The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-09
THEY SAW THE PEASANTRY.
A wild western Episode.

From the Kansas City Journal.
The report from Hays City paper
of the neglected condition of George
Grants grave will recall to old-tim-
ers in the West many interesting
things about the colony of Britishers
established by Grant in Ellis county
Kansas, says the Kansas City Jour
nal. One is still spoken of by early
residents with considerable amuse-
ment.
Not long after the Centennial Fair
at Philadelphia, where Grant took a
hatful of prizes on the first herd of
polled Angus cattle imported into this
country, he was the host of a big
party of celebrities at his ranch in
Ellis county. A number of these guests
were from England. Some were the
possessors 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
entertainment two of the prize polled
Angus steers were barbecued. To house
them great circus tent was erected
To cheer them champagne was provid
ed. And to amuse them and instruct
them Grant assembled his many cow
boys 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, a raw-boned, loose ointed, round
shouldered type of the Western Amer
lean. Ordinarily he was of a rather
gentle and retiring disposition. But
Ia
American beverage he became like UNI
to the roaring lion or the Western
blizzard which bowls over those who
incautiously get in it's way.
Duncan had been invited, or rather,
ordered, to appear on the scene. He
slouched around. listening to the Brit
ishers, who had considerable to say
about the "peasantry." Occasionally
he would drift rauond to the tent pre-
pared for the servants" and take
few drinks of Kentucky rye. With
each drink the STRINGS of democracy
grew stronger within his bosom. With
each drink, too, he took greater Of
tense at the rather supercilious Brit
ishers, who looked upon the cowboys
as 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. Pres
emily he arose and went quietly away.
The next moment a formidable APP
partition appeared at the door of the
great tent. 1t was in the form of a
big man In red flannel 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 wab-
bling around in the atmosphere in. err
ratio curves. well, watch the peas
antry perform. Whoo-ooo-pee!" And
bang! bang! bang went those guns.
while the British lords and the East
ern dudes began to dive for the tent
flaps and stood not on their dignity
of their diving.
''Wah-hoohi" shouted the voice of
Western barbarity I'm high glee, as IL
observed the sensation it was Great
ing. Look at this poor, humble worm
of the soill" he pleaded. Gaze on
this den of wildcats and a volcano all
rolled into one Whoo-oo-o-peel Hear
the cyote howl! Do we eat with the
aristocracy? Well, guess yesl"
BY this time the tent was as empty
as the weapons with which Mr.. Duncan