The Virginia enterprise., 1900-11-30
THANKSGIVING with q vGnQeQ1Ce.

l oulll AdCc through tuc nap uI lue tent.
There was no answer from within. Last
call for breakfast" he repeated. And this
time there came Il grunt from the depths
Of a canvas roll, and head, surmounte.l
by Woolen cap, protruded just far
enough to allow it's owner to see that
dawn had scarcely broken.
Say, isn't it going to snow?' Quered
the newly yawakened.
mot a cloud in the sky answered tn
knight of the skillet. You bet you'll
have to work today, if it is Thanksgiv-
ing
The newlyawakened glided into a sit
ting posture. "Wakc up there, Smiler,"
bundle, myself. on the other side OF the
tent. n smothered groan was the re-
sponse: Then the bundle began to move,
Il hand protruded from one end d couple
of spring hooks were unfasreneu, and 4
head, similar to the one already described,
and followed by long, skinny body, ap-
peared on the scene, like snake issuing
from it's hole.
You see my blankets We're sewcd up
into Il kind OF a bag, just large enough to
receive my body. and at night | crawled
in and fastened up the end thus keeping
off the. chilly air: When the weather was:
exceptionally cold, | would take !, small
to the bottom, whore the faithful anima!
would remain until morning, emitting a
cheerful warmth.
Though decked for the hours of slum-
Der we were entirely clothed, with the ex-
ception of shoes and coat
'Beastly cold Tom," l remarked to nv
companion, as | Shirercd into my coat
and shook Oh my shoes.
Worse and more OF it, replied Tom,
and completely dressed, he disappeared
through the tent door. In moment I
heard the strokes of Il hatchct 1t was
only Tom breaking the ice in the water
bucket. 1T froze three inches last
night, he remarked as issued from the
tent. We'll have day Of it; III bet
freeze to death.'
u little dab OF water around the eyes
and vigorous use Of the towel comprised
the, extent OF the mornings additions,
and then we hurried into the cook tent,
Shivering. and stretched our fingers over
the comfortable warmth of the gasoline
stove. The other men were already there,
seated around the oilcloth covered table.
and de:vouring oatmeal by the bowl. fried
eggs, hot biscuits and pints of delicious
coffee from big granite cups--an example
We were not SLOW to follow
But III spite OF 4 good breakfast, the
situation was pretty tough. This was
the day that the President of the United
States had declared should be given up
to thanksgiving. and which is from one
end Of the land to the other set apart for
rulnous feasing: and here were those
poor fellows, Uncle Sans very servants.
preparing to start out for days hard
work, driving in the cutting wind. With
stilfcned fingers trying to depict on paper
the contour OF the rolling plains. or
course we are going to work; men in the
field never take holidays, especially TO-
ward the end of the surveying season.
and the only THANKSGIVING we expected
to have was a little better dinner than
usual on the following Sunday.
We were camped within sight of the
twin cuDolas Of Hays City. and were it
not for the cottonwoods which line the
course OF Big creek, the abandoned mill
tary post Of Fort Hays, with it's decayinr
buildings, would have been plainly visi,
BILE.
The sun had just risen when we nre
pared to get under way. The horses hal
been brought up to the wagons and fed
Chesapeake, who had nosed all his feed
out on the frozen ground with an impa
tient toss OF his head. At this period OF
MS career, by the way, Chesapeake's
Wig oats had not yet been all sown. H.:
evidently knew it was Thanksgiving day
and expected some of the delicacies with
which my indulgence had often supplied
him. For Chesapeake was the only hors,
| ever heard Of who liked fried chicken.
tie would pick the meat off drumstick
as dainti!!y as you or L. Then, always
t! used to give him bite of my pie at luncl,
time. He just loved pie; mince or pump
kin or lemon; it didn't seem to make any
d!tference what kind it was, so it was
pie. Perhaps the most remarkable thing.
though, was olives. He'd cut all the pulp
off and spit out the stone-why, it was
simply beautiful
my blackboard and tied to the wagon. [
loaded in my map-making stuff and pu+
on my. wraps; quite an ordeal, as l al
ready had on two pairs Of trousers, two
vests, q knit jacket and couple of
coats; Then had to don pair of heavy
felt boots over my shoes;- over them q
pair of goloshes lined with red flannel.
muller. Then came the big overcoat,
tightly buttoned. a woolen scarf was
drawn over my hat and ears, and, after
rolling into the blackboard, l wrapped
myself carefully into horse blanket and
then put on big fur gloves over lighter
this would be enough to keep me warm.
but | tell you there are not clothes enough
made to protect man from those prairie
winds on an all-day drive in an open
vehicle
After I was arranged to my satisfac-
ton, Jake, the teamster. let 60 the head.
and in moment I had forded the creek
ad was striking southwark on an angling
road across the prairie toward the Smoky
Hill river.
It didn't seem to get any warmer. A
sort of mist had come up and obscured
the sun, and the wind was sharp and
cutting. Gradually the cold penetrated
layer after layer of my apparel. and
when it REACHED me. it didn't stop there
but went right on into my very bones
were entirely out of the jurisdiction of
my will. I shivered and shook constant
lx and MY face=all that uas uis;hla ae