The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-03

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with Him In Small Chunks.
Ii was in the days before the rail
roads had been pushed out through
northwest Nebraska, and supplies wer'
freighted into the forts and trading
posts in big wagons, pulled sometimes
by eight or ten yoke Of oxen and some
times by one span of great mules.
IL was evening when we overlook the
freighter. We went into camp within
100 yards of where he stopped. II was
almost at the head Of the Elkhorn river.
and the stream, where it flowed few
rods from our camp. was hardly more
than a yard wide. The guide had told
us at the start that we should strike
country where we could find no wood,
and we had brought along a small oil
stove, with tin oven and a big can OF
kerosene. When l had watered our
horses and staked them out for the
night, / wandered over to see the
freighter. He had an enormous wagon,
pulled by two giant mules. He had
staked them out and was getting sup
per- 1t was the first time / had ever
seen it done by a plainsman and staid
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 8 by 9 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.
ID evenin." he said, without look
ing up from his work, "prospeotin fer
land!"
"No, hunting" replied.
"Oh," he said, with an information
that seemed to convey his feeling that
he knew all about US.
He had split the piece of pine into
little sticks. He gathered a handful of
dry grass and wadded it up into ball.
Then he beat down the tall grass and
cleared little spot where he could
make his fire. In the middle of it he |
put the ball of grass, and over it he
piled eight or ten little sticks of pine.
1t was ready for the match. From box |
at the end of his wagon he brought out
a long handled steel frying pan, coffee
pot and tin can that looked as if it
had once held two pounds of tomatoes
Or pie apples. Then he brought out a
wooden box and set it on the ground. 1t
held part of his supplies and served as
-able. Out of it he took some flour and
bacon and little tin can Of coffee. He
got mill out of the box and ground his
'offee. He was very particular about his
offee, he said to me, half alphabetically.
lie couldn't endure the ready ground
fluff. When he had got that done, he
liced his bacon. Then he got q sheet of
in out of the wagon and stood it up be-
lind the little pile of sticks. 1t helped
o concentrate the heat by acting as a
efector.
He put the coffee in the pot, poured
II some water from the bucketful he
lad brought from the river, and set it
own beside the pile of sticks. Then he
ranged the slices of bacon in the fry
ng pan and settled it OH top of the pile
f sticks. Then he lit his fire. In min
tie it was blazing up merrily, and the
aeon was sizzling in the pan. He pour
d some flour into the tomato can,
Jumped in pinch of salt and some bak-
1g powder and stirred it all up vigor-
usly with spoon. Occasionally he
topped stirring to turn the bacon. Pres
ntly the bacon was done. He fished it
ut into tin pie pan with fork, and
ito the hot grease he poured the mix
Ire OF flour and other things from the
'mato can. That was going to be "bull-
hackers bread" or "scrugene.
AS soon as he took the frying pan of {
le fire he put the coffeepot on, and
hen the thick, stiff dough was nicely
noothed out in the frying pan he prop.
ed 1t up in front of the fire, where the
efiector would do its best work. Then
ut OF the wagon he hauled jug of
'rghum. Three or four more little 6
ticks of pine were deity arranged un- {
- WIZ NOhOopott obu ny tuut tlIuc tu6
read had begun to brown in the pan. '
e took the pan by the end of the long I
andle and gave it q quick sidewise ,
visit and little forward jerk. The I
lass of half baked dough slid out of the {
an and flew up into the air. 1t turned {
ottom side up, and he caught it as
eftly as any French cook catching pam
,kes. and propped the unbaked side up
gainst the fire. BY the time it had
aked the coffee was boiling, and the
zeal was ready. He drank the coffee,
'rong and black, out of q tin cup and
sed sorghum for sweetening. Butter
nd lard he despised. His sorghum took
ne place Of the one and the bacon
rease served as substitute for the other.
When he took the coffeepot off the
re, he put on little can of water that
tewed and simmered and presently
oiled over the embers. That was his
lshwater. He had to have il hot to take
he bacon grease out of his pans And
vhen 1t was all done, there were three
r four OF the little pine sticks still left.
asked him if he did not want pota-
oes. Yes, he said, and he had them,
nut only when firewoOd was plentv IL