Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-07-10
CHAPTER I.

The long June day was drawing to
Its close. Hot and strong the slant
ing sunbeams beat upon the grimy
roofs of the train and threw dis
torted shadows over the sand and
sage brush that stretched to the far
horizon. Dense and choking, from
beneath the whirring wheels, the
dust clouds rose in tawny pillows
that enveloped the rearmost coaches
and, mingling with the black smoke
of the "double-header'' engines,
rolled away in the dreary wake.
East and west, north and south, far
as the eye could reach, hemmed by
low, dun-colored ridges or sharply
outlined 'crests of remote mountain
range, in lifeless desolation, the
landscape lay outspread to the view.
Southwark, streaked with white
fringe of alkai, the fiat monotone of
sand and ashes blended with the fat
ter, hawless surface of widespread
ing, ash-colored inland. lake, it's
shores dotted at intervals with the
bleaching bones of cattle and scanned
with ancient wagon tracks unwashed
by not as much as single drop from
the cloudless heavens since their first
impress on the sinking soil. Here
and there along the right of way-a
right no human being would care to
dispute were the way ten times its
width-some browsing lizards,
sprawling in the sunshine along the
ties, reused at the sound and tremor
OF the coming train to squirm off in
to the sage brush. But no sign of
animation had been seen since the
crossing of the big divide near Prom
ontory. The long, winding train,
made up of mail, express, baggage,
emigrant, and smoking cars, "tour-
lists coaches" and huge sleepers at
the rear, with a "diner" midway in
the chain, was packed with gasping
humanity westward bound for the
far Pacific-the long, long, tortuous
climb to the snow-capped Sierras
ahead, the parched and baking valley
of the Great Salt lake long, dreary
miles behind. It was early June of
the year '9S, and the war with Spain
was on.
There had been some delay at Or
den. The trains from the east over
the Union Pacific and the Denver &
Rio Grande came in crowded, and
the resources of the Southern Pa
cific were suddenly taxed beyond the
expectation of it's officials. Troops
had been whirling westward through
out tlse week, absorbing much of the
rolling stock, and the empty cars
were being rushed east again from
Oakland Pier; but the nearest were
still some hundreds of miles from
this point of transfer when car
load of recruits was dumped upon
the broad platform, and the superin-
tendent scratched his head, and
screwed up the corner of his mouth,
and asked an assistant how in hot
ter place than even Salt Lake valley
the road could expect him to forward
troops without delay "when the road
took away the last car in the yard
getting those Iowa boys OUT
''There amt nuthin' left 'cept that
old tourist that's been rustin' and
kiln-dryin' up longside the shops
since last winter" said the junior
helplessly. "Shall we have her out ?"
''Guess you'll have to-" was the an
swer. cts that or nothin';" and the
boss turned on his heel and slammed
the Office door behind him. "Ten to
one,'' said, he, '"there'll be a kick
comm when the boys see what
they've got to ride in, an III let Jim
take the kick
The kick had come, as predicted,
but availed nothing. A score of lusty
young patriots were the performers,
but, being destined for service in the
regulars, they had neither senator
nor state official to "wire" to in
wrathful protest, as was usual on
such occasions. The superintendent
would have thought twice before ever
suggesting that car as component
part of the train bearing the volun-
teers from Nebraska, Colorado or
Iowa, so recently shipped over the
road. '"They could have made it hot
for the management" said he. But
these fellows, these waits, were from
no state or place in particular. They
hadn't even an officer with them, but
were hurrying on to their destination
under command of veteran gunner,
''lanced" for the purpose at the re-
cruiting station. He had done his
best for. his men. Ruefully they
looked through the dust-covered in
terror and inspected the muddy
trucks and brake gear. "She wheezes
like she had bronchitis said the
corporal, land the inside's a cross be-
tween a hencoop and coal bin. You
amt going to run that old rookery
for car, are you?"
: "Best we've got," was the curt re-
ply. Yet the yardman shook his
head as he heard the squeak of the
rusty journals, and ordered his men
to pack in fresh waste and "touch
'em up somehow" Any man who
had spent week about railway
could have proPhesied ''hot boxes"
before that coach had run more than
It's own length, but it wouldn't do for
an employe to say so. The corporal
looked, appealingiy at his fellow pas
sengers of the Rio Grande train.
There were dozens of them stretch
ing their legs and strolling about the
platform, after. getting their hand
luggage transferred and seats Sc
cured but there was no one in posi-
ton or authority to interpose. Some
seemed to feel no interest.
Get your rations and plumber
aboard" he ordered, turning sudden
#ly to his party, and, loading up with