The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-25
CHRIsTMAs STORIES.


station. "Since then I have always
cleaned my revolver and had it in shape
for that particular holiday will tell
you why-because was surrounded by
Indians or thought I was, and my re-
volver was so rusty it would not work
and I was defenseless.
ITO be particular, this is how it all
happened. In the winter Of 70 I was
punching cattle for a living. Some
people call that class of men COW boys,
but I always cali them COW punchers.
The other name belongs in the dime
novels. A party of about dozen Of
US We're on our way from Niles, Kan
Sas, to Dodge City, to drive a bunch of
500 steers to the feeding grounds. We
had a complete camp outfit. Wagon,
cook and all. On Christmas day We
found ourselves about IS miles from
Dodge and our supply wagon almost
empty of provisions. The fact is we
flour left That was plenty to last US
to Dodge, but not enough Of a variety
to make a particularly tempting Christ
mas dinner, and worst or all no cOHee-
LAS it was q holiday we decided to
take the day easy and camped on the
edge of a raVine The camp wagon
was backed up to the edge of the ra-
vine and we spread ourselves around
to wait for the best dinner the cook
could make out OF -four and side meat
He made his preparations He took the
sack of -four from the wagon and
leaned it against the rear wheel and
hung the bacon on the wagon tongue
and started his fire in the camp stove
Several of us sat around the rear end
of the wagon and one old fellow who
had punched cattle longer than the rest
of US, told several good stories of hair
breadth escapes from Indians. He had
US all worked UP about Indians and
was lust telling how he was surrounded
and cut himself out, when bangl went
a shot that sounded to me like small
cannon. Then bang, bang, they went
in vOlley and a bullet buried itself
in the side of the wagon and sent the
splinters scattering around US We
scattered and just fell over the edge
of that ravine out of range of the
shots and grabbed for our revolvers.
What is it, asked one Of the fellows.
Indians, of course I answered and I
had my two Colts ready to shoot If my
hand would be steady long enough for
me to hit the side Of prairie schooner.
Then the shooting stopped. We found
that the boss of the outfit and one of
the men had been unable to settle a
dispute with words and had reSorted
to revoIvers. They made up but all we
had for dinner was bacon. When one
of the fellows fell over the bank into
the ravine he upset the sack Of flour.
where. All over US and all over the
ground. We could not scrape up
enough to make a biscuit, but we had
bacon and then when we tired of that
the fellows called it, and at supper time
had supper bacon I prefer turkey
ct remember Christmas 1867, as the
Christmas day I did not celebrate, said
T. B. Jennings. ION Christmas eve L
stepped from a stage, shook the dust of
New Mexico from my clothing and
looked about. Topeka has grown he
unused as he filed his favorite meer-
schaum-
It was in New Mexico and a few days
before the holidays I started by stage
from Santa Fe to Topeka The wife
and child of a friend of mine were go
ing by the same stage for Holden, Mo,
by way of Topeka The husband asked
me to help his wife when I could and
see her safely delivered to the friends
iR Holden that she would visit with.
I'VE made the trip by stage without
incident further than that I had my
first experience trying to quiet a cry
ing baby. At Topeka we took the cars
for Holden was going east to visit
friends. When we reached Holden I as
sisted the lady off the train and looked
around for the people who were to meet
her. No one was there so got my va
lise out of the car and stayed in Holden
determined to see her safely to her
friends.
7 found one room vacant In the ho-
tel and put the mother and her child
in there and I went down stairs to
camp for the night in the office. The
people the woman was to visit lived
35 miles in the country. The next morn
ing they had not arrived. I could not
hire buggy so started at z o'clock
the family lived at o'clock in the
afternoon They had just finished their
Christmas dinner of wild turkey and
VeniSOn. I was invited to care for what
was left and after that walk was able
to dispose of most everything but the
bones. told the farmer to hitch up
and drive me back to town and bring
back the woman and her child. He
said he would rather wait till the next
day. I found that the hotel bill for the
night was worrying him so agreed to
IL II l. l. IL
team if he would drive back at once
so could catch that nights train in
stead of waiting another "a hours. He
agreed. When I went out to get in the
wagon I found he had three boys with
him I had to pay the hotel bills for all.
He started his team on a waikiki told
him that would not do that I had to
catch the train I grabbed the lines
and stared off briskly. He objected.
told him if I was to pay hotel and feed
bills I would be driven as I wished.
saw there was no time to lose if
wanted to catch that train. I brought
the whip into use and away we went.
heard the train whistle as we came in
the edge of town. piled the whip and
the team broke into run. Through
the town we went. The wagon ratified
and banged and the people ned in terror
as they saw me standing up in the
wagon using the whip. 1 Just made the
train handed the man money enough
to pay his expenses for the night and
was on my way east. That did not
seem much like Christmas"
''I was with the Nineteenth Kansas
back in the SOS when we were hunting
red skins and rattons we're scarce, said
AnaniaS Fisher. Christmas stared US
in the face and only one turkey within
a hundred miles and that turkey was
being saved for the officers mess.
But we common high privates were
bound to have turkey. We were kept
busy scouting so it was decided by the
officers not to have their Christmas
turkey until supper time. Then they
would have a first class feast. We
privates resolved to taste that turkey.
Owe were ALWAYS on the lockout for