The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-26
THE KANSAS DUG-OUT.
How the Widely Scattered Settlers
Live on the Treeless, TrnckIess
Plans of Western Kansas.

The strains of Home, Sweet Home"
whistled by the possessor of a pair of
sturdy lungs, floated softly across the
prairie in pleasing cadence, varying
with the intensity of the wind. 1t was
late in the afternoon and the sun hung
low in the Western sky. All around
rolled the vast prairie, until, in the
distance, earth met sky, unbroken by
anything suggesting the habitation of
man.
Where then was the whistler. Sound
travels far on the prairie and distances
are deceptive. Speculation was sud-
denly interrupted.
Hes at home" broke in my COM
panion, who was driving.
"Who?" l ventured to ask.
AS though by magic the form of a
tall man suddenly appeared standing
on slight rise on the hillside For a
moment he stood with one hand shad-
ing his eyes, for the sun beat directly
upon him. Then he moved toward us.
Halo" he shouted. Come in. :"
This with the freedom and hospitality
that marks the settler on the West
ern prairie. Behind him the little emil
hence, where he first appeared, began
to assume definite form. resembling a
u.
1t was in Western Kansas, the land
where the wind is always blowing and
the mercury occasionally bubbles mer-
rily anywhere from 105 to 115 in the
shade; the home of the tornado and the
cyclone, the land of peace and some
times plenty.
I've brought you a visitor who wants
to look at tn dug-out. Never saw one
afore, sung out my companion, to the
settler we'll known.
Never saw er dug-out before? Well
come right in, you be welcome"
Signs of life suddenly became mani
fest around the roof top. A small
boy, perhaps six years of age, came
bounding toward u.s. sans hat, sans
coat, sans vest, sans stockings, sans
shoes, sans trousers sans everything
save his little short hickory shirt. Then
suddenly emerged a flaxen-haired girl.
three years his senior. Then the wom-
an, tall and sturdy.
Your Kansas dug-out is merely a
cellar with a roof. The entrance does
not appear until you are close at hand .
It's hole in the ground with a stair
way leading down to a door at the foot
There was but one window, that at
the other gable end.
1t was gratefully cool within after
the hot drive across the prairie, though
SAAiAA6S NClC SOtlCNlld CTOWueu, as par
Tor, dining room, bedroom, kitchen,
garnet, and cellar were all comprised
in one, But it was neat and cosy,
Thick whitewash lined the walls of
earth where they peeped through the
drapery of clothing and utensils of diff
ferent sorts.
We've lived here two years." mine
host explained with quaint accent, but
next summer I'm going to build a stone
summer and warm in winter. Then
it's all right when twister (tornado)
comes along. Ever see a twister?
Well, L stood at tn window" indicat-
ing with a nod of the head, last week
saw one coming erlong. I'd Just time
to get it shet," meaning the window.
one of those of the swinging kind
land I couldn't a-done it if tn woman
wasn't by to help. 1t came erlong just
over the edge there. II Their dug-out
had been house Their wouldn't a-been
anything left. 1t picked up my wagon
and lifted her clear over the hill, but
that was all. Wish one would come
erlong sod yer could see it
Want to take er picter? Sure"
Wait" broke in the woman, moth
erly pride and womanly instinct com
ing to the front. wait till we dress
the children"
Ii hNC minutes lAlG was
complete.
See my new clothes" excitedly ex-
claimed small voice from the stair
way, as the small boy came bound
ing up.
I've got new clothes, the first time
I've had them on" he proudly con-
fided, in German.
1t was just the ordinary blue leans
that boys in the city often wear when
a 10 hut 70 - II
prairie who knew absolutely nothing
of such things as cities, whose word
was made up of a dug-out prairie and
sky, to whom a tree was an object
of wonder. blue jeans were as purple
and fine linen.
Then the "picter" was took"
There are three kinds of habitatIon
for man on the Kansas prairie. There
was the dug-out and the sod house.
Then comes the singled stored, low
rooted board house 1t is a mooted
question with some as to whether the
dug-out or the sod house rank the
higher, but that is because some live
in dug-outs. The sod house is lust
what it's names implies. a house erect
ed of sods in place of lumber, with
the exception of the low roof which is
of board with sod on top.
ITS all right" said my companion,
who lived in one for some time" while
the sun shines and faint so bad other
times 'cept when it rains hard. Then
the water and the mud comes stream
ing down through the roof Used to
be so that when ut would rain hard
for a couple of days d pile everything
on tn bed and then climb on top with
an umbrella. Yes, it did get rather
monotonous IL the rain kept up"
When the wind blows on the prairies
1t blows. At other times it's merely q
breeze, though it may give you all you
can do to keep your hat on and It
makes you yearn for mucilaRe to use
for hair oil. When 1t begins to "blow'
in Kansas parlance a strong arm is
required to open a door in the face
of the wind. Many of the doors arc
built in two sections; it's easier to
open and close them when the wind
blows.
Every ranch has it's cyclone cellar.
When not needed for refuse it affords
a splendid store house for milk and
cream. The cellar is a dug-out on a
small scale and "sprisin'ly comferta-
Bile when ii blows" l was assured.
One wonders while driving across the
prairie how it is possible to find the
way from one point to another, for
there are no roads, no tree patches,
nor much Of anything in the way of
landmarks to serve as guide, and
houses are from three to ten miles
apart. 1t is only after long acquaint-
ance that It is possible. The little dark
or light spots in the distance mark
the habitation of some one, serving to
keep the rancher on the right trail. for
the prairie is cut up by series of
L..