The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-22
So SO

dinner. The young woman seemed ex-
ceptionally clever and the old man is
fine gentleman. Both seemed to have
travelled considerably. I naturally
daughter, but upon asking their
names found that they were husband
and wife.
1 made a similar error at another
place. The man and woman who an
swered my knock afterwards took me
into parlor. There hung the hus-
bands picture-enlarged the side of
another woman. She resembled the
woman who met me at the door. The
likeness was so remarkable that I said,
just to put them in good humor:
That's a remarkably good picture of
yourself and the lady here The
lady fiared up and spit out: That's
his first wife, thank you. She is dead"
l did not get an order there. Since
then L have been very careful about
volunteering compliments.
However, 1 often feel anything but
complimentary in my opinions of some
of the people 1 meet. I think that mis-
sionaries could find some work right at
| home. One house 1 entered was with
out carpets, or window curtains While
1 was showing the views to one of the
| girls a dog rushed in the room, jumped
on the table, seized bone and dragged
| it all over the floor. The man was
! looking at the animal but he did not
seem to pay any attention to the in
| cident at all. I learned that the people
| were well off. but were too stingy to fix
| up their home.
| On the other hand 1 have been in out
of the way corners where the houses
and farms were models of neatness
and thrift. Yet, it is strange that very
| often the two extremes are side by side.
On one of the farms the cedar trees
were trimmed in the shape of a, setting
1 hen. From distance the resemblance
J was remarkable. On the same farm
] saw boy cutting hedges. He was do
replied, Il wish these here hedges were
in -, get so tired of putting in my
| spare time on them"
Before closing I must tell of a pc
! culiar incident that was almost an &C
cident This evening 7 did not get to
town until after dark. / was going
| through some timber. 1t was so dark
! and rainy that I could not see a. fool
! ahead The horse seemed so uneasy
that finally 1 stopped and walked in
| front a ways after tying the animal to
| a. tree. On turning the corner of the
road l found that it forked. One branch
| led over the bank where a bridge had
/ been washed out. The other crossed q
new bridge. If I had kept on going.
| would have probably gone over the
| bank. Perhaps the horse had met witt
/ an accident near that same place ano
/ recognized it in spite of the dark. How
it did so I have no idea. but I can not
| account for it's behavior any other way
The landlord has just said he was GO
| ing to close up the office for the night
as they do in some country hotels-so
! must close. With hopes for the pro-
gress of Topeka,
Sincerely. c. NJ. R.
The work on the raising of the
Santa Fe tracks from the bridge to
the Junction depot recalls to w. A
Forbes how he witnessed the night
| entry of the railroad into Concordia
some twenty deays ago when the city
officials did not wish the line to come
into the town on a certain street.
81 happened to be in Concordia al
the time said Mr.. Forbes. THE Santa
Fe people desired to lay their tracks
on a certain street. The city official:
We're opposed to the intended action
However. as near as / can remember
the Santa Fe laid their ties and rail:
: up to the city limits. Then one nigh
a forge of men laid the ties and spiked