The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-24

be saved by new angles but there Is a
| prejudice against them, the exper-
fenced driver shaking his head at "cut-
offs and keeping the main-traveled
road as though he were glued there.
| So it happens that some long forgot
ten teamster, driving a pair Of govern
ment mules, smoking an ancient pipe
and drinking primeval edition Of red
| eye, trundled over these prairies fifty
or more years ago for the first time
and marked a road which has been
reHgiously followed every since That
teamster, whom history records Lot,
showed his knowledge Of road-making
by getting on to the high divides and
! climbing along the backbone Of the
region, thus escaping the breaks.
draws, rayines and canyons which
crack the country everywhere except
ON these sheds In this the teamster
was ION TO his job" and the modern
driver who follows him knows his bus
mess But on divers times 1t happened
that that ancient teamster sneezed,
jerked a line, pulled the mules. and
curved the wheel bit; or fell asleep
and the mules wobbled to one side; or
guided them crooked in lodging ar
rows; at any rate made the original
track anything but straight. But those
wobbles, curves and angles have stood
for years. They are there yet. The
new road at the side even follows them.
1t is the most absolute, groveling hon.
age to that ancient Transfers course
across the prairie. 1t at times ap-
pears decidedly foolish. but the old
tracks will be followed until the iron
horse which travels best on a straight
track, regardless Of precedent breaks
into the country.
Speaking of main-traveled roads,
there is sermon in them, and if not
sermon, then at least good Sunday
school lesson The mingled prints OF
dozen tires in the ruts of a road in this
country brings a great deal Of comfort
to many a traveller in this land. The
main-t travelled road is always safe. 1t
goes somewhere. The angling trail
or the "cut-off'' or the ''fork" may go
into some mans distant cOrn-feld; into
a timber camp; into another county;
in a good many cases it runs out,
that is it goes nowhere. The main
travelled road means there is somebody
ahead and even if you are wrong you
can find those who can set you arlght-
Five or six fresh tracks all keeping the
same road with the footprints run
ming in your direction form an assur-
ance of the right road
In life the fellow who jumps at the
dim cutoff" or the questionable angle,
usually comes in tagged and frazzled,
after the contented unadventurous
crowd, which followed the main-trav-
eled road, have been in for hours and
have almost forgotten the journey.
The first view I had Of Arapahoe, the
city. was at a distance, 1 judge, OF
seven miles. 1t was q restless black
line on an eminence. For miles in
front wagons and buggies shot up on
the rolling hills and sank from sight
again. The great clouds of the sky
cast wide shadows which sped over the
country. visible minutes before their
cooling shade struck us, and visible as
long when the fierce sun burned UNI
impeded again. AS we approached
Arapahoe the restless black mass OF
the distant view proved to be people.
Indians, farmers, cattlemen, cowboys,
peddlers. merchants, were mingled in
holiday attire. Barbecues, dancing,
concerts and oratory without end, add
ed their charms to the festivities In
the midst of it all, there was one touch
of the tragic-I saw a man LED away
through the crowds of celebrators, be
tween two marshals. He bad just
been arrested for a murder committed
in Mississippi nineteen years ago.
The town of Arapahoe is one of those
towns which is destined to win You
can find them dotted over the west
They have that dauntless spirit which
stiles all doubt as to their future. The
citizens of the town stand by it. They
grab every visitor and make him
stand and deliver" his opinion Of the
place. If that opinion is unfavorable
they disprove it; If favorable, they
scinch it. They love their city, as
much as though it had palaces Of mar
bic and was rich in history and men.
Treason is a slight offense compared
with a word by a citizen derogatory of
the place. The people in Arapahoe
have started out to make 1t q city. And
they will do it.
The county Of &c" is devoted partly
to agriculture and partly to livestock
There is some clash here between the
people who want free range and Those
who want to keep the herd law. did
not inquire into this. West Of Arapa-
hoe there are some beautiful farms in
the Washita valley. George Brace,
who lives in this vicinity, an old Sedg
wick county man. told me he had raised
big corn crop for the last four years.
To the northwest of Arapahoe, In the
vicinity of Independence. the country is
excellent and the community as pros
porous as any saw on the trip. Peo-
pie are coming into the county from
Texas continually. &c" is winning a
gratifying degree Of prosperity which
ii certainly deserves
We had an invitation 10 remain al
nirht with Tom Butler. on our way 10