Evening journal., 1896-11-23
WOOD WAS SCARCE.
HOW THE FREleHTEaS ON THE
PLAINS DID THEIR COOKING.


with Him In Small chunlss.
Il was in the days before tho rail.
roads had been pushed out through /
northwest Nebraska, and supplies were
froighted into the forts and trading
posts in big wagons, pulled sometimes |
By eight or ten yoke of oxen ard some !
times By ono span Of great mules
1t was evening when we overlook the
froightor. We went into camp within
100 yards of where he stopped. 1t was
almost at the head OF the Elkhorn river,
and the stream, whore it flowed few
rods from our camp, was hardly more
than q yard wide. Tho guide had told
rs at the start that we should strike
country where we could find no wood,
and we had brought along a small oil
stove, with q tin oven and q big can Of
kerosene. When 1 had watcred our
horses and staLed them out for the
night / wandered over TO see the
freighter. Iio had an enormous wagon,
pulled by two giant mules He had
staked them out and was getting sup
per- It was the first time had ever
seen It done by a plainsman and sraid
to watch him.
He was an old hand at freighting,
and he knew just how many stops he
would have to make where he could get
no firewood. For each one he carried in
his wagon, when he started out Of Nor
folk, piece Of 6 by 6 pine timber about
eight inches long. Each piece represent
ed the fire for one meal He was split
ting up one Of them when l struck his
camp.
"'D evenin. " he said, without look
ing up from his work, "prospeo;in fer
landi"
"No, hunting replied.
"Oh, " he said, with an intonation
that seemed TO convey his feeling that
no knew ali about rs.
He had split the piece Of pine into
littlo sticks. He gathered a handful Of
dry grass and wadded it up into ball.
Thon he beat down the tail grass and
cleared q little spot where he could
put tho bali cf grass, and over it he
piled eight CT ten little sticks Of pine.
1t was ready for the match. From a box
at the end of bis wagon he brought ont
q long handled steel frying pan, acotice-
pot and a tin can that looked as if it
had once held two pounds Of tomatoes
or pie apples. Then ho brought out a
...,.,.1o,, - ..,1 eot - ~, Ella rt,.or,p1 IL
held part of his supplies and served as a
table. Out Of it ho took some -four and
bacon and o little tin can cf coffee. lie
got amill out Of the box and ground his
coffee. He was very particular about his
coffee, he said tome, half alphabetically.
He couldn't endure the ready ground
stuff. When he bad got that DONE h'
sliced his bacon. Then he got a sheet o.
tin out OF tho wagon and stood it up lie
hind the little pile of sticks. II helped
to concentrate the heat by acting as d
reflector
He put the coffee in the pot, poured
in somo water from the Lucketful he
had brought from the river, and set II
down beside tho pile Of sticks. Then hC
arranged the slices of bacon in the fry
ing pan and settled it on top Of the pile
of sticks. Then he lit his FIRE. IN a min
I ute i5 was blazing up mcrrily, and tho
bacon was eizzling in the pan Hepour
ed somo 1our into the tomato can
dumped in z pinch of salt and some bak
ing powder and stirred il all mp vigUr
ously with q spoon. Occasionally h'
stopped stirring 60 turn the bacon Pres
emily tho bacon was done. He hshed j
out into a tin pie pan with fork, an,
into the hot grease be poured tho mix
ture Of flour and other things from Tho
tomato can. That was going to bo " bull
whacker's bread, " or "scrugouo.
As soon as he took tho frying pen Of
the fire he put the coGeopot on, an,
when the thick, still dough was NIGEL.
smoothed out in the frying pan ho prop
ped 10 up in front Of the lro, where th
reflector would do its best work. Ihol
out of tho wagon he hauled a jug @
sorghum. Three or four moro litti
sticks Of pine were deity arranged un
der tho colfeepot, and by that time th
bread had begun to brown in the pan
He took the pan by the end of the loni
handle and gave it quick sidewis
twist and little forward jerk. Tn
mass Of hale baked dough slid out Of tn
pan and few up into the air. 1t turno
bottom side up, and be caught il a
deftly as any French cook catching pan
cakes, ard propped the unbaked sile ul
against tho fire BY the time it hat
baked the coffee was boiling, ard tn
meal was ready. de drauk the coffee
strong and black, out of a tin cup AM
used sorghum for sweetening. Butte
and lard he despisad. His sorghum toe
the place Of the one and the haco
grease served as substitute for the other
When he took the coilcepot OH tn
fire. ho put on lj.tle can Cf water tha
stewed and simmered and present.
boiled over the ombers. That was hi
dishwator He had 10 have it lot to tax
the bacon grease ont Of his pans. An
when it was al done, there were thre
or four Of tho little pine sticks still left
asked him if he did not want pota
toes. Yes. n said, and be had then
but only when firewood was plenty.