The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-02-23

! Opera company and sees many interest
ing things in the southern country. He
writes letters home frequently and they
are always filed with incidents Of the
travelling life which are pleasing to his
friends. One If his letters was written
at Thurber Texas. 8lr. Hutmann de-
clares that it is one OF the strangesf
places IN the United States.
The letter which was written to his rel
atives is as follows:
owe are now at Thurber, Taxas, one
Of the strangest towns Ia America Il IS
owned by a mining corporation and the
town itself is three miles from the rail-
road station. which is called Thurber
Junction. The town is not incorporated.
but simply managed by the mining com
pany. No individual owns anything ex-
cept his wearing apparel and household
effects The houses, hotel. store build
ings and contents, saloons, churches,
electric light plant, waterworks, livery
stable, brick kilns farms, mines and
everything else in and about the town
are owned by the Texas Pacific Nercan-
tile and Mining company. Every BUSH
ness in the town has a manager and
clerks hired by the corporation. All the
Inhabitants buy what they need at these
stores. In fact everything almost that
they earn goes back into the pockets of
the corporation. We were brought to this
place 10y them, and the opera house,
which IS little daisy. is also owned by
them. The greater per cent Of the inhab-
ita1ts are Italians, Z understand I met
the superintendent Of the mines this af-
ternoon and he told me all about the
town and their mining methods. He is
the Poo Bah OF the place-that is. the
mayor chief of police police Judge, city
attorney, and everything else. The hotel
where we are stopping Che only one
hereJ IS in charge OF a couple Of China
men. BY the way, the superintendent Of
mines is a Knight Templar-that is how
made his acquaintance
eve left Neatherford. Texas. at 1850
this morning and arrived at Thurber
Junction at 1:30 D. 10. Those who could
find room got into an old stage coach
like the one used in Buffalo BHPs cir
Gus. and those who were left behind had
to 60 10 the town in an express wagon.
After q rough ride we got into the queer
little town. where the houses are all
built alike, some painted a bright green
and the remaining ones barn red They
are an one story except the hotel and
store buildings. which are two stories.
must tell You something funny about
The ride to town. Among those who rode
on the wagon was Ed Andrews. who
finds fun in everything. The team, after
some bucldng. started from the station,
out had not gone far when one of the
horses began backing again. The driver
urged them en- but with an his whipping
and cussng they would not bulge At
last AFTER long waiting Ed Andrews said
he would like to try starting that team
Tho driver replied that if he could not
start his team surely Mr.. Andrews could
not but finally consented to a trial. Then
1Ir. Andrews began singing ''Ah. have
sighed to rest me-" from I'll Trovatore"
Il the horses. and they started off as
peacefully as possible. Then the driver
dared AIr Andrews to stop them in
sandy stretch of road. saving that if he
stopped them there ne would never in
the world get them started again Mr..
Andrews took him up and stopped them
I'm the worst portion &C the sand. Then he
began to sing the same air. and again
the team started without the least re-
monstrance. You never saw so astonish-
al driver fin your whole life. The driver
claims SO was chance that they started
but Dir Andrews claims not. SO they
have made bet for sos that tomorrow
Mr. A.. hv having a male quartette from
the o1u,rqr7s- sing fo tho horses can make