The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1894-02-10
kALEIDoScOPIC LIVES.
A Chronicle Of the Dog Zen Range.

world" is a saying as old as the language
with which it is spoken. In n lesser de-
g%rea--only "a the material is lessened-
every separate community O. the human
race is made up of people of all shades of
character.
Man and kind may enter a land before un-
known to him. Occupied only by fishes in
the water; by soaring birds in the air
md by the four footed beasts; who since
their creation have moved III narrow ways
through all the evolutions of passing time;
marking no stop or change in the genera
/, .ions that come aud go. Though the
,trony prey upon the weak-tho vicious
,pon the gentle, yet their status on that
land, day by day and century by century
remains about the snme
But when man enters this animal Arcadia
the equilibrium of animal life changes
Some of the kinds may be harnessed to his
will or his pleasure and survive Others
less fortunate will perish. Whole species
fall at his displeasure md disappear by
untimely death. But have they disap'
peared forever! Ask this millions of dark
Indians of the great valley OF the Gauges
distant HindOostan in our day-ask many
intellectual giants among our race; or
seek the lettered tombs of some wise and
great men of all ages and Of all nations
for answer and they will tell you
these animals are not dead and you kind
reader may be one of them-by evolving
changes in the transmigrntion'Of souls.
Thus it is in this numerous family of
ours. we frequently mark the action and
even the facial countenance of some ami
NAL of the four footed order. We can
see the human beaver, with architectural
skill tiding adverse elements, that though
lie could forsee he could not hinder. He
can build but not destroy. He will suffer
himself but ilhict no suffering OF others.
Alas: that We had more human beavers /!
Their we soc the human porcupine-who
4. never seeks to harm others until assaulted.
!" Then he strikes bnck with fury. He re
solves himself into acatapult, and filings a
thousand arrows at once. Then again we
see the human fox with his cunning and
selfish ways. Then the human coyote whe
seeks to destroy but always with fear in
His heart. Then comes the pleasant purr-
ing vt faced lynx, that stealthily lays in
wait ia cover to spring OH his victim I'M
awares.
These animals named. arc but n small
group typi6ed in human souls. II it is
not" transanimation is it absorption Of
souls! If absorption is it cntailed ? And
If entailed, is the subtle working of the
man mind made clearer: Transmigra
tion means but the actings of one soul III
one DO ly. Then wherefrom this mani.
fold duplex,ty of characteri..in one human
breast-this human beaver Of to-day
transformed To n human coyote, fox. or
lynx tomorrow. Wherefrom the prompt
ings of these Kaleidoscope lives. that mys-
tify even their own minds in duplicity OF
action.
On the evening of the 2Sth of January,
just past, a few lornginy guests we're in a
talking mood in the sitting room of the
Merchants hotel of Washburn, N. d.
Matters religious, Philosophical: and specu-
letive passed. IN review until il narrowed
down t, county limits andl a hlstori.
cal dissertation o N its early settlement and
organization, and light thrown upon some
of the actors as it occurred to the visions
Of the narrators.
sd you remember c. one of our
first county Off ;ers::' queried one of:the
conversationists.
"Oh, yes" rsspona,l another, che is
dead. He died years ago.
Not 80" said the tirsts,speaker, land l
will tsll you why l know" AMI the speak
or went on with this follow,nsi story which
this writer can do but scant justice in it's
repetition.
Daring the booming days of 1892, and
just before the organization Of the coun-
ty. a party of land hunters made camp
across the coulee from the Washburn
townsite and opposite 10 the Touring. mill.
Among these was n man about so years of
age. He had a plausible, foxy address
enough but a ~countenance not to be spe-
cially envied. At the first sitting of the
board of county commissioners this man
became n candidate and'was appointed to
an important and trusty county Office.
He settled aud claimed a residense::frst
over on the Mandan Lake bottom. now
of Oliver County. but afterwards moved
back into Mclean County near the town
of Hancock. After n short. interval of
time Of idleness he moved out to. and took
charge of a stock ranch on the Dog Den.
This was the first location on the range
Ovsr on the Mouse River Valley, and
about half way and ina direct line, be-
tween the Dog Den Mountain and the
present town of Minot, there came and
settled in the year 1882. a family consist
ing OF: three ~persons--an old man of neat
7Oyears-a wife of not more than 40, and
a young girl of not more than II years of
age. They we're industrious and soon