Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-01-15
0sT TRAIL.

was 40 weary miles
awav from III railroad, and the mail
came weekly rr0m Florence by buck
bond. Tho arrival of tho blackboard
Vas tho oyenf og tho week. Every ono
greeted its coming, even the dogs. Tho
Moxicans Indians who could not
write au6 5coived no mail regularly
asked for b. Every ono knew it. Even
at nighttime y0u could tell it by its
shufsi1g, patlering rattle, as if all its
Joints were Is loose as those of tho ivory
contortionists made by the Japanese for
children to play with. IN tho daytime,
BY IT, qnoer little team Of dun mules,
condemned from the pack train because
their backs had been defacod by III fit
Sing aperejos and bad packing, patient,
pathetic creatures, used 20 abuse, re-
signed. not resenting.
Their driver, Christophcrson, was a
long faced Latter Day Saint who had
served a term IN Yuma for his devotion
70 Hymen. IN former years he had been
possessed Of seven wives, all of whom
ho had now completely deserted, being
old. The territorial laws were getting
severe, and ho had our sympathy, for
his face showed worry plainly that he had
suffered.
Those who frequent the habitat Of
man. whore life Is multiform in its
pleasures and sensations and so filled
with change and within that no trivial
event has relative OF shadow casting
Importance, will fail 70 understand the
part played at Fort Milton by Chris
topherson's coming. The youngsteI
from tho Point wanted home letters
and large, square missives addressed IN
feminine hand beginning always Lieu
tenant -" q title so new that i
still thrilled its ossessor-lctters which
next year would come thinner, less ire.
ouent. and less noticed from numS
apathy born Of absence and the dull
routine Of drill and duty done Ia Ok
s~uperheated days Of a torrid climate
kind anuslhotics which render bearabli
the narrow limits of garrison life and j.
time temper even tho rcbellious spirit q
resignation and forgctfulness Of q hom
In tho pleasant east. making duty 70
dufy's sake mere r~40notonoua habit, de
void Of virtue, but permanent aud en-
uroly satisfactory 20 post commanders
who find enthnaiasms hasty as transient
aggressive aud worth Watching.
Tia older subaltorns wanted ST. Loui
papers which gave the army budget
telling Of exchanges 81 regiments an
troop4 of deaths. transfers and resigni
tons Of courts aud boards, changes o
which depend promotion, pay, detail
and pleasant station 10 was there on
? first found details and leaves Of ahsenC
F, granted foF tho ontorprising press
quicker than tho ponderous bureaus {
war. The ladies wanted shoppin
parcels from the big eastern citiol
for the heavy warCs common 20 q
rcounfry made the feminine heart ven
3 unhappy, and. even in climates &
3 warm % wear them. womcu must bn'
Z clolhoa ChristophorHon brought q
magazines and illustrated papers, viii
ont widch life would bo. SO empty, ou'
we have acquired their habit Ho W.
tho bearer Of ihoir joya and sorrow
their hopes and prizes. their dlaappoin
menls and lheir bitter grief He oltc'
$50 disturbed fhoir quiet neutrality WI
their chief reaction. was the d slend
a Thread that connected these prisoners
y lhe desert with the world Ira which thl
Sad becn reared. had for awhile rcsIg
cd arl hoped 1Haiu io form q part
e IhIs was EIIdag aIloIDo0n. and q
mnii w1s oFogina The crowd had a
lcoIfd. awaiting ~ arrival One cou
hear che cIaIIN n poker chip iS 81