The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-06-23
copyright 1904. by B Lippncott Company.l

cept where the footmarks of the train
men marred the smooth "Xpanse, and
where in two or three places the pfanks
were gone entirely, this cleaning sheet
stretched the length of the platform to
where the white bulk of'his trunk stood
on end at the eastern edge. The charred
and blackened relic of flight of stairs
led from the platform 20 the sloping
ground some five feet below, but not
even a hand-rail warned the unwary
against breakneck plunge into space.
Part Of the platform itself had been
burned away, and some Charred and |
blackened posts. sticking bolt upright |
| from the ground in the shape of mar
/ row rectnngle, showed that wooden |
! building of some kind had formerly !
stood along the rear of the rickety |
staging. Midway along its length, on
! the southern side, shed with sloping
roof had been loosely thrown together,
/ and the ends nearest him. boarded in
and pierced for door and a couple of
windows, bore over the threshold in
black stencil the legend "Eiclet Office"
Under the shed were a couple OF
plows and some boxes. Out on the
bare slope, midway between the track
and a "snaIle" fence that paralleled it
some twenty yards to the south, a dozen
bales of cotton were huddled, three Of
them partially covered by old war-worn
'paulins and ponchos, the others en-
/ At fA fbn IN nf Tly C IN
be expected from any passing engine
when the wind happened to blow from
the track; and all of them, evidently,
defensaless ;.gainst the predatory
hands of pilfcrers, for jagged rents were
torn in the coarse sacking Of each, and
huge fistfuls OF the white staple had
been dragged from a dozen gaping
wounds in every bale.
The red soil, showing here and there
/ through the scant and withered herb
, age, was scanned with mule and wheel
, tracks, and a few rods away broken
; down farm wagon lay with a spoke
bristling hub close by its shattered axle,
while the tire, rolling away from the
II
5 off to die by itself, and leaned rusting
+ against one of the charred timbers.
t The southwark view was limited to a
: long, low ridge of ugly, white-tlecked
cotton stalks. Eastward the sun was
= breaking pathway through the fringe
< Of trees along another ridge, and faint
| line of mist, rising sluggishly in the in
d tervening low ground, with the hollow
rumble of the train crossing an invisible
d bridge, told Of the presence of some
i slow-moving stream. Westward the
d! track came into view around thinly-
wooded hillside, with a clearing here
= and there, in which some low cabins
e were scattered.
e With this cheerful outlook to greet
j. him at three points OF the compass
3 Lambert turned him to the north. There
:. was a siding with switch at each end
y but, as three or four rails were missing
l opposite the west end of the platform
r it stood to reason that the railway com
y pany found the other all that was neces
l. sary to the traffic of so bustling place
r. as Tugaloo. brown freight car stood
on the siding with wide-opened doors
If and some household goods loomed il
II plain sight. "There is more honesty
in this community than the United
States marshal would give us to believe,
e. thought Lambert, as he recalled the eX
y tract from recent report which wa
,e shown him at department headquarters
He laid his satchel and sword upon th
platform, and, wrapping his blue cir
S. cular about his shoulders, took few
~ steps forward and q peep into the in
:? terror of the car. From the midst o
bedsteads, bureaus and cheap old-fash
I'd ioned furniture, quantity of beddin:
Z. had been hauled out upon the floor, anC
IN from the midst of the bedding a WOOL,
IN head protruded-that of negro fas
n asleep.
w Beyond the car stood dusty opeI
d. square Jordered on three sides by ding,
~ wooden structures, some Of two stories
IN but most of them only one in height.
wooden sidewalk framed the square i
some places, and in others only indica
- tions OF its former presence were to b
oy seen. The sidewalk was bordeTed by
VI rude railing, to which, it was eviient
IN horses and mules were tethered durin
business hours, for at one of the rails
even now, sprawled upon the soft, hoo
rawed dust, long-eared quadrupe
en- was haN hanging by the bride reir
nd while the dlnpidated saddle had worke
he around during the night until it SCI
as tied upon the animals side.
OF Judging from such signs or legend
in MS were visible over the doorways {
in. Tugaloo, Lambcrt's impressions weI
ad that the vending of intoxicating drink
;ty was the principal industry, as thel
'er were three saloons to one store devote
hr 10 general merchandise which estal
ltP lishment, painted white and with an a
til of prosperity and flock of cotton bait
KS. around it. bore the sign of l. Cohen. an
nv, told pathetically that the pioneers of
,ok relentless and one-sided trade had a
nd ready made their lodgment in the MIDI
ser of helpless community.
1t was sunrise, and not a soul was a
len parently nstlr. a street led away mort
eft ward at right angles to the main frol
ND OF the square. and struggling hous'
in lined IL at intervals on ether side. o.