The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-05
written for The Times,)

L. On his knees once more.
written for The Times.)
You ask an account Of some incident or
episode Of my early days which strongly
ami benefciaiiy influenced my character
and subsequent life. l take pleasure Z"
relating such an episode, which am coz,
tident will prove fascinating TO spiflteu
boy and at the same time Is Calculated ~
make profound impression upon him.
touching a matter of supreme Importance
From about the middle Of my fourteenth
to the middle of my fifteenth year, gre"
full seven inches IN heiSht-the measure
ments being male and the record kept o!
our family physician, who was scarcely
more interested than alarmed at this alb
normal growth. When but little over nj
teen years and six months old. measured
six feet in my stockings. but did not weigh
and had never weighed over ninety-eight
pounds. There were various threatening
indications of collapse about me. MY
lungs became weak and my eyes failed. so
that I had TO be taken from school, lhe
doctor finally told my father that / was
In critical condition. that unless my sys-
tenn was at once toned UP there was every
prospect of utter and hopeless breakdown.
and that the very best thing to do was
TO send me, with some emiErant train or
health or hunting party. across Inc
Plains" as the great and at that time al
most unknown WIG west WAS te1 litA.
A MEMORABLE TRIP.
WAC keen 10 go 1t seems now as If
hovs were more adventurous then. though
less independent Of their parents then than
now. In short time. left New York
City, where my father was then pastor OF
q church. for St Louis. where 1t had been
arranged l should meet party OF health
and pleasure hunters mostly from the
State of Georgia. with the leader of whom
my father had some acquaintance I can
not forbear giving a few salient points OF
that to my memorable journey, which may
serve the double purpose Of impreSSlnS my
indisputable claims to reverence as me
most antique of antiquities. and. at the
same time. Of showing how like the growth
Of a mushroom in the night has been the
development of the great middle portion
of this continent.
] passed Though Chca eo-remember
BOYS, after I was six feet Highland there
was. so far as now recall, hut one side
walk in the place and that Of rough plank
and about knee-high above the surface OF
the mud which was about knee-deep be-
meath it If I had only then bought few
'.corncr lots ] should probably not know
be an old man still at work for living.
I left Chicago in a canal boat-as re-
member then the only public conveyance
TO the South and West-and reaching the
Illinois River, descended that and the
mississippi in a little high-pressure steam
er 10 st Louis. where / found my party
had put up at the ST. Charles. then the
best hotel in the city. but full OF French
Canadian trappers and veyageurs( Indian
traders ana half-breedS, guides and hun
ters all dressed from top To toe in buck
skin decked with porcupine quilts. beads
and frsnges,-wllile bowie knives in BUT
faln-taf scabbards and heavy reviewers
graved. every mans belt.
We assembled the red Missouri in another
figh-pressure steam boat IS might be
expected with viii and motley crew
aboard. / remember the evening we left ST.
Louis a public discussion took place on
The promenade deck of the little craft be-
tween a deist and an atheist The latter
.neal1inE AWAY from the debate. his cheeks
blanched with terror. while his opponent.
brandishing huge knife n his face. Shout
ed In the hearing of the throng OF eager
listeners and lookers-on, whose cnunten-
apces gave so indication of the like re-
stratning :aitb:
Yes. sir And if it wasn't for my belief
in Almighty God and His hot HI, I'd cut
Your scrawnv throat from ear to ear and
take that pile of money ! saw YOU hide IN
your belt as you left the bank just now,
and then Ia pitch your cursed carcass
in this dirty river for eels and catfish to
fatten on
RAN UPON SAND BARS.
On the trip up the river, notwithstand-
ing almost constant casting Of the sound
ing lead. we frequently ran upon snaes
ana sanC-bars. from which 1t sometimes
took hours TO release the boat. and mean
while all hands not at work. or as many
as the small boats could carry, would go
ashore Understanding. until the whistle
announced that the boat was free, when
we would turn 10 the rendezvous. row back
10 the vessel scramble aboard and once
CT tina tiirbN torrent.
1t took as / remember. a week or ten
DAYS TO reach what is now Kansas City,
hr,t was then n rough village With one
struggling street, the stumps standing
three feet high In the middle of it. We
I,roke our mules and mustangs the
farm, OF a man named McGee. which is now
about the centre of the mammoth town.
have not time to dwell unon the fas-
cinations of the overland trail in 80. The
very wealth and variety OF animated
nature was glorious TO boy-tae pic
tyreso,;e Indian. the majestic buffalo, the
swift fleeing wild horse. the stately elk.
the graceful antelope. the terrible grizzly.
,bs n-ow,inr wolf. the queer little prairie
so,- we ,,assed through the country of
the T,swnees ana other border tribes. the
then great Coaanche nation, the Apaches,
Arrappahoes CheyenneS ana SIOUX Our
main escort for most of the Journey was
TIE train If Bill Bent, the famous Indian
Sra der OF the 1ialte, &1e di't'ei
and tho santa FNa trail. The indians called
hin, Hook Nose At one time and for
long distance we were conveyed by two
companies Of United States dragons. and
again by hand of about one hundred ana
fifty friendly Ar-appahoes under the ieao
o! Yellow Bear. the most magnificent IN
dian and one of the most superb men
ever saw. When Bishop Talbot was mere
a couple of wears ago. he was still living
and. the Bishop said. still preserved the
majesty Of his appearance. save that the
Apa,lo-like outlines of his figure in 80
were somewhat blurred and debssed in 49,
BY the deposit OF n srifle too much adipose
tissue.
CHANGES SINCE THEN
But how shall speak OF the changes in
that land since that day? The world has
never before seen anything approximating
10 them On the boundiess plains where
we saw the ground black for miles with
countless herds Of buffalo. now feed focks
~ sheep and herds of cattle. while prob
ably not Ave hundred buffalo could be
found alive in all the world to-day. Where
Colorado Springs now are-or II may be
Manitou--I remember our mules paved
and licked the saline rock, and the great