The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-24
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.

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allied that the people were really in the
blissful state of ignorance that they are
until l made a trip to that state. I went
there when the P. & G. was built
through the western part Of the state,
and found that the tales had heard
were not exaggerated. was in BUSH
ness, or, rather had business interests
in Mena, and friend of mine asked me
to take trip with him to a town about
twenty miles to the east. Tt was In the
middle OF the summer and the ground
was dry and dusty, for it had not ralned
Tor several weeks We carried all the
necessary adjuncts to a comfortable
trip, including a large piece of ice, and
InOught We would get through all right
We got to the town and stopped at the
only hotel there was in the place. The
hotel was a dwelling house set up on
sticks SO that it would keep out of the
wet when the rains began On the door
was q sign which read: Board q Log
Ing. meals at ALL hours There was
very little business for the hotel and the
woman who owned it informed US that
she had but one spare room, and she
took in travellers in order to make lit
tie spare change. / took the ice into
the house and told the woman that we
would ike to have ice tea for dinner,
for the dust and heat had made our
trip very disagreeable, and the thought
OF Ice tea was very pleasant. We
patted ourselves on the back-hgura-
lively, of course-for our thoughtful
ness in bringing the ice. We Gid what
business we had to attend to in a short
time and at once went to the hotel to
get our dinner. The landlady told us
that she was the grand daughter Of the
man whom the county had been named
after, and that they had been living
there for years. never having been out
OF the county except once when they
went to Fort Smith to buy something
which they had heard of and could not
get at home-I think it was a fever and
ague cure. She set out the regulation
Arkansas dinner-turnip green's cooked
with bacon, fried bacon and corn bread.
Presently she set two cups of steaIning
tea by our plates and then took a seat
on chair close enough so that she
could carry on the conversation. She
wrapped her hands in her apron and be-
gan telling of the trials and tribulatfons
of the family. She told of the average
amount of quinine consumed annually
and of the hogs and dogs and calves. I
listened patiently to her story but finally
/ got tired and asked her where the ice
tea was that she was to make for us.
Thar it is, mister she said she
pointed to the stearning teapot and cup.
Thar it is, and I reckon it must be
about right, for I done billed that ice for
naw-fangled drinks, but I like the old
drinks the best She had taken the ice
and crushed it in small bits and boiled
it. / suppose she thought we wanted
microbes which she had probably heard
of in some unaccountable way"
''I have been out at nights good
many times and have been in lonesome
Places" said a gentleman at the Ma
tional, but I think the only time I was
ever really frightened was when I was
freighting out in Colorado. I viii adj
NIT that have gone home late at night
and have looked over the house hoping
that I would not find a burglar, and /
have also got up in the late hours of the
night and searched the house because a.
al or a
upon all these occasions I was little
nervous, but it was not the same feeling
that I had when was alone in the
mountains with nothing but my mules |
time I speak of was some years ago !
when was driving four mules over the |
mountain from Canon City to Lead |
Vile Our regular road was by way OF |
CuTrant creek and the salt marsh, and /
we usually kept together so that we |
were not lonesome and in case we had /
an accident we could help each other |
out. There were several wagons in the |
train that I was with and we had made |
several very successful trips when we |
decided to make a return trip by West |
on's pass. I had never been over the |
pass, and after we got started we found |
that the road was about as bad as it l
could be. I was far behind the rest of 1
the wagons when the sun began to sink |
behind the mountains, and I had about |
despaired catching up with them when I /
met a wagon train going in the oppo- /
site direction. They informed me that !
it was ten miles to the next house and !
stuck in a bad place in the road and /
could not get out before daylight. I at |
once decided to camp where was, and /
finding the best place could / I'M
hitched and made a. fire. The men who |
had met me went on and was left /
alone with my mules and my thoughts.
built a big fire and laid down to rest. /
/ had not slept long when l was aWak-
ened by the bowls Of the wild animals. |
got up and moved my bed to the |
wagon box, but I slept no more that
night. The animals came so close that |
I could see the green glare of their eyes,
I had nothing to defend myself from |
an attack; there was not even a
Ratchet in the wagon The guns were
in the wagons ahead of me. 1 re-
manned awake and watched the eyes of
the animals in the darkness and wished
for a frearm of some description, but
the wishing was as far as got. When
the eyes would come closer I would
think of my chances of escape by climb
ing tree, but it seemed risky to leave
the wagon, so I staid with it. In the
morning, which I thought would never
come I felt ten years older and after
1 had hitched up made the team travel
until I had caught up with the other
wagons. and 1 did not lose them again
on the trip.
John McCullom, ex-sheriff of Chase
was in the city few days ago
and told how he and Henry Lantry, one
Of the best known railroad contractors /
in the west, were accused of horse
stealing, and how a sheriff in Okla
horna looked for them for several weeks.
NcCullorn and Lantry went to Okla
hOrna about month ago to look up |
some business matters, and they had to
get rig from a livery stable to drive
to the towns they wanted to visit, as
they were off the line Of the road They
cot a driver and a rig and made the |
rounds all right although the buggy
was severely strained carrying the two
giants-each Of them will weigh ESQ
.al.,.r.l1- 1K-lnarn +he1 raached the rail