Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-11-18

IN this country of Mr.. Dodge
father. who died recently.
Dear Charlie:- :,
Seeing an account Of the death
oS your good old father carries
re back nearly forty years III
memory to the scene Of our first
meeting at the old settler store
ON fhe bank of the Walnut just
west of Fort Zarah, in June OF
,July, 1871. 1t was just dusk OF
evening and he and Aaron Hart,
man came in tired and worn Oul
from a long days tramp up on
Blood Creek, and across the dl-
vide TO thew alnut and on down
the Walnut to our ranch. " Will
Finn and | were both there both
happening to be at home. Your
father had been there a short
time previous in company with
Amos Hubbard and one other, |
think, but | was away in the Sa-
line river country at the time.
They had found gang OF Occu-
pants. In my absence 1t seems
that old Joe Bowers, who was IN
charge of Boyd & BealS hogs on
the river, and shooting buffalo
for them to fatten on, had Occu-
pied the cabin in the absence Of
Finn and |, and crowd of his
eOnvivial friends and knights OF
tie plain had happened in and
were having great time with
hIm. Joe fell early, as he was
wont to do, and the ranch, hav-
Tng no caretaker, they substitute
ed JOe'S stomach to play cards
on, from the fact that he was
dead drunk, and | guess they be-
haved generally in a way to sug
gest to your fathers party that
they were bad men, and the pre-
sumption is that they were in no
wise misrepresenting themselves
Your father and Aaron were
making their beds down after sur
per when | called to Finn to
bring the light to the foot of our
bed near the door. He did so
and there was a big rattler which
we proceeded to kill and throw
out, as a matter of course. Your
Rather and Aaron seemed to be
somewhat disturbed about it and
began taking up their beds. |
made the remark in good faith
that there were probably not any
more, as this was the second one
we had killed that evening. Your
father cOntended that that was as
surance that did not sufficiently
assure, and he carried his bed
out and slept in the wagon, and
Aaron on the pile of corn sacks.
Our bed was made of course and
was against the wall. Several
times that summer the rattlerS
erawled out of the old stone
house into our bed and we be-
come somewhat .recOnSiled to
the knowledge of their Occupa-
ton.
The next day we went out and
helped your father stake out his
claim in section 10-19-13, and in
trying to cross the creek got the
team mired down and thought at
one time we were going to lose
them. lie was greatly worried
over that, always regretted that
he had urged a crossing there
but We laughed it all away after
we got out.
How he enjoyed those early
scenes. He was a good feeling
good all around cOmpaniOnablt
. man. and always took a cheerful
and hopeful view of life, loved
his family and his friends, and
am glad that he was able to live
to such a good ripe old age and
enjoy them.
My father, who died in March
1909, was nearly of the same age
being in his S7th year. He wa'
cheerful and happy in the posses
sion Of his faculties up to the
very last. These were men o
another age and generation.
don't know whether We are an!
Improvement on them or not. w
oOught to be, with our superior aC
vantages, but are We? | don
feel very vain over the compari
son.
With .kindest regards to yol
and yours, and warmeSt Sympa
thy. Sincerely yours,
David n. Heller.
A., TIlo OFnr;o,, opd JouOh