Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-09


against their play; gaily dressed stage
drivers, proud of their calling as the
captain Of a battleship of his first com.
mand, who, froln lofty perch on box
seats, looked down upon passengers in
general and the world at large with all
the naughty contempt Of high roller
for a piker, polyglot lot from whom
one heard almost as much Spanish and
French as English.
Up and down the Missouri's muddy
flood fussy little stern-wheelers were
ever churning; pelts Of beasts their
down-current cargo, barrels, bales and
boxes of food-stuffs and merchandise
the loads upstream.
From dawn to dark stores and ware
houses were hedged thick about with
close-crowding mule and bull teams,
loading or waiting their turn, prepar-
ing for the plod away out to the Nor
mon settlements, or to one or another
of the isolated mining camps.
On the streets, at the bars about the
gambling tables, all the talk heard was
of one general topic-adventure, some
where, of some sort, shooting scrapes
over disputed mining claims, scraps
with Indians, hold-ups OF stages, pur-
suits of outlaws, tussles with grlzzIes,
battles with bronchos, skirmishes with
Mexicans-naturally enough, tor the
men there assembled were leading
lives that developed no other types or
incident to talk about.
In truth 1t was period OF the oar.
ing and the enduring. One incident l
there heard told, happening OF rev
years earlier, In 1851, particularly I'M
pressed me- 1t was that OF the famous
ride Of G.. H. Aubrey, the Santa re
trader, from the plaza of Santa re TO
independence, Missouri, undertaken on
q wager of one thousand dollars tnat
he could cover the distance, roughly
eight hundred miles, within six days:
Aubrey was then short, sturdliy
built man Of thirty-eight, absolutely ID
his prime. Already for ten years
trader over the Santa Fe trail, he knew
every foot of It. Ahead OF him ne
sent either six or eight horses, can.
not remember which, to be stationed
at convenient points, as relays:
Out of Santa Fe he one morning tfot.
ted easily until his mount was Wen
warmed to its work, and then let MIN
out into a long, free lope he never
broke, except for brief breathing spelis'
until the next station was reached.
And these tactics the man had the
marvellous nerve and strength to con-
tinue until he finally fell fainting from
his staggering horse in the puonc
square of Independence-outn ve Gays
and nineteen hours from Santa re:
Forty-eight hours elapsed before
Aubrey recovered consciousness. for
most men, it would have renamed
their long sleep.
This feat was then unanimously re-
garded by plainsmen 90 the most re,
markable exhibition of strength and
endurance on record, and, personally,
I have never since heard OF any that
equals It. This story heard told Dy
one OF the two men who caught AUD
rev as he fell from his horse at the
Il was very hungry and nearly naked
II was when I reached st. Joe. But
already I had discovered that hearts
were getting bigger and hands more
generous the farther west I travelled.
Thus l was not so very greatly sur
prised when, the very first day, rough
hull-whacker whom saw passing STOP
ned mo and said, kid, pears to me
you're lookin' terrible holler; come
along to camp" Such an invitation
from a Michigander of my day woulo
have given me fatal attack OF heart
disease. =.
However, there I was not SLOW 70
accept; and for three days, until !
finaliy got a Job with another omnt,
This kindly man shared his grub ana
blankets with me; said "sorta mind
ed him of kid brother he USED 10
have"
NV first job on the plains was not
brilliant one, but at it I was happy as =
lark. was hired as COOK LOT tne
wagon masters mess of an overland
freight outfit bound for Salt Lake. II
was owned by a firm Of Gentle mer
chants of that city, but its wagon
masters and their assistants were MOT
mons. ~
Nv compensation was nothing to go
crazy over, but at the time 1t SOUNDED
good to me. was to get no salary at
all, in fact, but was promised by the
wagon master that, upon our arrlval
in Salt Lake, should be provided with
new suit of clothes, horse. saooie'
and arms, that would fit me TO JOIN
some California-bound emigrant out
fit
(To Be Continued.)