The National tribune., 1899-08-03

We decided that the big, fat man with a
bullpup between his feet was worthless;
that Mr.. Van Dyke must have heard thai
his mother was worse, or he would not be
going North at this busy time; and, as the
train rolled along, puzzled about the affairs
and chances of heaven OF each OF our ielloW-
travellers that were III easy view. Out the
windows We saw a faSt-flyiHS vision of
sands; OF tall lilies in blossom; of peaked
mountains; of the dusty riVer-bed We were
following; of faraway ranches dIstngulsil-
able by the windmill whereby man en-
deavors 10 Use the SuperabErdance OF
wind to exc out the ScauI!ue.5S OF water, and
get a morsel OF drink for his thirsty cotton
woods and alfalfa.
PICTURESQUE JOURNEY.
The second stage Of our journey was
more picturesque. Then, We Travelled III
the latter half OF Il car whose first part was
given up 10 the baggage, eXplCss, and
mail. 1t vas d long up-pull, ard The little
locomotive pulled and grew breathleSS,
stopped forest and get up steam Tor another
spgrt, took log, leL5lrely- drinks from
great pipes that swung about Ike ele-
plants trunks, while the trainInen dashed
the water that drIppeds saDout the tank on
each other; and altogether 1t was the most
Irresponsible, go-aS- you-plCaSe of trains.
Its schedule seemed 10 require only that 1t
started on its return journey at I o'clock
the next morning, and it could pick as
many daisies on the way as 1t pleased.
The seats were filled with people going to
HillSboro 10 attend the great MURDER trial.
Men who had been called as witnesses We're
taking their wives and babies along for a
holiday. There was also a klnk y-iaired
drummer, who, being more. than pleased
with the portion OF beauty allotted him by
nature, expected all wo:nanEil nd to wonder,
too, that he was SO fair. Whenever the
train stopped, and one could hear the talk, 4,
it was about the EitZ5immonS-J effrieS
fight-going over the details OF the con-
dition OF each man, the differences in train
ing, the value OF this attack or that de-
fense, the character OF the pugulistS; all the
while the drummer particularly insisted
that no man could expect TO win who burnt
out his stomach with liquor"
The train would start again, go for a
half hour, thea rest, and again tie talk o.
the fight would come TO our ears. Here,
out in the wide, lonely spaces in the blazing
afternoon, buZZard on the telegraph
pole serenely watching us, dusty coyote
slipping across the track and disappearing
in the lower grass, only the whiSking of his
tail showing the path he was taking, the
lilies fiinging scent TO the little breezes
and the little train with its passengers, the
only sign Of man within the circling horizon,
the droaing talk of a fight to lie thousands
of miles away III the crowded EaSt-and
the drummer reaSserted that no man could
win who burat out his stomach with liquor
-5lDLCc ot--Ilt'I liilIlcIloS, man Dll Il DuZZ-
ing insect. This trip ended too, and i'll
the late evening we were deposited in q
little gray town, where we waited for the
stage to be hitched up that was 10 carry us
the rest OF the way TO Hillsboro, where the
trial was.
LAKE VALLEY.
Lake Valley, the little gray town, is such
place as Bret Harte tells of-a collection
of unpainted, unadorned houses, built has
g4f.
at the first report Of treasures of silver in the
hillsideS. The town is now almost de-
serted. OF its 10000 eager citizens of a
few years ago there now are only a hun
dred or 80 left-a handful of railway men,
as many miners drudging and hoping and
mixing up politics and the waywardness of
fortune IN placing treasure in the mines 10
explain why they are poor.
Not many years ago The Bridal Cham
Der" was none too loving title for a big
black hole that now makes the Landscape
deSolate. A few years ago it was Welding
treasures enough TO outdazZle Arabian
Nights taleS,-Stories of rich nuggets
and those days of millions are told in the
streets to-day. The treasures were carried
far away, and sparkled and CLEANED in the
pleasures OF lanity Fair IN the worlds
gay cities, while the men in the gray town
dug far into the hillsides; and today this
town OF the treasure is grayer and more
desolate than ever. The stage-driver told
us about his town while he hitched up
THE STAGE COACH AND DRIVER.
Then there was a cracking of the whip
and great crealiing and rumbling as the
four nervous horses plunged into the
street and swung the red coach up TO the
platform. The big leather boot in the back
was filled with yaliseS, cameras, boxes OF
oranges, crates of eggs, bags of fish, a long
package which the driver guessed 20 be
Judge Smiths new gun, another which he
knew to be Ar. Hopper's new harness, and
with about as helter-skelter an arrange
ment OF the human baggage, the driver
gave us few nerye-trying Whirls and
plunges. and then set out at a steady pace
over the grassy spaces among the millions
And the sun was low in the west, the peaks
were blue and snadowy against his glow
ing light, but in the east they were all
rosy.
OF course, we on top piled the driver with
questions. He was one of those big.
bronzed, soft-voiced Westerners with n
twinkle in his eyes. Equally, of course,
We did not get any stories for our questions
With that eternal sense OF the ridiculous
that usually keeps the men Of our country