The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-04
THE FIRST BLUE DUCK RAILROAD

Ni44S accession Nolt1 prove 10 De an IN
jury and not a blessing to the commu-
nifty The time is less than a hundred
years distant when the citizens of Eigin
rose en- masse and protested against the
/ building OF what is now the Chicago and
Northwestern railway. They said il
would destroy the inns and the plank
roads. Blue Duckians held that their cat
tie would be run down and the town be-
come but the way station OF a trunk line
Biue Duck without a railroad was out
/ O. the world in one sense, a trading com
munity with an identity; with a railroad
l. became spot on map. a prey Of
rapid transit ana competition. According
Is. the message Travelled southwark to
Mr.. Marvel:
Blue Duck don't want your road 70
come this way. Go TO Hamar and leave
US alone"
Mr.. Marvel kept that message. signed
by all the traders. merchants and COW
men Of the town. for many years. and
never looked az II without a hearty
laugh. But he did not change his plans
nor those Of Mr.. Hill 70 make Blue Duck
railway point
The graders and the iron men kept on
at their work, and day after day the
rails drew nearer TO Blue Duck. until
they were scarcely ten miles away. The
night the weary trackmen quit at this
distance from the town Gentleman Ed,
VINO was an iEveterate foe OF railways
acted. His brief message OF the after
noon sent by couriers to every cowboy
III the region. Come TO town. brought
ready response. a hundred sat in their
saddles when by the town pump he Sc
riously announced that no railway must
enter the place
When a little later he mounted his own
black mare and gave the signal for
start, all Of the male population OF Blue
Duck was with him He rode straight
for h.
on their tents and boarding cars like a
/ whiriwind. The devastation he ana his
men wrought in one short hour was a
wonder. The workmen fed to the tail
J grasses and hid. When they came back
they were homeless They cursed a lit
tie then sat down and waited for orders
from the higher powers.
/ While they were waiting a mysterious
prairie IRE, favored by strong wind.
came up through the grasses and drove
! them. with their horses and mules
( southwark. The heat warped the rails
| already laid; cattle We're driven over the
I new dump or grade until IL was almost
worthless. IN two days Blue Duck had
! stopped the nOrthward progress of more
! than hundred millions OF capital. and as
this was in land where courts and law
4 yers were scarce. where the people Of
4 2 community willed for themselves what
should or should not be. this capital was
staggered. AS a preliminary to recov-
/ ering from the shock it sent out an en-
/ issary- It was his misfortune that he
wore silk hat.
"Py TAM" said Halverson when he
/ saw the hat and knew to whom it be-
longed, he vas born to be hung. Me
tlnk ploOg hat and wicked heart 90
together. Yump. you sucker" he ex-
claimed, and his lively handling of his
pistol sent the emissary into the air two
o. three feet
''Yump again." he shouted, and the un
fortunate visitor did as ne was told. IN
fortunately his hat wabbled this time
and almost rolled from his head Half a
1 dozen pistols spoke on the instant, and
the silk crown was nddled. The ennis
sary fell to the ground screaming.
Spare me. gentlemen; spare me. I am
your friend"
YELL" said Halverson, you may be,
but YOU don't look it, You vas not
dressed shoost lkt a friend. You go away
and tnk it over and you may shange
your mind. Go far away"
After this the railroad company made
another effort To resume track-Iaying.
but another wild ride of the cowboys end
ed that effort and made every trackman
afraid of his life. Not that anyone was
hurt, but the cowboys were lively and
practical jokers. and a grading gang was
huge enjoyment for them.
When the frenlen of the iron gang drew
gun on them they roped it out of his
hand, roped him. dragged him into a
slough, soused him thoroughly, and then
set him free sorry sight. He offered no (
more resistance.
The next move was an act Of dipio- |
macy on the part of the corporation. Cen |
uemen Ed received through the mails an /
annual pass. He tore ii up. Halverson /
received one and kept It until he fully I'M /
derstood its nature. When told that it 1
permitted him to ride over more than /
1000 miles OF country, he grinned. When 4
Ed urged him to tear the temptation up. |
he grinned again.
Ply tam" said he, "a railroad may not !
be shoost so bad, Ed
That was the rift in the Lutte Hal
verson thought a long while. and one day
boldly announced he was for the COM
ing Of the road. Immediately half a
dozen other prominent citizens that had
received passes but kept quiet about IL
said that they were with Halverson. II
came TO such a point that Gentleman Ed
was left alone in his opposition TO the
road and that settled the matter.
Another message went forward to Mr..
Marvel which told of the surrender CT
Blue Duck. A few DAYS afterwsTd the
track gang resumed labor. and the rails
came swiftly toward the town The /
day they entered and stopped a. the de-
pot site Halverson. Anderson, ali OF Blue
Duck, but Gentleman Ed, turned out
with shouts and cheers. The workmen
were given q royal feast. and there was
no sign OF the past conflict.
But Gentleman Ed, prince OF gam
hers prince Of good fellows. rode far
away into the long grasses where ne
could be alone with the cattle. lie FOUR /
neyed 50 far he could just look back
and see the thin curl OF smoke coming
from the stack OF the locomotive of the I
work train. ii seemed TO mock him. 10
say that the frontier so far as Blue (
Duck was concerned had come 10 an I
end. He faced the problem OF steam and
electricity. and like thousands OF pioneers
before him was conquered
It's 10 use" he said 20 an old BAN s
feeding near him. 10 buck the cars. The
angineI get you vet. old boy. T sends {
NE away from here forever. n win XIII Z
,ou. No more freedom Tor Blue Duck G
n done. j.
lie rode back 70 the town. and within
an hour had sold all his holdings, re- r
,eived his money and wound I'D his az :
airs. Halverson and the rest plead with =
aim. but he would not listen
The tiuhcrns viii come now ~ told .
hem. and turned his horses head toward
ne west Some of the uen rose wifa
lim FOR miles but he had nothing a. slr- 7
dc gave thpHE a clasp OF TIE la1l
Iartlrg hut he did not look back He
md his black mare kept steadily o. to- =
yard TIE far-awav mouutairs. leagilE
3lue Duck the rsl.raad ard al that b
ueart.--H. T. Cleveland 81