The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-03-13

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w HEN len, lanes ia, ss. uni; then I pTSsi
of rails and locomotives, began the
work of establishing town sites IN
the far northwest future feeders of
his transcoutincutal Iiue-one of the
first TO be laid out was Blue Duck.
While the community tlourIshcd for
two or more years changes IN the
wheat territory and shifting of the
cattle ranges destroyed It's trading
area and finally cttaced it from the
map But there must be great
many men still living who passed
through the portals Of Blue Duck in
its best hours, knew its joy and sor-
rows, its hot passions and wasted
hopes. and will rrca!! the day and the
afternoon that Carter called for his
last drink
When Carter first came to Blue
Duck there were in the town a future
governor of n state. a future United
States minister abroad. Il coming adj
wiser of presidents, an embryo rail
way president and an archaeological
student who later was to control for
some time all the faro layouts of New
York city. Mixed in with these
"eniuscs were cowboys of southwest
origin, Norwcgians aud Swedcs fresh
FROM Europe half-hrccd Sioux and a
few negroes The town lay tlat. bare.
naked on the plain. There was not
beautiful thing in it, about il, or
near it. burt Carriers wife. and she
was as urapproachable as Arcturus
Carter was a graduate Of the Uni.
versity of Iowa. a descendant of an
cicnt New Englandcr governors aud
lawmakers. Puritan bred and a
scOundrel by heart He appeared in
Blue Duck as surveyor for the
branch line of the Manitoba road,
which was then in course of con-
struction His wife did not come un-
til several months after he had cs-
tablishcd the reputation of being the
hardest drinkcr. foulcst-mouthed
gambler and most indecent person
between the Missouri and the Red
river.
For all his failings. in his best mo-
ments he was smooth-tongued. well
educated and an artificial gentleman.
1t will he remembered that he en-
gagged one afternoon in a discussion
with ''Gentleman" Ed, the proprietor
of all the gambling games of the
region. on the Greek Interpretation
of the Biblical verse:
"Whosocver cumcth anything near
unto the tabernacle Of the Lord shall
die; shall we be consumed with
dying?"
The verse is found in Numbers, and
II has been said by learned men that
between the Greek version, the He
braic phrasing and the Latin inter
probation a twist has been given to
this verse not intended by the orig
inal compiler, whoever he may nave
been.
1t was a delight to all who under
stood at all, and even to the many
who did not, to listen to these two
versatile sinners discuss Phoenician
characters, Hebraic writing and the
values of their letters, neither will
ing to finally accept the dictum of
the other, each revealing better day
in lives now well misspent.
1t may be here said that the only
reason Carter was not shot for all
his Bad qualities was not due to his
learning, but to the fact that he was
the best man with a single-action
gun on the range, barring Gentle
man" Ed, and these two had not
come together yet.
Mrs. Carter arrived in Blue Duck
We knew she was coming, for one
day Carter ceased boarding at the
Oriental, and threw up shack on
the south border Of the town. As it
had two rooms and a kitchen il was
quite evident he expected the arrival
of a woman. When he announced
that his wife was on the way every
body felt interested except Gentle
man" Ed. He told the solitary news
paper man of Blue Duck:
We've got along six months with
out woman, except those crazy
half-breeds that come here trading,
and | believe we have great future
before us if we can keep women out.
They make trouble"
Still Ed was in front of the Oriental
when the stage brought Mrs. Carter,
and she stepped from the box to the
ground and her husband. Blue Duck
gasped after it had given her one
look Mrs. Carriers attire was quite
simple-a gray travelling skirt, a
waist and jacket of darker hue,
dark, soft crush hat with tantaiz-
ing feather in the band, gauntlet
gloves, and heavy walking shoes. Lit
tie Of that Blue Duck saw then.
What Blue Duck took in with
amazement was that she was not
over 81 Garter was 4O) and straight
as an arrow. Every line of her form
was nodded as if Canova had gone
over her when nature finished its