The chronicle=news., 1913-03-20
ReI,,inisctnces Of
The Frontier Days
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sunday SefAuAue: Whe0 ire
old Kaasas-Pacific was a struggling
railroad and had troubles Of It's own
tho gchIai Johnnie Mcfarland was
the rear admiral on . gravel traiu.
Such position in those days was
frnusht with good deal OF anxiety
for II was no FOOLS Job to boss n
crew OF lazy niEgcrs such as he had
out on tho line with him. Que Sun.
Trail to lay up for tho Lords day for
even In those misa hropic times no
body cared to work on Sunday any
more than they do nowadays when
the most OF us have such a strenu-
GUS time trying TO make a living. NH
The oniy place Of amusement that
was open Ia tho little shack 0f u
town was the lrreprcssIblc saloon and
TO this pious spot fiocked those thirs.
~ nlggers bent on having good
time as they called II. The baskecD
was out for tho coin and was glad 10
Hct tho Niger trade on u dull day
when nothing else was doing. In q
short time the Sixteen to Ono. as the
dump was called. had become Vhc
house Of JOY. \ crap game was In
prp.rcss on tho floor while u musical
mOkc buck In the corner was picking
n banjo and warblinK something
about great big GrasShopycr that
sat upon u sweet potato vine auc
sang his song OF glec.
A sudden transformation scene fell
upon tho coOus aud II was Voc bc.
tide them nnd tisrIr day OF Joy. A
bunch OF Texas cowboys happened In
lust then aud sailed over to the Six
teen 10 One as tho only place In town
where they might congrcGatc and
have some sport. You all know how
n Texan hates a nikxer. AS they
rode up and dIsmouutcd they dIxcov.
cred the smokes In possession OF the
works and something was doing right
off the hat. You all know how tho
Texan Of the original stripe never
had or ever could have any use for a
Niger and II was their move They
cavortcd In n bunch around to the
side door and rushed the interior
with u wioop that could be heard
half way up TO Denver. With all the
fuss and shooting II was n great won.
der that a single son OF Ercbus cs.
capped alive.
As II was the whole bunch Of the
blacks made u dash for the railroad.
Along the right OF way stood row
of those big tool boxes such as sec.
iiom men have and Into these piled
the whole ebony crew. One overly
ponicrou. darky. overloaded as he
was. mana ;cd to get only half way
Into the box and there he balanced
head downward like a dog licking
out Of u kettle aud II was u horrible
moment. Every time n gun cracked
50 scared that he turned spotted like q
hog under n fence and the Oldest In.
babitant says that tho poor ciixs was
80 scared that Returned spotted liko n
Georgia watermelon and never again
looked the same. Admiral McF,ar.
lane Quictcd tho disturbance BY sct.
ting up the liquor to tho TcJona,
and tho gravel train pulled out fos
tho more salubrious climate Ut
Rpund Byers where the only -drina
wps Bijou wstsr.-Field and Farm.
Dead on the Box: The fancy foiL
who perumbulate across the plan,
nowadayi havc no conception what
ever of tho trials aud hardships ol
the oid-timc stage driver. who. sit.
ting upon his box like King Lear on
his throne had to see that thing,
were moving on. In the Ions
stretches OF the contentious winter
position on the box exposed linn tc
nigh, wrap himself. the work Vi
driving rendered It impossible fol
him to pro,cct himself against ths
keen fanIs OF tho cold. He had III,
duty to perform. however, aud he at
tended to II On and on he rode
mile after mile. his teeth chnttcrinE
his whole frame quaking under the
conEcalinE clutch of winter.
His hands grew numb and hs
ciaspcd them together with all hi.
strength. He could feel his, feet
freezing and he would kick them
against the ',front-board. Sut they
soon became too far gone to sense
tho tickling of the blood in It's II.
fort at renewed circulation. The
hours became long ne0ns OF supreme
suffering. for he had 10 keep going
he could not stop and get down and
walk. He carried passen nEera and the
mails and, II no passengers. always
the mails and they had to &c
through. BESIDES. there was no place
to stop between stations durins
those cruel days OF winter. 1t wns
Just on on and on and endure and
still push on.
In 1889 particularly cold weather
visited Wyoming hut over the hun
drcd and odd-milc space between
Laramie and Fort Fetterman the
stage had 10 run. for the mail must
20. On a certain bitter morning the
stage swung up from the bridge over
La Prclle creek and the horses
stopped at the stage station. The
station-mastcr noticed that the driv-
er did not jump down as was his GUS
tom. but sat bumped up and still,
with the lines in his hands. but made
no attempt to descend from the box.
The keeper shouted, Come on down
Billy. what's the matter with you?''
hut there came no answer. The driv-
er was dead. Just like stone he sat
there. still and rigid and the lines
had to be pried from his hands.