The Topeka state journal., 1905-02-01

asked the other
where the Indians were and each re-
piled that he had seen no Indians. The
two followed along the creek, then
struck out across the open country,
rode to the top of a hill and there they
saw in the distance a blackboard. drawn
by two galloping pinto ponies, contain
1 ing two men who were laying the whip
to the backs of the ponies. The two
| hunters saw that the buggy and the
4 ponies and the two men were getting
away from Indians as fast as they
could and the two hunters struck out
after them
As the men on horseback approach
! ed the blackboard one of the occupants
grabbed rifle and opened fire on the
two horsemen. Then the turkey hunt
ers understood the situation. Because
they were wrapped in their blankets the
occupants of the buggy had mistaken
them for Indians. The gallOping ponies
did not stop and the occupants Of the
buggy did not cease to lay on the CAD
until they had reached Fort Harlker
and given the alarm. The late Major
Henry 1nman was in command of the
fort and he ordered out a squadron of
tect the settlers. The cavalrymen fail
ed to find a single Indian.
One of these young men who unwit-
tingly started an Indian scare Just be-
cause he donned a blanket, long ago
abandoned the Indian garb, but he re-
Gently donned a senatorial toga as the
senator from McPherson-J. w.
Senator Hughes is entitled to be
spoken of as an old time buffalo
hunter. He settled in Mcpherson
county in the sixties. waen the mans
moth herds of buffalo roamed the
Kansas prairies.
when / settled in Mcpherson coun-
ty and homesteaded the farm still
own, western Kansas was overrun with
buffalo,, said Senator Hughes. when
the buffalo crowded In on US it was
sign that Indians were in the locality
and were pressing the buffalo on /
often think it out of place to tell of
those mighty herds, as the generation
of today can not comprehend them
and are apt to doubt the statements,
but I will venture to tell of one large
herd of buffalo which came close to
my farm So far as could tell the
herd was 80 miles in length, for it ex-
tended from Thompson creek in ELS
worth county to Gypsum creek in Nc
Pherson county. One of the settlers
rode four miles back into the herd
and all he could see was buffalo.
hunted buffalo some, but only for the
sport and for meat. I never hunted
them for their hides. I have taken a
stand and killed as high as 20 without
stopping. Those who hunted for the
hides would shoot until their rifles
got hot.
I'VE had a few Indian scares in
Mcpherson county in the early days.
The Indians captured Mrs. Bassett
who lived on Sharps creek, not far
from my place, and carried her off
prepared al one time for Indians and
got out the rifles and ammunition, but
the Indians did not cross the Little
Arkansas and was safe. Great num-
bers of Indians used to pass through
the country close to my place. The
kawS went through one time on their
way west to battle with the Cheyennes
and on their return stopped in Nc
Pherson county to bury three warriors
year the Cheyennes we1- east through
Mcpherson county to fight the Kaws
near Council Grove. Four hundred
warriors passed along the divide be-
tween the Smoky Hill and the Little
Arkansas not far from my claim
The chaplain of the senate was i'll a
few days ago and was not on hand to
oTIer prayer at the opening of the daily
session Governor Hanna directed Ser
geant-at-arms Lockard to either pray or