The record-union., 1894-09-13
EXCITING TIMES.
The Strike Recalls stirring Times to at
Least One Chicago Pioneer.

The Strike Recalls stirring Times to at
Least One Chicago Pioneer.
awful times! Awful times! Never
nae 'em when we were youngn'
The speaker drew out a spotless hand
kerchief in a solemn manner.
1--WE didn't, that's a fact" responded
his seatmate in the Wabash cable.
Wed have done it if we could, but the
population didn't allow of it. Chicago
didn't possess million mixed sons in
those days, so the Indians had to get up
all the strikes. Good Lordi how EASY
they did it! Bennett, do you remember
that night-no, you weren't there, though:
you'd come to Chicago after wagon load
OF winter stores. Well L never shall for
get that night. There's solid pound of
reasons for remembering it,"
The speaker paused as the car did and
bright-taced girl with a bunch of sweet
peas in her hand got on.
You see," he resumed when the car
was rafting on again, you see, the In
dians had stolen some horses and had
been overtaken by the owners, who. of
course, demanded their property. That
made the Indians furious, and thew
threatened to scalp everybody in the set
tIement before morning. Well, we all
hustled down to Williams cabin-he had
the biggest one-and pretty much every
body in the settlement was there before
was! Some of the women were CRYING
and fainting. with all the kids joining in
the chorus; and we men were busy barri-
cadipg the door and windows.
''There was one man there-a Metho-
dist preacher, that happened to be visit
ing in the settlement-and he was
wandering around in everyb body's way.
calculating, Put your trust in the Lord,
brethren We had everything in the
shape of weapons, for the alarm had been
so sudden that we'd been obliged to
snatch up whatever was handy, and clubs
and pitchforks outnumbered the rifles.
The preacher had table fork for his sole
weapon. He said that the Indians be-
lieved that stab from a table fork was
always fatal to them. l hadn't much
spare time just then, but l remember
| wondering how many Indians he'd pick
| before some of 'em scalped him. 1t got
| darker and darker, and we all began to
! listen for that Indian whoop-rememb ber
| how it used to sound, Bennett? l never
want to hear it again. By and by the last
| baby stopped crying. and we sat waiting
| for the whoop.
"Well, it came. Every fellow was on
his feet in a trice with his weapon lifted.
! Then we dropped our pitchforks, and
made rush for the fellow waving his
bowie-knife over our heads, and calling
out with a laugh in his voice, 'Now's the
time for scalpsp
HE hadn't been with us when we shut
ourselves in and there were red glints
coming in through those barricaded win
dows instead of redskins. 1t was morn
| ing and we'd all been asleep. How we
did il don't see yet.
Hammond had come home unexpect-
edly in the night and hadn't of course
heard of the fuss. So when he didn't find
any body in his cabin he came on to Will
| Jams, the next place, to make inquiries
| He said he exerted all his energies to
wake US up, but couldn't do it, so then
he assaulted our barracks, and after a
tough time of it managed to get into
find US all reposing on our laurels and
| our arms
"We never heard the end of it. of
course but we laid it on the preacher. If
he hadn't neglected his duty he'd hav e
pricked our consciences with that fork O,
his, and kept US awake to our dangerous
state.o
.'Of course" assented the solemn man,
something like a smile crossing his severe
visage, 81 believe you settled it with the
! Indians next morning."
"Yes, sir. We went after those Indians
and licked 'em. and took our hcrses."-
| ChieaDO Tribnue.