davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28
The Noted Fourth.

Noted as is this day in the history
of the American people, it really was
day of feast and celebration many
years ago-long before the signing Of
our Declaration of Independence. In
Scotland it used to be called st. Martin
of Bullion's day, and was eel ebrated
with great feasting and sporting ,especi-
ally by the Scotch peasa ntry. 1t was
common proyerb that If the deer lay
down dry and rose dry on "Bullion's
Day." it was an infallible sign that
there would be a good gose harvest.
Gose was the term for the latter end
of summer, therefore gose harvest
meant an early harvest Throughout
the whole of Europe, the peasantry
land, indeed, many other people) be-
lieved that the rain on Billions day
betokened rain for twenty ensuing
days.
1t is remarkable fact, too, that the
two men who were especially associ-
ated with the Fourth of July-Jeffer-
son and the elder Adams, the first be-
ing the author of the Declaration of
Independence, and the other its warm
indorser-should have died on the
fiftieth anniversary of the great day
st. Nicholas.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28
IN DREARY PATAGONIA.
A Welsh Utopia on the Banks Of
the Chubut.
Where Hardy Settlers Find Independence
Their Sports and Pastimes-The
Most Unique Colony In
the World.
Especial letter.

By sending special representatives
into foreign countries the Outing Mag
azine is doing much towards the educa-
ton of its readers. Mr.. Frank G. LEM,
who is making trip around the world
on a bicycle, is now sending exceeding
IL interesting descriptions of his wheel
Ing experiences in China; while j. Perry
Wocden, in Touring IL Europe on Next
to Nothing" is rambling among the
most interesting historical section of
Scotland. Another representative is in
southern climes, and has witnessed a
season of sport in Patagonia, and in
the June number of Outing gives an
excellent description of the lives and
methods of the Welsh colonists who
have settled in that dreary land-Pata-
gonia. These sturdy toilers, pricing
their independence above everything
else, seem quite content with their
hard-earned subsistence, although ex-
isting under conditions which to our
farmer, accustomed to fruitful, we'll
watered lands, would be intolerable
In connection with the history of the
colony and its formation he writes as
follows of the rare sport in which the
Patagonian Welsh boys indulge:
Many years ago there lived a Welsh
divine who dreamed of a Welsh Utopia
in foreign land. His dreams so far
materialized that in 1864 $50 im1ni-
grants left Wales to found colony in
Patagonia. They landed in the Golfo
Nuevo and finally settled on the banks
of Chubut river, which mingles it's
waters with those of the South At
lantic ocean twenty miles below the
forty-third parallel of south latitude
Here they have multiplied for upwards
Of quarter of a century, and have
been further increased by immigration.
Many Of them speak only their ma
tive Welsh. They are so excessively
healthy that, at the period of my visit,
a population of eighteen hundred did
not produce enough illness to support
either druggist or physician. Such
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28

Of gambling disposition were backing
their favorites with a reckless liberal
ity characteristic of the far west.
81 soon learned that the greater in
terest conferred in foot race which was
to take place between three young
girls, an American, a Mexican and an
Indian who had won several such con-
tests in the towns further north and
who had been brought down to enter
the contest by sporting members of
her tribe. The American girl was the
daughter of bullying fellow named
Matt Parker, who ran saloon and
whose reputation was not exactly that
of saint. I was told by a merchant
friend, gentleman with whom my
house had long sustained the most
agreeable business relations, that dur
ing our civil war Parker was one of
QuantrelPs band of cut-throat guerril-
las. took prominent part in the sack
ing OF Lawrence, Kan, and often boast
ed of his deeds of murder while mem
Der of that organization Unlike the
very large majority of regularly enlist
ed confederate soldiers who accepted
defeat, and who are now on terms of
brotherly friendship with their late
foes and are answering in their devo-
ton to the grand old flag of our IA
theirs, he was yet an uncompromising
rebel and would use the stars and
stripes as a dishcloth rather than al
low them to float over his house. After
the war he engaged in the horse and
cattle stealing business, struggled
whisky onto the Indian reservation,
and rumor linked his name with dar-
ing stage robbery down in Texas in the
early 70's. He held no regard for the
Fourth of July as patriotic holiday.
and took part in arranging the festivi-
ties of the day only for what he could
make out of them by stalking money
on the various races. The foot race
between the girls was an idea origin
ated by himself. for he believed that
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28

Earnes as Jones, Hughes, Mathews, Ed
wards, Williams and Evans abound,
and the owners of them are as Welsh as
their people at home. They are poor
but thoroughly Independent. The gen.
Grafton born in the country was brought
up on horseback and can vie with the
Patagonian Indian in Craftsmanship.
Though the country swarms with
ducks, geese and cartridges few of the
Welshmen indulge in shooting, because
many do not own even so much as an old
musket, and the majority of those who
have firearms have not the wherewithal
to purchase ammunition But hunt
ing they may and do enjoy, and
whoever desires hard riding and
rare sport may find both with
the Patagonian Welsh boys A meet
may be prearranged or few hunt en-
thusiasts may happen together on a
cloudy afternoon in the harvest season
when they have nothing else to do.
The quarry is foxes and large species
of hare, and half dozen of each for an
afternoons run is only a fair bag.
Once fox or hare is raised it takes
only few minutes for the dogs to run
him down-but they are lively minutesi
One day the meet was at the farm Of
Hugh Hughes, distant about sixteen
miles from the sea- The house was
representative dwelling, built of poor,
homemade, half-balzed brick, held to-
gether nominally by a little mud and
mortar, IN reality by virtue of being
laid IN the gravity line. The house
contained two roomS, and mother earth
formed the only floor. About twenty
riders collected at the door of this
modest mansion. IN front % which half
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28

felt my whole soul go out in sympathy
to that frightened little Mexican
jewel. and when heard Parker and
his followers decrying her sprinting
merits and doing all they could to
create a feeling against her and so en-
barrass her that she could not run as
she would under more favorable cir
cumstances, / felt the Old Nick spirit
that's in me struggling to the surface.
1.-THE girls came onto the track, the
Parker girl an ill-looking. ungainly
creature. brazen and defiant, the Mex
lean timid and casting appealing
chances into the faces of the great
crowd, and the Indian maiden quite
unconcerned and seemingly without
interest in the contest. The Parker
girl was dressed in q skirt of flaming
red, scarcely reaching her knees, and
beneath it wore white stockings and q
pair of gaudily ornamented dancing
slippers. Marta, the Mexican, was
clad in plain gray of neat and modest
cut, and was barefooted. The Indian
girl, after she had thrown off her
blanket, wore but little more than the
look of unconcern which I have de-
scribed. The distance to be run was
two hundred yards, and there were to
be three heats should two not be won
by one contestant. the party distanced
in the first heat to drop out and leave
the other two to finish the race.
cat the usual western signal, the
crack of a pistol. they were off, and for
quite a distance it was neck and neck,
and then Marta took the lead. The
Indian girl, as 1 could now see, by a
preconcerted arrangement was sew
eral yards in the rear. On they came,
Marta with half-scared look of tri-
umph on her face; the Parker girl
wearing an ugly frown and straining
every muscle to overtake her. When
but few yards from the outcome a
heavy cowboy sombrero sailed out of
the crowd, and Marita's feet struck
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28

a dozen hungry-looking dogs of no par
ticular breed wandered aimlessly to
and fro. Two or three of the party
possessed delapidated saddles. The re-
mainder had but sheepskins or pieces
of bagging to interpose between them
selves and their horses backbones-
Stirrups were not in vogue to any ex-
tent; some of the men rode barefooted,
and the brides were mostly spot-made
with bit of cord doing service as
reins. Many of the horses showed an
ear split in two. These animals had
been trained by the Pehuelches, a tribe
of Patagonian Indians, who were ex-
cellent hunters
The country over which we hunted
contained no hills, trees or water; no
fences, bitches or walls, but was irregu-
larly cut up by gullies and steep-sided
ravines. The only vegetation was
clumps of thorny bushes and little
grass. The extremely loose soil was
composed of sand, loan and countless
oyster shells. Its general appearance
certainly sustained the opinion of the
immortal Darwin that this part of the
world has been terra frma for little
more than two thousand years
1t is interesting to contrast the
gaucho's saddle gear with the slender
outfits of the Welshmen. He first puts
on the horses back two pieces of wood,
about twenty inches long, that fit into
the hollovs by the horses backbone
They are held together by thongs and
bound down by a surcingle. Over these
, he puts blankets and skins to number
seemingly limited only by his wealth
There may be as many as eight or ten,
and over this mass he passes another
broad surcingle. On top of the whole
he sits, rather than straddles, not alto
gather unlike the manner in which one
sits on came1s back. AT night his
saddle is unstrapped and becomes his
bed.
A favorite object OF the reckless
Welshmen's pursuit is the guanaco, and
in describing the chase of two of these
animals, he says: THE dogs and horses
saw them, too, and we were off. 1t
was a straight-away gallop, our horses
straining every nerve and muscle to the
utmost. We lost sight of the feet
creatures, but deserted them again from
| a slight elevation running in another
direction. We were thus able to ride
over a shorter leg of the triangle than
the one they traversed. Presently we
succeeded in coming well up on the
] fleeing animals. But again they drew
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28
A Proper Time.

Are you from Georgian" asked the
summer maid, slyly, as she wandered
along the sand with the youth.
Il am he replied.
do you know that this is the Fourth
of July?'' continued the maid.
Yes" returned the youth, somewhat
puzzled.
Then why don't you celebrated" she
continued
s'Why = how-in what way?" he
queried, wholly at a loss
The shadow of night hid the maiden's
bushes, but there was tremor in her
tone as she replied: We'll, isn't this
the proper time for Crackers to pop?''
-Harper's Bazaar.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28

There's twice as many people now when I
was lad,
Nd not a half as many flags a-f1oatin as we had;
ND on the streets there's no parades one-tenth
as fine we,
When we was boys, was wont to come down
here to town to see.
Why. In them days July the third was hardly
more than done
Before the boys was out o. bed to fire the
signal-gun
ND ell the time that passed from that ontil the
day was DER
You'd talk oand couldn't hear yourself; the
boomin' and the roar
O cannons stuffed with powder til you'd think
the things would bust
Was SIGH it even coaxed the rain to come and
lay the dust.
Upon the village green the boys would gather
The village band would wrastle with some
patriotic tune;
Nd then the declaration by the men that made
US free
The Justice OF the peace would read straight
through from A to 2;
And then some clever man that could pse Ian
guage just bit,
He'd take theOstand and tell US all the good
that came of it.
When this was done, the minister would read
some piece Of verse,
And then invoke a blessin' and request us to
disperse.
Them exercises over, we would have baroe-
cue
The gals all dressed in Sunday best, and all the
fellers too
ND when the night came over all. we'd set OF
colored lights
ND wheels nd bombs in honor of the men as
gave US rights.
But now the Fourth it amt the same as twas
in days Of yore.
The boys all say they've heard the declaration
read before
They do not care for lofty speech" high-sound-
ing phrases"-and
They git more chills from cooling drinks than
from the village band;
Nd In the cities boys with sQuibs is guilty of a
That warrants cops from overseas In runnin
of 'em in.
-'Spread-eagle CAB" is what they call the talk
of olden times,
ND patriotic poetry is only fudge and
rhymes"
I'm sorry for to see it so. 1t sort O. makes me
fear
There's much more Tory blood about than we
But, after all, I'm satisfied If these folks git
too fly,
They'll find the true American to-day is
pretty spry.
There neVer was time in all our country's his
As have read it. and I've read it mighty thor
oughly,
When one good healthy straight-out mantle
sort as loves his land
Warnt able Sittfn' down to lick ten tories
with one hand.
And even If there amt much show in patriotic
ways,
I'll bet this countrys bound to last forever and
some days.
John Kendrick Bangs, in Harper's Weekly.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28

away, and again we headed them off
by going down the steep side of a
ravine. Here the horses had little foot
hold. The loose soil slid from under
their feet so rapidly that they were
compelled to abandon 1ocomotion of
their own With legs spread out and
the riders leaning well toward the
hillside to assist in maintaining an up
right position they reached the bottom
as part of q small avalanche By
maneuvers Of this character we gained
ground on the much-fatigued game,
and. though our horses were blown,
we at last overhauled the pair. 4 mo-
ment Later first one and then another
native swung the fatal bolas- The an
ima1s fell with their legs bound fast
and the long, exhausting chase ended.
The bOlas is peculiar weapon
Heavy balls, half as large as ones fists,
are fastened one to either end of a
leather thong. Sometimes the bolas
has three balls-two lighter ones at
Iached one to either end Of a short
thong and heavier ball to one end of
a longer thong, the other end of which
joins the middle of the shorter thong.
When sufficient impetus has been
gained by whirling these balls about
the head they are let go to Irvine about
the legs of Whatever they may have
been properly directed at
''Guanacos are easily domesticated,
and grow so tame as TO become null
sances- They persist in following you
about, treading right on your heels,
and nosing in your pockets Ifrepulsed
they get angry and spit at you. Their
saliva is strongly acid, and If not
washed of viii burn the skin. II it
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28

the buffers and thugs who hung about
his place, drank his ag4drdiente and
bowed to his will in everything, could
by some slzulduggery retard the prog
ress of the other two contestants and
allow his girl to win the race, and him
self to win the heavy stakes which
would be placed upon the result of the
contest.
81 learned, too, that there. were
grave suspicious that the Indian girl
and her people had been fixed with
cash, and that she would purpose1y
drop behind, leaving but the Mexican
and American girls as the real con-
testants. The hackers of the Mexican
girl were mostly from among her own
people, though few Americans had
backed their belief that she would win
with pretty heavy stakes However,
the friends of the Montezumant fairy
were largely in the minority and
greatly feared there would be foul
play which they would be unable to
prevent.
~ went to the grounds the following
afternoon with no inten ton. to take
any part in the festivities except as an
onlooker. The track was straight
one, half mile long, just outside the
town, and when reached it L found a
great crowd assembled there, Next
cans, cowboys, Indians and the entire
American population of the town, at
that time small. Matt, Parker was
there, fiourishing rollof greenbacks
and loudly soliciting bets on the horse
races, but more particularly cha1feng-
ing anyone to post money against his
girl in the foot race. -
Noting crowd collecting near by
where stood I stepped forward
through curiosity to see what was at
tracing it and learned that the Next
can girl was there with her friends,
who seemed to be expostulating with
her. When 1 had elbowed my way
through the motley crowd near to her.
l could not but stare in amazement. l
had expected to see a rough-looking,
dark-skinned, lily clad girl such as we
so often see in the Mexican towns, but
instead 1 found her a rarely beautiful
Young creature with large tender eyes,
and evidently of very timid DISPOSE
ton. There were tears in her pretty
ewes, and her voice trembled as she re-
piled to the half angry words of those
about her.
"a great big fne-lool1ing cowboy
stood near me, there he is now out by
the branding chute, God bless him
Big Tom, my foreman, and he will be
nv foreman as long as I run a ranch)
and turning to him asked the trouble.
He understood the Mexican tongue.
| and with a somewhat dangerous light
in his eyes he replied:
i" Some O. Matt Parker's sneakin'
dogs have been a threatenin' the gal,
an have got her SO skeered up she's
afraid to run. There's crooked work
| a-goin' on here, an If wasn't afraid
| it d bring on a row an that somebody
that didn't desarve it ID git hurt I'D
pull my gun an claim fair play if got
downed fur it.
| THE horse and donkey races were
soon over, and Parker's winnings were
| so small that he was in g. decidedly
| bad humor. The girls were then
! called to the scratch for the foot race.
| By this time had become deeply in
terested in the contest, and want &c
| to say right here, Jack, that it has al
ways been my nature to take the part
of the under dog in the fight, no mat
ter what odds MAY be againstsik J
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28
Time EnOuCh.

''Some women make me very weary
said the first agitatress- Il asked one
woman if she believed in woman suf-'
hage, and she didn't know; she'd have
to ask her husband
did you find out how long she had
been married?'' asked the second agi-
tatrcSS-
Eyes Three weeks
''Oh, never mind, I guess she'll do tn
call on again in year or son. Y.
Recorder
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28

against it. She stumbled, fell on her
hands and knees, and although she
had but moment later regained her
feet the Parker girl had passed her and
won the heat.
THE Parker crowd yelled themselves
hoarse and old Matt caught his girl
and Rugged her to his breast. A hid
eous toad hugging a no less hideous
snake. ! can think of no better smile.
The cry of fraud was raised by the
hackers of the Mexican girl, but the
cowboy swore that his hat had blown
off by accident, and the bullying ma
jority ruled that it was a square heat.
I walked down to where Marta was
standing, and such change 1 never
saw. Her Spanish blood was thor
oughly aroused, her great lustrous eyes
flashed defiance at the crowd, and, as
the big cowboy who had remained near
me informed me, she had seen the man
purposely throw the hat and was de-
nouncing such rascality, and was offer
ing to give the American girl ten feet
the start in the coming heats if assured
of fair play.
Il could control myself no longer.
Calling loudly for attention attracted
the crowd around me, and in my indig-
nation said:
Men, am ashamed of you! You
claim to be American citizens who love
fair play; you are celebrating the
proudest day in American history, yet
you lend encouragement to an act
which should cause any honest man to
blush with shame!'
Who are you? a dozen voices
yelled.
I am an American, and 1 assure
you 1 have nothing but disgust for
those in this crowd who are disgracing
that name. l came among you seek
ing home, came with a desire to help
build up your business interests, but
I'd rather locate in a nest of rattle
snakes than among men who would
plot against young, defenseless girl.
Now, l am worth half a million dollars,
your merchants here will tell you that
my checks are good for any amount,
and 1 will bet any man in this crowd
five thousand to one hundred dol
lars that the Mexican girl will win
the next two heats, for am going to
see fair play, and 1 believe there are
enough honest Americans and natives
here to back me in doing So
You bet your life-thar'is! big
Tom yelled. The ours that's a back
in OF Matt Parker are towards, an
every square cowboy in the crowd will
stay with you, stranger. Won't you,
boys?'
Tom seemed to be a great favorite,
for at his words ringing cheer went
up and a hundred voices yelled for a
square deal. Marta ran to me, and,
taking my hand, said in her cute
broken English:
o, senior, I tank you You good
man. You mucho bueno Americana.
Me win. Me win. Bad man Parker
he no laugh some more. Mucho gra-
cias, mia amigo
II assured her that she should have
fair play, and that if her enemies de
sired to place any more money on their
brazen favorite 1 would meet every
wager.
~ will back you for all 1 am
WORTH said to her, for 1 know you
can win
at was a wild, foolish assertion. bu.
szas 1koEoughly aroused, and was de-
teElEined 20 down fke Parker faction
! oven Ehozld meet with defeat hz
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28

ranch on the Rio Bonito, in New
Mexico, and were seated on the We
randa which ran in front of the low
adobe ranch house, enjoying smoke
and a chat. At the table / had been
greatly impressed with the rare
beauty and modest demeanor of Eber-
hard's young Mexican wife. 1t seemed
strange that she, yet but little more
than a child, and of race regarded by
western people as inferior in the
social scale to the whiter-skinned
Americanos, should be the mistress of
the greatest ranch and the wife of the
most wealthy cattle king in all that
region. She had not taken a promi-
nent part in our conversation at the
table, her knowledge of the English
language being somewhat limited, yet
when she did venture a remark or re-
epOnd to an inquiry 1 could not but
note the soft music of her voice, and
when at some witty remark she joined
in our laughter the room seemed filed
with ripples of silvery sound.
AS Eberhard and myself sat on the
veranda enjoying our cigars and the
delightful coolness which always fol-
lows as sort of an apology for the
heat of New Mexican summer day,
said to him:
~ was not aware until this evening,
Frank, that you had married Next
can girl. Could you not find one of
your own race good enough for you?''
He smiled good-naturedly, and,
knocking the ashes from his cigar, re-
piled:
Plenty of them, no doubt, but 1
never felt in a marrying mood until 1
fell captive to Maritas dark eyes.
There is bit of romance connected
with our marriage, and 1 don't mind
telling you the story if you care to
listen.
You are no doubt aware of the fact
that by my fathers death in Denver, a
few years ago, inherited a very COM
Portable fortune. tried to fill his place
in the business world for time, but
somehow I always seemed out of my
element in busy city life. and the de-
sire grew upon me to secure a great
ranch and establish myself in a more
quiet life.
Nearly three years ago 1 severed
the last business bond, and started out
to seek for such a ranch as my day
dreams had pictured. 1 looked all
over Arizona and northern Texas, and
finally drifted up to Las Cruces, on the
Rio Grande. l reached that town on
the third day of July, and found the
people in fiutter of excitement over
1he celebration of the following day.
There were to be races and other sports
30 dear to tina western heart, and men