davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

''Yeh, and I suppose stage coaches
were hull lot faster than the Empire
State Express is, too" cuts in one
of the youngster horse bugs. "You
old them-was- -the-days yappers give
me the fan-tods. Everything that
happened in the world away back yon-
der before the Seminole war was all
the mustard, according to the way you
old gimpers put 1t. May be Hanover
was some horse-Pm not saying that
he wasn't-but I'd just like to see him
and Sysonby hook up at mile and a
quarter If they were both alive Why,
sysonby VRuld've just gone away and
hid from all the Hanovers and Sal
vators and Dominos and Tennys and
Lamplighters and Tournaments and
Troubadors that ever bit into stall
post. He'd just"
And thus the horse argument wakes
at the same time the argument about
the relative merits of the old and the
new ball player Is on, and the din is
something appalling. Those who are
engaged in the most acrid recrimina-
tion are treating each other all the
time argument is on to about every
thing in the place, although the lay
men, unused to the argumentations of
this sort, would imagine that the
argufiers were all but ready to swing
upon each other. And after abusing
each other most sfamefully an hour or
so it's a CHEEKY goodnight from the
ones dropping away, and everything is
all right with all hands.
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

horses and there is stir appropriate
to the Transformation of a depleted and
deserted game preserve into hopeful
summer resort. The Earl himself has
not visited the ranch in decade Of
years. but there remain the Hereford
cattle, some remnants of his stable, the
pictures in the cottage and the small
unpainted chapel. the wonder of all Wis
itors, to suggest the pretty little harm
less earldom he meant to establish for
his recreation in the Rocky Mountains.
It is seventy or eighty miles from
Denver, about northwest; a little cavity
among the ribs of the continent, COM
pletely isolated. 1t is like Doone land,
where Jan Ridd fought the outlaws and
won their sister for his bride. To be
palmer, it is like a battered teacup, of
which the nioked rim is the wall of
white mountains that inclose it and the
tea leaves at the bottom are the lush
meadows and the pines. If there We're
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15
The Dunraven Ranch
III Estes Park
Colorado

Lord Dunraven has not been happy in
his American undertakings, at any rate
the conspicuous ones. If the sea was
bitter the land was sand. The Valkyrie
must have cost him many a pang. but
even a more poignant disappointment
has been lately terminated. so far as 1t
ever may be. in the sale Of the famous
Dunraven ranch in Colorado. The deal
has just been closed. Representatives
OF the Western gentlemen who wanted
the property had great difficulty in get
ting II. not because the Earl desired
70 keep 1t so much as because he pre-
ferred to avoid the subject altogether.
I wish you luck of itr' he is reported
3 10 have said when the transaction was
laboriously done. Estes Park has cost
me pretty penny"
Carpenters. even before the snow is
OF the meadows at Estes Park, are at
work on the new hotel, the owner OF
the Lyons stage is purchasing new
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

a crack in the teacup from riTa to pit
that would fairly represent the narrow
canyon by which the little river makes
its raging exit and which affords one
of the two entrances to this secluded
spot. The other way is up, UP, UP from
the dry, hot terminus where the rail-
road, after bold dash across the
plains, butts into the granite hills; UP,
up, up by toiling four-horse stage till
the plains are spread out behind you
like the sea, and Estes Park is in front,
beneath your feet, deep in the shadows
of the peaks, and cool and still and
mystical. When the driver swings his
mountain team around that last high
crag you remember Kipling's lines:
There's a wheel on the horns of the
There's a wheel on the edge of the pit,
With a drop into nothing beneath us
AS straight as a beggar can spit.
No wonder Lord Dunraven loved it..
From the crag you glide into zone of
forest, dense as night and aromatic as
a Sabean dream; and when you are out
of that, dropping swiftly as a rolling
stone, catching your breath every little
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15
Mighty Queer Talk

who obviously believed in the superior
prowess of the ball player of today.
I'D like to see Brouthers and the rest
of the big four bunch of the old De-
troit nine stack up against some of
these pitchers that are working today
that's what would. / bet they'd
saw more gashes in the atmosphere
than they'd get punk little Texas
leaguers."
This argument as to the merits of
the old and the present day ball play
ers starts one Of the old-time horse
bugs a-going along the same line.
What the old buddy says about the
old-time ball players goes about the
old-time horses, too," he cuts in, ad-
dressing his playing group. ITO
hear 'em talking about that Sysonby
horse that died the other day you'd
think he was a sure-enough good
horse! Huh, I'd be willing to lay 10
to l that Hanover could ha' run eigh-
teen different kinds of smoke rings
around Sysonby doing anything from
a jump to four miles, and when It
comes to sprint, why, Salvador or Dom
ino could ha' made this Roseben coun-
terfeit that they're Dragging about so
much look like park squirrel with
a couple of sprained ankles"
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15
BY DANIEL X. DODGE,
University of Illinois.

The world seems filled with those
who agree with the old Bishop that IL
the facts interfere with the theory, so
much the worse for the facts In spite
Of the evidence showing that President
Lincoln believed in Providence, In spe-
cfal prayer, in a future life and it
might be added, in Christ as a Redeem
er, he is still being frequently referred
to as an infidel.
The only proof of Linco1n's unbelief
by the representatives of free, or rather
free and easy, thought is the statement
OF Herndon that Lincoln often talked
atheism, both to him and Matheny
Valuable as Herndon's book is in con-
nection with the facts of Lincoln's life,
great care should be observed In fol-
lowing its authors judgment of any
phase of Lincoln's character. Appar-
emily Lincoln was fond of poking fun
at his unconscious partner, and it Is not
at all unlikely that his atheistical talk
was simply intended as burlesque of
Herndon's ebullitions.
A curious example of this is cited in
my little study OF Lincoln's style (Uni-
sersity Studies, 1900. Herndon had
been talking very eloquently about
Niagara, when he turned to Lincoln,
who had recently visited the fallsS and
asked him what impression they had
made upon him.
.The thing that struck me most
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15
President Lincoln as a Christian

forcibly when 1 saw the falls" he re-
sponded, was where in the world did
all that water come FROM" He had no
eve for the magnif1cence and grandeur
of the scene-but his mind, working in
its accustomed channel, needless of
beauty or awe, followed irresistibly
back to the first cause.
Now. IL we turn to the Works, Vol. /.
page 162, we find, in a collection of
notes for a lecture upon Niagara Falls,
a very imaginative description, in
which Lincoln, putting aside the merely
physicaISs "a very small part of that
worlds WONDER" dwells upon Its
power to excite reflection and emotion"
II was characteristic of Lincoln to
keep this little joke on his friend en-
tirely to himself
A word in conclusion with regard to
the bearing of Lincoln's Bible quota
tions upon the question of his religious
belief. 1t is undoubtedly true that a
man might frequently quote from the
Bible without thereby suggesting his
attitude toward religion, but hold that
as sincere a man as Lincoln would not
refer to Christ as the Redeemer unless
he believed him to be SO. Lincoln did not
use words ca 1elessly, nor did he ever
speak for mere effect He was not iden-
titled with any one Christian BODY, and
he undoubtedly cared very little about
theology, but there is no doubt that he
was a Christian both in belief and
practice For the claim that he was
an orthodox Christian, l am not respon-
sib1e.
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

serve 1t could be made into something
else. He would by no means be driven
away. He would go ranching like the
rest of them.
From England was brought a fine
herd Of Hereford cattle, which speedily
became the cause of special bitterness
Owning thousands of acres OF upland
pastures and as many cattle as all the
other inhabitants of the valley com
bined, he had signal advantage. There
then began contests over the high pas
turage in the timber, disputes over
fences and lines, sQuabbies over water
rights and the innumerable antago-
nisms that only distasteful contiguity
to the West engenders. The Earl him
self, naturally, was not often involved
in these clashes, but his representatives
on the English ranch were systemati-
cally badgered and successfully hated
In 1876 Lord Dunraven built a hotel
on d commanding site above his ranch
houses. This. like ell the other fea-
lures of the venture. was never profit
able, but it afforded him facilities for
entertaining his friends. Besides, there
was the cottage, fuxuriously. furnished.
filed with reminders of old England.
To this day many of the pictures. old
steel engravings and Landseer, colored
hunting prints and the like, remain on
the walls of the cottage. The settlers.
relieved of the bodily presence OF the
detested British. tell fond tales OF what
they call the extravaganza of those
days. piano was brought by wagon
and with infinite labor over the noun
tains and installed In the cottage.
Traps, stanhopes and victorias were
imported with similar difficulty. to be
knocked to pieces speedily over the un-
made roads and pastures Of the ranch.
The cottage and the hotel were fire.
quently occupied by Lord Dunraven's
friends In those days, and the natives
still speak with considerable awe of
the social doings wnen the Earl him
self entertained.
One Of the novel things on the ranch
was the little chapel. 1t fronts upon
the main road up the valley, and the
small wooden cross at the gable end
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

he haO Deen running ike a muO cat, ana
came as near as anything putting
ten-spot on him. Only thing that kept
me of was that I was afraid they might
put a punt jock up-and here he am
bles home at 40 to 1, and me breaking
my neck this afternoon TO reach the
phone in time to get my i've down on
a lob that they chalk up at to 5. and
that doesn't slam into the money. Prince
Of all the Patsies-thats me!'
Well what dye think of that par
lay of mine today?" snorts another of
the horse bugs. Five of them go
through and the other one Of 'em runs
second on me--what dye think o
that2 Now, If that last one had ha'
gone through for me, what dye think
the parlay 'ud have paid? I figured 1t
out a while ago. 1t would ha' paid
Just SCI 7,5s7.45 to 81. I guess that
wasn't the bum luck"
Just pure fat-headed luck, our get
ting that game o. ball" croaks the
chronic baseball knocker. "Surest
thing, you know IT was. The other
fellows had to all but lay down and
slip the game to us. They made more
hits than we did. but they must ha'
got TO booting the ball all over the
yard when he happened to be poking
IT a little, and that's how it happened.
Ony way we can ever get a game of
ball is to have the other fellows boot
st. Now, If they'd only switch the
team around like I've often told you,
and make the field captain"
These ball bugs give me the ear
buzz" growls one of the pony enthu-
siasts. Cant see what they find in
ii. Every game of ball is just like
another. Now, you take a horserace-
why every race is different, and"
II guess I haven't got Jonah asleep
at the switch when it comes to get
ting 1t where Leonora wore the leop-
ards teeth" cuts in another of the
horse bugs, sadly. Me with twenty
his race at 20 to 1 and then gets dis
qualified That's the nearest 1 get to
yanking down a bet in three straight
months-land one that gets disqualified
after greasing home at 20 to /. That's
the kind o. roses the old game pins
on me-"
Huh, that's a mighty big noise
they're making about those long home
run hits that Charley Hickman made at
Cleveland" observes one of the griz-
zled ball fans. why, those hits of
Hickman's, so far as / can learn, were
Just pokes compared to some hits !
saw in the old days, when ball players
really knew how to play ball-when
they weren't little jumping-jack runts
like they are nowadays, but big full
grown men that were there with the
cioute all the time. Why, 1 saw Dan
Brouthers of the old Detroit club paste
one once that sailed so high over the
top OF the fence that
'Ye-eh. anybody could hit those easy
ones that the pitchers of his day
lobbed over" interrupts younger fan,
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15
7Re/~
"Good-by and good luck!"

'eGood-by and good 1uck!
II there was a covert irony in the
Warden's words it was not premedi-
guest perceived it. The conditions in
which they stood were not favorable
for the perception of fine shades. And
the hand clasp was hearty. 1t ex-
pressed the Warden's sense of loss For
eight years he had known and liked
this man, and now he was going away.
Ideals. in the common definition, the
Warden had not, but in the ethical code
of prison Keepers he knew what was
right" and this man had approximated
very near to it. His resigned and
tractable spirit in confinement had be-
spoken the position he once had held
Before their hands parted the Warden
had considered this and more. He re-
called the noise of the exposure, the
Justification of the books. flight. arrest
then the plea of guilty. and the SEN
tence-since reduced by good behavior.
He remembered too, that there had
been political elements in the case and
much talk about scapegoats suffer
ing for other mems sins. But that was
all so long ago, and these other men.
sinners and saints, were dead and gone
to rewards and reckonings.
The little wicket in the monstrous
studded doors of the prison closed si-
lently and the man stood in the world
again. 1t was early morning In sum-
mer and the sun was sailing listIessly
over from the east, with only prom
ise of the opulent splendor of his mid
day Weakening. Over the way there
was an italian with hand organ and
monkey, and from near by came the
hoarse chant of a huckster.
Originally the penitentiary had been
on the outskirts of the town, but now
1t was environed by rows of small
dwelling houses and cheap stores. Once
1t had worn fittingly penal air of
sequestration: now the somber dignity
of its great gray walls was flouted
by the tawdry brick of these inter-
looping neighbors. Yet 1t loomed so far
above them that its granite spaces
seemed informed with a sardonic ridi-
cule which relieved the fncon gruity.
There came to the free man a vague
recognition that during the silent ex-
panse of time which had wiGened--
widened-on the other side OF these
walls the world here. only q step from
them, had been ceaselessly whirling
away, with all IT'S wonted clamors and
contentious needless as ever OF the
individual atom. 1t was a shock to
realize that only within there, in that
still and separate world, had there
been no change.
He was watching the organ grinders
monkey and speculating whether It's
length of chain would reach to where
lay tossed penny, and he was dis
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

Did you ever hearken unto that audi
bic gas when the baseball fans and the
horse bugs Of your neighborhood talk
over the sporting results OF an evening
st the corner cigar store or drug shop
or rumorium? II you have you've list
ened TO some mighty jumbled conver-
sation. The whole bunch come as near
talking all together IN Jumps as any
assemblage OF ladies at a sewing cir
Gle. The baseball fans and the horse
bugs who meet up at these talk tests
are strictly for their own game and
no other. The ball fans show strong
annoyance over the exclusive interest
OF the horse bugs in the way the ponies
have run, whereas the horse players
look upon the baseball fans as a mild
but rather objectionable breed Of
idiots And so they gather themselves
IN little groups wherein their pet OBJ
session is discussed. and the result is
an amount Of south breeze that 81
would be hard to duplicate at any
other sort Of a gathering. The baseball
fans and the horse bugs are subdivided
into optimists and pessimists, and they
decline to view any kind Of a propo-
sition except from their own angle
We'll, the Nationals cop. hey?" says
one OF the ball optimists. Huh. bad,
guess I suppose I didn't tell you plugs
last night that had a hunch we were
going to snsg today's game-I suppose
] didnt?"
You and your lunches" sticks in
the confirmed baseball pessimist and
knocl1er They just huked through to-
days game. that's how they got it,
Made FIVE errors-just got the game by
pure bullhead luck. They gotta show
me that"
We'll, what dye think of that-Bat
Masterson gets beat by a two-year-old
mutt that I never even heard Of before,
and me with five bucks on him" means
rne OF the horse bugs. Every one Of
the paper pickers gave Bat Masterson
as the one best bet, too-all OF 'em
said he couldn't lose. Huh! Swell lot
o. swamp crabs, those consensus max
ers with their one best bets-and me
falling for it with five bones, Bat Mas
terson couldn't beat a three-legged
cook stove running downhill. Now, 1
could ha' bet those five simoleons on
that 40 to ] thing
Huh, I picked that 40 to 1 thing,
Acrobat, myself this morning, puts in
another Of the disappointed horse bugs.
sDoped him out as pipe-sly even If
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

gives curious touch OF incongruity TO
the group of unpainted buildings. In
this chapel Theodore Whyte married
the Lady Maude. He was one of the
best known English residents of this
region in the early SOS. one Of the
founders OF the famous Cheyenne Club
when Cheyenne was the center Of the
cattle rearing industry and the Sartoris
ranch was still an English possession.
Whyte was for a time manager of the
Dunraven ranch. 1t was he who inn
ported the racing stock, OF which the
remnants are yet found in the oDrrals.
There's Trixy, a pert little mare,
who makes the humble COW ponies
look detected when she is put to the
speed. Peanuts is another, whose fate
now is to be rented out to tourists who
know less about saddles than they
should. Flick and Flock are two
more-and the rest Is the bronco
breed. II Is a queer commingling Of
races in those corrals-the slender
thorougnbreds and the rough and wiry
stock of the plains And the oldest
sight is to see the dainty and fastidious
Trixy rounding up recalcitrant cattle
or carrying a tourist over the rocks
Of the Grand Lake trail
Lord Dunraven has not visited
Estes Park since the year OF his last
race for the Americas Cup. About
that time a stock company was formed.
with the Baron Barrymore and Major
Maitland-Kersey as the chief owners
with the Earl. and an effort was made
to bring the ranch into the profit class.
1t was capitalized at sSS0.000, but IL
never yielded a dividend, and Lord
Dunraven. having taken IL all over
again. was glad to get rid of the whole
property-land, chapel, hotel. cottage,
stanhopes and victorias, Trixy, Pea
nuts and aIl-with the dream OF a
paradise of game. for something like
$50, 900 Last summer, under the op-.
ton, a beginning in a small way was
made by the new proprietors, and this
season. the sale having been consum-
mated this spring, the famous ranch
will become a pleasure resort and cat
tie ranch in one.
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

The following year he brought out a
large party, hunted deer, elk and bear
over the region again, and made UP his
mind that Estes Park was superbly
adapted to the purposes of a lordly
game preserve. The idea was innmedi-
ately pursued. He homesteaded as
much of 1T as the law would permit and
bought the homes of the two settlers
who had recently made filings on the
land These transactions gave him 4
large part of the most desirable land
along the creek, rich meadows where
native grass tand there is nothing
sweeter to cattle than mountain hay)
grew high. Above the meadows rose
the uplands, grassy dells and smiling
tiny parks among the timber, and he
was enabled to purchase ten thousand
acres of this land from the Govern
ment.
But two or three settlers vino re-
mained. along with others who had
eyes upon this treasure of the valley,
warred against the Dunraven scheme.
The authorities at Washington were in
formed with considerable feeling of the
pretensions of this English Lord who
would turn one of the fairest garden
spots of Colorado into private hunt
ing patch. 1t was not difficult to arouse
antagonism to the enterprise, and while
thO i1dli was ctiii lOT more
land the Government suddenly threw
the entire park, saving only certain
timber reserves high up on the noun
tains, open to settlement.
That was a blow to Lord Dunraven.
He was compelled to abandon his plan
of owning the whole park, for the re-
naming settlers and the new ones who
came in soon were stubborn. Indeed,
from that time forward the story of
the English ranch was one of contro-
versy and rough strife. The settlers
resented what they considered an in
trusion and the occupation of the land
by the British was made as difficult as
could be. Nevertheless, Lord Dunraten
was determined to stay. If the prop
erty he had acquired, this golden val
ley. could not be made into game pre-
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

appointed when the man solved the
problem by shifting his position
Presently he found himself walking
He did not realize this until the per-
emptory clang of gong sounded in his
ears and he started back in sudden
panic. When the car had whizzed by
he was yisibly quaking. but in mo-
ment he was going on again.
Although without purpose in his
route. this overpowering fear of the
electric cars delayed his progress so
that the morning was well advanced
when he stood at a corner In the heart
of the business section and watched
the crowds press past him. He shrank
in the half shelter of post, with the
surreptitious air of one who has no
right to be seen. Indeed, he vaguely
felt himself alien and irrelevant. and
his forehnger went falteringly to his
lip with a motion become habitual
Of all these legions rushing by him
none so much as glanced In his direc-
tion. and he wondered why they did not
seem to know that he was a lately
released felon. He might have found
the reason when he fell to studying
their faces. The habit OF observation
had once been keen in him. as Ii is In
sums OF money. and even now il was
not quite gone.
He saw that only the children wore
absolutely placid countenances. All
others carried look OF preoccrpation.
often exhibiting writhing lips and
flashing eyes or muttering their
thoughts in half audible sentences.
Onee woman. quite alone. passed near
him, and he heard her exclaim to her
self, "Oh. my, OH N.Y. IL might have
meant only a forgotten pocket-book or
a tight shoe. but the tone had ira gic
ring. Again, man talking vigorously
TO himself swept by. frowning
None looked toward him; all were ig-
norant. OF his existence. and q great
loneliness rose within him.
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15


serve. From beginning to end things
were more often Ill than we'll with 1t.
The settlers were inin1ical, the manage
ment was inexperienced. the property
was a continual heavy charge on the
wrong side of the account, and the
game preserve idea had to be dis
carded before '4he Ss giExn half
dozen hunting partisbSr faffsSt learred
the secrets Of the woods. Tfiis is the
story:
The Earl first went to Estes Park in
1873. To reach it involved an adven-
turous journey then. He, with his reti-
nue.. was hunting big game in the wild
region around Longs Peak when the
guide led him one day down from the
slopes of that continental landmark
into a valley that filled him with de-
light. From the edges of the foothills
it lay level as a floor. ten by fifteen
miles in extent. The pine woods and
the spruce came down to the very mar
gin of the floor, tumultuous stream
raced across it and halted only now
and then to make pools for the native
trout; even so late in autumn the air
had mild and salubrious tone, and
ever and ever, in whatever direction
the sight. was sent, stood the noun
tains in a perfect barrier, closing IL all
in like an English wall. The Earl was
fascinated.