The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1904-05-27
EARLY TIMES OUT WEST
Horace Greeley's Experience in a Col.
orado Hotel--Unconventional
Court Conduct.

In his "reminiscences Henry Willard
tells of Horace Greeley's visit to Colo
rado, says the Chicago Daily News. He
and a companion went in one Of the
express stages and had met with sin
gular and perilous accident. In driving
through a herd Of buffaloes the animals
probably maddened at the sight Of the
red color of the coach, had attacked and
upset Il. Greeley had received a severe
cut below his right knee, crippling him
for several weeks Being confined to
his room in the hotel by his wounds.
Greeley was greatly disturbed by the
sound Of revelry by night that rose un-
ceasingly from the barroon. Willard
writes: HIS wrath eliminated on the
third night Of his tortures. was for
tunate enough to be with him and thus
became an eye and ear witness Of what
happened. About ten O'Clock he got up
and insisted on limping to the barroom.
His appearance, though his presence in
the building was generally known, Gre
ated surprise and instant silence. He
begged for a chair, and, Friends, said
be, ] have been ia pain and without
sleep fer almost a week and am we'll
nigh worn out. Now l am a guest OF this
hotel, pay high price for my board
and lodging and am entitled to rest
during the night. But how can / get Il
with all this noise going on in this
placer Then he addressed one Of the
most pathetic appeals ever heard to
those around him to abandon their VII
cious ways and become sober and in
custrious. He spoke for nearly an hour
and was listened 10 with rapt interest
and the most perfect respect. He sue
ceeded, too. In his object. The gambling
stopped and the bar was closed every
night At II o'clock as long as he re-
manned"
During this period Of HIS life Willard
got a glimpse Of western judicial ma
chirery and gives this vivid picture Of a
term IN June ~The Judge presided
wittout his coat and with unbuttoned
shirt thrown wide open. He sat thus
disarrayed, tipped hack in his arm chair.
with his legs on the desk before him.
The attorneys naturally followed his ex-
ample and made themselves as cool as
possible, One marked incident has re-
maincd fixed in my mind. While one OF (
the Haost loQuacious attorneys was mak-
Ing a fiery argument he was interrupted
BY the Judge, who called to him: Jim
you had better keep cool In this hoi
weather and give me a BIT OF your to-
hacco. The pleader stopped. pulled out |
his plug and carried It to the Judge. who |
took a hasfy bite, whereupon the pro- |
ceedings we're resumed.
OF his own arrival in Colorado Willard /
writes. We brought a mail OF several !
hundred letters and newspapers, the an
nouncement Of which fact drew three
Ulcers for the express company. It was
a great boon. the last news from the
Missouri river being nearly five weeks
old. Of course, was the center OF at
traction and overwhelmed with ques-
tons Some one proposed that / should 4
tell the news from the states 10 them
ell. and was made to modnt a log and
entertain the audience for half an hour
with what hac happened during the four
weeks before my departure. for which
! got q vote Of thanks and which secured
ne AZ once The good viii Of all the set
tlers"