Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-03
We PAP
Railroad
Fare :

bond of brotherhood out on the Santa
Fe trail. Time was wearing away but
we had no idea of disseminating the
exercises. The major was called on for
a speech and was soon standing on an
old discarded bed of once famous
overland coach and began by saying,
Il am son of Erin, and of this am
justly proud and if no one is carln.
I'll speak little to this crowd
He then assured us that he was born
where the river Shannon flows through
the Emerald Isle to the sea. He gave
us brief review of some of his COM
bats with the red men of the west and
what he chose to call good healthy ad'
vice as to travelling over the great I'M
known. The sun was now rapidly ap-
! preaching the western horizon, shed-
ding it's golden rays over the sand
dunes of the great American desert.
We then dispersed, our folks to look
after the stock, as the animals had to
have their grain feed before being
turned out to Craze for the night; the
| troOrer to prepare their evening meal
and the soldiers of the fort to the dis
charge of their several duties. Smith
was placed by the ladies in a cot in an
ambulance and made comfortable in a
mass of robes and furs. One matter
remained to be attended to, and that
was the reelection of an assistant wag-
on master to fill the place made vacant
by the retirement of Smith.
Stanley suggested to our business
agent that I be given the place. The
agent was willing but as we had the
| 0f OF hofnrGa
should any thing happen to Stanley, he
feared l might not, on account OF my
youth, be able to compete with unfor-
seen obstacles, but at this point he
stopped, for all the boys claimed they,
not he, had the right to choose Smiths
successor as they knew best who they
wanted and I was then unanimously
chosen assistant.
Major Mckee, for such was the name
of the homeward bound officer. grasp
ed my hand and shaking it heartily,
gave me a fine piece of advice and |
Immediately assumed the duties of my
new position and set about superint-
ending the issuing of proper measures
of grain to each teamster for his mules.
The major, our agent and the two
ladies accompanied us on the feeding
trip and when all was finished, supper
was announced by the cooks Of the diff
ferent messes and our guests were in
vited to partake with us. To this, the
women respectfully declined, saying
that they had ordered beans and bacon
for ten. Tom Taylor, Scott Irwin, jim
, Marrow Irish Mike and myself We're
! all from Lawrence and accompanied
, by the "parson" and the ex-confederate
repaired to the Majors festive board
and partook of hearty meal, spread
on a large canvas on mother earth,
around which we all, ladies included,
squatted tailor fashion or any fashion.
We were waited on by genuine
greaser. whom the Major said had been
: with him for three years and that he
was true Mexican.
Stanley and our agent messed in
meal. all hands soon began to assemble
, camp and had for their guest, the cap
tain of the fort. After the evening
about the overland station. Each of
| oud men had a lantern Of the old tallow
candle variety and with the forty-seven
| lanterns lighted and moving to and
| fro, the hillside presented an appear
ance euualing Tennyson's description
, of angels searching for lost soul.
We got out our band and the hillside
soon echoed with the strains of John
Browns Body, Dixie, The Star Span
gled Banner and many other then pop.