Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-11
THEY SAW THE PEAsANTRY.
How a Kansas Cowboy Astonished
British Visitors to the Grant Colony.

From the Kansas City Journal
The report from Hays City paper of the
neglected condition of George Grants grave
will recall to old-timers in the west many
interesting things about the colony of Brit
ishers established by Grant In Ellis county,
Kan One is still spoken of by early resi-
dents with considerable amusement Not
long after the centennial fair at Phiadel-
phia, where Grant took a hatful of prizes
on the first herd of polled Angus cattle i'm
ported into this country, he was the host of
big party of celebrities at his ranch in
Ellis county. number of these guests
were from England. Some were the pos
SCISSORS of titles of nobility. Accompanying
them were three well-known Americans
from New York, Philadelphia and Boston.
One of the speakers of the day was T. De
Witt Talmage, the great pulpiteer To
meet them the leading local citizens of the
region were invited. For their entertain
ment two of the prize polled Angus steers
were barbecued. To house them great
circus tent was erected. To cheer them
champagne was provided. And to amuse
them and instruct them Grant assembled
his many cowboys with some of their herds.
At the time Grant had a foreman, John
Duncan by name. Duncan was six feet four
inches in his stocking feet, raw-boned,
loose jointed, und-shouldered type of the
western American. Ordinarily he was of
rather gentle and retiring disposition But
when sufficiently filed with the great Amer
lean beverage he became like unto the roar
ing lion or the western blizzard which
bowls over those who incautiously get with
in its way.
Duncan had been invited, or, rather, or
dered, to appear on the scene. He slouched
around, listening to the Britishers who had
considerable to say about the ''peasantry."
Occasionally he would drift around to the
tent prepared for the servants and take
nv,n fnxr Att, abe 80 ,ly IL =.
each drink the STRINGS of democracy grew
stronger within his bosom. With each
drink, too, he took greater offense at the
rather supercilous Britishers, who looked
upon the cowboys humans of another
kind.
Finally the hour for dinner arrived, the
great party seated itself within the big tent
about the tables, the prize steers were freely
partaken of, and washed down with plenty
OF wine, and the toast list was we'll under
way. But Duncan was not there. He found
that he had been assigned to a place in the
tent of the understrappers He did not eat
anything, but he consumed more and more
Of the beverage which had been provided
for his kind. Presently he arose and went
quietly away.
The next moment a formidable apparition
appeared at the door of the great tent 1t
was in the form of a big man in a red fan
mel shirt. Clutched in either hand was a
Colts "A.
Want to see the peasantry. do ye?" he
shouted, as he stood with legs spraddled out
and the two guns wabbling around in the
atmosphere In erratic curves. well. watch
the peaSantry perform. Whoo-ooo-peei'
And bang! bang, bang, went those guns
while the British lords and the eastern
dudes began to dive for the tent flaps and
stood stood not on the dignity of their diving
Wah- hooh" shouted the voice of western
parbarlty In high glee, as it observed the
sensation 1t was creating. Look at this
poor, humble worm of the soilv he pleaded
Gaze on this den of wildcats and a vol
CanO all rolled into Onei
Hear the coyote howl! Do we eat with the
aristocracy? Well, 1 guess yes!"
BY this time the tent was as empty as the
weapons with which Mr. Duncan had been
bombarding the atmosphere. He took out
a knife and cut few of the guy ropes. and
let one end of the pavilion fall in ruins
upon the deserted tables. In the meantime
the guests had taken to the underbrush
and here and there could be seen a cautious
head lifted to look upon the performance
At this point in the proceedings however
duncan was surrounded by his cowboy
contemporaries and was carried away,
shouting his defiance to them dukelets"
as he called them, who had talked about
the peasantry'' of western Kansas.
II is needless to say that George Grant
Ielt inundated by the outbreak of his fore
man. however, 1t was a sensation for his
guests which they remembered longer thar
anything else connected with the entertain
ment. Ten years later a well-knoWn retired
merchant OF New York city, writing to a
TREND IN hays City (near which town by
the way, he had made large investments
as a result of his visit to the country.
wrote follows: ~
Every time think of the spectacular ar
rlVai OF that upsy cowboy it makes me
laugh 1t was the one touch of western
humor which Illuminated the whole affair
don't suppose 1t had humorous aspect
right at the time, but before our trip was
over even some or the EngliShmen could be-
begin to see the point