Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-07-15

desires to steal away from ssGhisgly
irksome studies and go blackberfsiBg
in the wooded dells, or fishing ssa
swimming in the nearby esreams taat
ohce were the most enticiea aea Beas
tiful spots on earta to Is, asJ age s*3i
picturesque apd alluriee.
@@
Although it has Ree8 eY gears Sfeee
we left the old hose, there 6Ads
through all those years, bees aueges
longing in our Beart to eaee haore visit
it. We Ionged to Eant ae the oH
friends, the old plecee So aeapte child
hood; to seek out the ofs bs-peths esd
again sit upon the banks of the strea4ss
where so many happy heHts were
spent, to wandeH over the bills aaa
through the shaded valleys, ead iash
again upon the spots we then thees8t
most interesting. The pleasure Of
anticipation was great: the reeli5atiea
was well worth the hundreds of rniEss
of tiresome travel to experience. We
did not expect to find things as ve left
them over a quarter of century ago;
we expected changes aid anticipated
some disappointments.
But the changes were mostly in in
animate, nature. Many of the old
houses were gone; theehills had appar.
emily shrunken; the miles were shorter;
creeks and flowing springs had disep-
peared; only few gigantic tlmbers rot
ting in the sand and pile of rock and
drift wood ma:ked the site of the old
matermlll and dam; neighborlng or
chards which we haunted on summer
nights had entirely disappeared. On
our fathers old place the only thing
which remained of what we left there
was All old apple tree, riven by storms
and bowed down with the weight of
years of usefulness. All other trees
and buildings-the gigantic elms where
we had our swing, the spring house and
the grape arbor, the rows of red cur
rants and the walks bordered with
flowers were gone and the whole
place so changed that it might have
been in another world for all resemblan
ces it hadto its appearance of former
years. But the neighbor's old well,
where we laboriously wound up many
and many bucket of pure, ice cold
water, with a wooden windlass, still
remains to quench the thirst of ALL
Dug some sixty feet into the ground
and walled with stone, the well itself
looks the same, although the old
wooden curb and windlass nave long
ago given way to the iron pulley and
two bucket method.
The people we found less changed
than the topography of the country.
Many of the old residents of the neigh
borhood are still there; but alas, many
are gone to join
''The innumerahle caravan
Which moves to that mysterious realm
Where each takes up his chamber
In the silent halls of death"
They are hospitable people; large
hearted, warm in friendship and rich
in those attributes which go to sveeten
life. Those who were of middle age
when we left the place we found but
little changed, the hair was whiter, the
eyes sometimes not so clear or the
hands so steady-but the hearts seemed
as warm and the memories strong.
The withering blast that often results
from struggles with the outside world
had never touched many of the ole
residents, and they are infinitely hap
pier that such has be en- their lot.
The young folks-boys and girls
with whom we went to scbool--were
changed, of course. Many of theil
faces still retained the characteristic:
of feature we remembered of theil
youth. Many were gone-scattered tt
the four corners of the earth. building
| them homes in other states; some o
them-many of them we are proud te
say-gainlng fame and fortune in th,
professions and financial world. o
those who remain, most have acquires
valuable farms or are engaged in earn
ing an honest livelihood in the trade
and professions. All are hospitable
wholesouled and generally religious.
the old friends and neighbors, and stl
had urgent invitations to other places
A week was,far too short. Many da