The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-08

/ cal and smooth on the outside anu
| clean and comfortable in the interior.
I The floor OF the second story is sup
/ ported by long rafters of oak. Every
/ thing is as snug as a bug in a rug. L
! went out and examined the stable. 1t
| is built with the same care and neat
| ness The house nestleS among a
grove of giant oaks, hundreds of years
| old. and is picture Of perfect content
ment.
| For the first time in my life have
came into a full appreciation Of the
uses of tree. Here is the house built
OF the trees: the barn and the fences.
In the front yard a hammock swings
made of Stats from the native trees
There is also cart the wheels Of
which are rounded blocks. The helveS
of the utensils are native wood. The
fuel is wood. have seen no coal west
Of Kingfisher Nature has offered
many things, but McDonald's ingenuity
has multiplied them until he lives in
perfect comfort There is Il warm
side in all mems nature for the log
house. 1t is perhaps the color of a
prejudice given TO the race through CEN
turtles of use. There is the same
warmth in most men for home with
a matched roof. Ihave asked many peo-
pie out here about this and from all of
them l have had expressions in re-
gard to the feeling of security, warmth
and comfort which 4 log house gives.
After hearty supper, / sat out under
the great gnarled trees with Mcdonald
and talked about the nature which was
so still all about us, the profound
silence only broken by the tinkle Of a
cowbell in an adjoining pasture. The
sky was beaded with stars, and the
breath Of wind was soft and awrm.
Taloga. o. T., Sept. 8.
Early Friday morning we again set
out to reach Taloga. People were al
ready starting for the meeting, and
before we reached town we had grown
to caravan. People in buggies and
wagons, going to the speaking" trail
ed behind us, many OF them singing
patriotic songs. On the way we picked
up a Mr.. Preston. 1 fell TO talking to
him, and for my diversion, he recited in
Latin for me Horace Faccus ode TO
Maecenas and a selection from Virgil,
beginning 'Of arms and the hero, l
sing" and also a stanza or tow in
Greek Of the Had.
He is of course highly educated, re-
ceiving his tutorage in Bethel college,
Kentucky. He told me an Interesting
tale of his experience the first year
here three years ago. For months he
lived on corn-bread and water.
] asked him if he ever was hungry.
He said no. He could get corn-bread
and water. He never was hungry ex-
actly, but he yearned day and night
for some change. The first season was
short on grass, and his mules wasted.
away. He kept on. however, and now
mas a fine farm and the hard days are
over with him. He told me that
through it all he had kept his books,
Latin, Greek and English.
TalOga is a good town. AS we rolled
in the first view of revolvers came in.
They are worn in plain view and are
numerous. am using one for a paper
weight now. The cartridges are al
ways near in every case. The weapons
are not used for ornaments. l can see
that plainly. The former Kansans are
in the ascendancy. Barber, Butler
and Comanche counties are represent
ed / also find here some of the type
Of weSterner who gets into the eastern
magazines. One is standing near me
now. He is over six feet. The heels
of his boots are high; his pistol is heavy
and bright with oil His moustaches
are thin and droop far down. The
people here are all prosperous. There
are no colored people.
This is nearly the end of the road.
We are to get to Cheyenne, Saturday.
We find that no tow men here agree
on the distance from Cheyenne, or the
road Some say it is sixty miles, others
eighty.
Just north of Taloga is Sheridan'S
Roost This is the largest turkey roost
in the territory. 1t is named Sheridan
after Little Phil" and it is tradition
that he once fought battle with the
Indians here. No one can tell me
when this took place. There is no
record, but the irresponsible voice Of
rumor.
Coming along today we ran across a
large rattlesnake. "Kes' jumped out
and whipped it to death. BY the way,
we pass many prairie-dog towns with
the dogs and owls mingling together.
But "Kes" asks me TO expose the old
western fake that the prairie-dog and
owls also live with the rattlesnake.
This is not the case.