New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-05-30
CATCHING A TRAIN.

CATCHING ] \ 9 J { A TRAIN.
1t was my first day on the wheat
prairie Of North Dakota. had left Far
60 at o'clock in the morning on one Of
the two daily trains westward and had
stopped at Castleton, 20 miles from
the ''Phenix City of the Northwest. !"
Thence I had tramped back across the
prairie two miles to see the Dalrymple
farm, the greatest in the world, 80, 900
acres under cultivation. By o'clock in
the morning had seen all there was to
be seen in the process of thrashing and
so retraced my steps to Castleton.
At the station was informed that the
next means Of getting back to Fargo
was by freight train leaving at about
. o'clock.
There are no art galleries or cathe-
,drals in Castleton. There are dozen or
two stores and hotel. I entered the
hotel with the air Of abandon and gen.
eral superintendent usually ascribed to
commercial Travellers sat down in the
office and picked up day before yester-
days St. Paul paper. An old man with
white whiskers sat in the sun reading
the day before that's paper. He was
evidently a pioneer, who had so long
been away from the more civilized re-
gions that he Jagged little in the his
tory Of the world. However, was glad
to see one guest at least in the hotel
among the wheatfelds.
By way of introducing myself to the
old gentleman cracked few jokes ON
the sleepiness Of the town and the dingi-
uess Of the hotel, but a little later real
lied that my remarks were i'll directed,
by finding that he was proprietor Of the
establishment. "Never mind" thought
I, lit will be all right if take dinner
here. ;" The old gentleman s face showed
an animated interest as he informed me,
in response to a question, that dinner
would be served at half past 10.
was now wearied Of reading stale
news, so went out and took five min
utes' walk to the end of the main street
and back. Next bought novel and
went out upon the prairie and spent a
couple Of hours reading Killing time
in Dakota town I found not to be so
exciting as the same occupation in Chi
cago or London. About noon wandered
back to town and got stranded on some
California fruit at store. filled my
self 50 completely with grapes and
peaches that I never once thought of
dinner at the hotel. The old landlord
must have been grievously disappointed,
but did not see him again.
talked with the clerk in the store,
read some more and cursed the Northern
Pacific until nearly o'clock. Then I
sauntered over to the station, and after
waiting q half hour for the train in
quired Of the station agent as to what
time I could get away.
He replied, mot until the 4 O'Clock
through freight comes.' The 2 o'clock
was way freight and had been de-
layed, he explained.
moralized on the inconvenience of
travel in a new section Of the country
and set about using up another two
hours found that had somehow got
some spots Of wheel grease on my clothes
and managed to spend a comparatively
pleasant hour scrubbing out the spots
with naphtha at the town drug store.
Then read some more.
At o'clock went over to the station
again and finally plucked up courage tc
ask the rather irritable agent about the
train. He deigned to tell me, as if tired
Of seeing me around, that the train
wouldn't be along until 5. Now had 8
companion in my misery, for lady,
with two little girls, was waiting for the
next train to Fargo.
Our common annoyances served tx
introduce US, and we talked Of the har
vesting and 80 on, deriving. some in
formation, as she was resident Of the
region. At o'clock the train was MOI
In sight, and the station man positively
refused to know anything or to have any
opinion as to the prospect Of our getting
away. I offered the lady my book anG
at and reflected on the happiness Of Lift
in that section, getting up occasionally
TO look out upon the fiat prairie to see il
the train had yet risen above the hori.
ION. There was nothing but the two
rails stretching away till they converget
into one, and then that was lost to the
eye
Once in awhile the lady and the little
girls got up to look. Finally she all
nounced that she could see see smoke in
the distance My eyes were not so good,
but we watched eagerly, and after some
minutes I acknowledged with great
pleasure that she was right. We watched
the smoke solidify into a train, which
grew larger and larger until at last il
rolled along, and at precisely O'Clock
the engine came to standstin few
feet beyond the station on side track.
The caboose intended for passenger.