Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1905-03-18
BOOM TOWN INCIDENTS
CHAS. FREDERIC GosS WRITES
OF AMUSING EXPERIENCES
IN "CoRKERVILLE."
"CayuGe" Teaches Him - Spotted
Fawn and Indian Interrupt the
First Attempt at Relig-
ious Service.
By Charles Frederic Goss.

First Attempt at Hellg-
ious Service.
By Charles Frederic Goss.
author Of The Redemption'of David Cor
SON. THE Loom of Life" Little
Saint Sunshine etc)
Note,-At the close of his five years pas
torate OF the great Moody church, in Chi
cage, In 1891, DR., Goss sought renewed
health in the state of Washington, and
spent nearly two years at Kettle Falls. a
boom town on the Columbia river. north
Of Spokane. He was In" at the birth of
the boom, took active part in It's progress,
and witnessed all the tragedy of its ut
ter collapse. The incidents related in this
and a number Of papers to follow are actual
experiences. DR. Goss figures as Tom"
Kettle Falls Is "CorkerylIle.' To-day's
story opens the day after his arrival.
THAT delicious sense of lat home
! ness which it often takes years
TO acquire. Tom had gained before the
close of the next day. He knew every
body on the town site, he was well
come everywhere. He seemed TO have
lived there all his life and told those
who asked him how he liked it that
he felt like a foot in an old shoe.
He said he had determined to cast IN
his lot with them, and proved his sin
certify by making an investment. He
was standing in the door of the gro
Gerry store a day or two after his
arrival, when an old Indian rode
up on a pony. 1t was a beautiful an
imal, with a coat e glistening roam
hair, a white face, delicate and deer
like legs. Tom lost his heart to her
at sight.
"Whatll you take for the horse and
saddle?" he asked.
twenty-five dollars replied the
stolid rider.
I'll give you fifteen"
The Indian dismounted and extend
ed his hand. Tom paid him and
climbed into the saddle. He touched
his pony with a switch and rode oft
down the river. The little ~''cayuse'
proved fleet and docile. In a few days
she and her rider had become fast
friends. Tom would have staked his
life on her gentleness and obedience.
But her virtues had their limitations
in her intuitiye sense as to rights of
her race and sex. She would Go her
stunt" but more she would not do,
and her owner found this out TO his
sorrow. One day his brothers eldest
son, a sturdy little fellow of a dozen
years or more, came up to go fishing
with his Uncle Tom. The trout
stream was several miles away, and,
falling in an attempt to borrow an
other pony, Tom decided to take the
boy behind him on the back Of
little Gypsy. The following CONVEX
sation occurred as they were getting
ready to start:
Uncle, Tom, do you think she'll
stand it?"
"Of course she will. saw three
drunken Indians on a pony smaller
than she the other night. You aren't
afraid, are you?"
mo, indeed. Drive her up to this
stump, and you'll see"
Here you are! Get aboard! Are
you all right?"
Eyes. Are your
Right as a %trivet."
The Cayuse in Revolt.
These words had scarcely passed the
preachers lips when something hap
pened of which he has never been able
to give a clear recount. The earth
seemed suddenly to fall away from UNI
Ger him, and he felt himself ascending
toward q huge bank of clouds that
hung in the zenith. Before he reached
them. however, he began to descend
with astonishing rapidity, and struck
the earth with a thud that filled the
atmosphere with innumerable ana bril-
liant stars, This operation was re-
peated again and again until Tom was
both bewildered and frightened. There
was a dull roaring in his ears, like
thunder. Everything seemed unfamil-
lar and %portentous. Suddenly ne
heard a loud explosion of laughter
from somewhere behind him, and the
voice of his nephew crying: Hang
on, Uncle Tom, hang on!'
The injunction seemed to him un-
called for, for what he did not seem
able to do vas to let go, At last it
dawned on him that his beloved and
trusted little Gypsy was "bucking.' 1t
was a cruel blow to his confidence, But
,ha,.o Vro M tinlp To raflpnt and M
opportunity to chastise. The very uni
verse seemed to be going to pieces in
a series of violent explosions, and all
the time he could hear the hooking
laughter of the boy, and that odious
refrain; Hang on, Uncle Tom; hang
on!" as If there was any earthly way
of getting off! During this catastro-
phic adventure the only thought that
came to his mind with perfect clear
ness was the memory of a henpecked
husband whom he had once heard go
ing down the street in Greaserville
muttering to himself: Darn EN-, darn
EN-; you cant get along with them,
and you cant get along without
lltul. by WHdl doobtldtlpl vi lucas
this memory was suggested he was
never quite sure.
Swarmed Into New City.
The survey of the town site began
and was pushed rapidly forward.
Scores of laborers were put to work,
and through the primeval forests great
swathes were cut, streets laid out and
town lots staked, Every stage that
came over from Castleton (Colville,
county seat Of Stevens county, Wash,)
was crowded with passengers. People
from all parts Of the country and of
every type and description began to
swoop down into the settlement like
birds Of prey. There were investors,
sight-seers, prospectors, spectators,
merchants, laborers, gamblers, Chi
nese, negroes, lndians-all classes and
conditions of men, How they knew
about the place, where they came from,
what they were going to do for a liv-
ing seemed a profound mystery. BY
and byproperty began to change hands,