
scream! Here he comes-he's little fel.
low this time. Just let him ask me why
once!n
Simpson was right; another man was
approaching us along the river path. He
was . small man indeed, quite dandy in
dress, and he wore single eyegiass. As
he got closer. we could see that he had a
sickly look, sunken cheeks, great, sta ing
eyes and feeble step. Simpson looked
at him almost vicionsly until he got quite
tone of voice:
Whats the name of that river"
THAT stream. that beautiful, poetical
river. which giaddens all hearts with its
music and surprises all eyes with its won
derfui beauty-Wye"
Il don't know that it's any OF your id
business why. Tell me the name OF tina,
nose. d. you see thisi" Simpson doubled
up his fist.
"Yes-er-I-n
''None Of your hedging or dodging
Give me the wawe ~ that stream or I'll
knock You into It, You're monkeyinq
W tn the wrong nation; you ther name
that stream or fghtm
Don't tell you It's none Of youY bnsi
ness why Give us the name of that
stream quick. It's got to come! Don'i
you 20 to yelling for Hng OF those uis
ers Of yours, or I'll scream and rock tho
mountains. can sing 'Ta-ra-ra- boom-de
ay' and knock yon fat at the same time
and I'll do IL, too. II you don't hurry thai
name up Come, now, no hedging; you hold
the cards, but the pots mine, do you see
I'm from Dakota, been cowboy foi
twelve years-killed twenty men In my
time, and am loaded for more--now, viii
yon give me the name OF that stream, OF
say your prayers, whichl"
"Whoop" screamed Simpson.
The little man had started to run. and
Simpson after him. 1t was time to call q
halt IN the performance, even at the ex
pense of putting stop to q good joke: 80
the doctor. Mr.. Chatsworthy and myself
joined Ia the chase after Simpson. VIZ
caught him after an exciting run, (elec
tricity alone conld have caught the En-
glishman) and hurried him back TO the
depot In = roundabout way and into q
compartment OF . car. Luckily the trair
which we had Just boarded had stopped
ON It's way to London. Once inside tho
car, we ieit comparatively safe--but W.
were none too soon. A big. burly, red
faced Engllshman came running into tho
station, and, meeting another. evidently q
friend Of his said: Heard the newsr'
"Nop'
tits scandalous, 10 say the least! j
Malcolm Dingley, the London artist who
In stopping at Matloek, encountered fori
lunstics on the path by the Wye; they
attacked Mr.. Dingiey and he made
heroic defence, but was forced to run q
last to save his life. It Is said the luna
tiOs Ink like Americans aud AZ Il suYo