The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-09-06

TRANSFORMATION. We scatter our wealth
in Europe instead of using It at home
Tourists, who are beside the question
but they come into my mind as ] talk.
climb the Alps, when they have never
seen the Rocky Mountains eat IN dirty
wayside inns, and come home with III
hitting clothing which they would scon
at ana send back were II made Tor them
by their own American tailors.
What we need In this country Is a
chain of colleges from Maine to Cali
fornia, where our natives can learn the
rudiments OF common sense No wonder
Europe believes there are bunaloes and
Indians on the prairies along the Hud-
son River. / would think so myself IL
I lived in London or Berlin and ran a
hotel or owned a retail establishment.
Ask me another question" Senator Ca
iron said, land get my mind away from
a subject that makes me mad every time
I think Of IT
Little, UP to the printing of this ar
ticle, has been known about Senator
| Catron personally. He is reticent even
with his friends. For many years he
was the leader OF the bar in New Mex
leo. In early days he and Stephen B.
| Elkins were usually engaged on the
same side of every important case in
that part OF the Southwest Also. at a
later time, they were partners. They
were ana naO ROOQ
| habits. So when a man had a big law
suit he employed both of them II It
were possible. A great many acquaint-
ances of Senator .Catron do not know
that he was a Confederate soldier.
Yes, sir" he said toSme, Il fought
on the side Of the South. but am not
Dragging about IL, nor am l ashamed
of it. I did what 1 thought was right
My father. a native of Tennessee, and
M hyar tai IN
Missouri while they were children. I
was born fifty miles east OF Kansas
| City. in Lafayette County. We lived on
a large farm and owned n number of
slaves.
Driven Out CT Missouri.
Il was graduated from the Univer-
sity Of Missouri when I was nineteen
years old Then the war came on. I
enlisted and served four years, taking
part IN the defense of Vicksburg. Re
turning home at the end of the war, l
found a new constitution in Missouri
which prohibited Confederate soldiers
and persons who had aided the Con-
federacy. from teaching school, preach
ing or practicing law in the State.
las l meant to be a lawyer / began
loo king around for new location.
read law at home for wear. getting
books from a lawyer at Lexington, the
county seat I knew how TO study and
made good use OF my time. II was at
th4t period of my liFa that became
Republican. though the Republicans
had changed our organic law in such
a manner as to drive me out OF Mis-
souri,. where I was born.
There were only two issues in the
civil war-slavery and the right Of State
10 separate itself from the Union. Both
81. INW Wkn
war and later BY the national Constitu-
ton I accepted the results OF the war.
Ny father was an active man politically.
but would nsver consent to hold office.
He believed in Stephen A Douglas, and
when I was a boy had me read his
speeches aloud TO the family.
Political questions were talked about
in our house They should be discussed
in all homes, but discussed sensibly. Sen
sible discussion, OF course. means that
one must think straight and nationally.
Old issues were dead, shot to pieces, and
I thought while reading law that | could /
see a day near at hand when the tar.n
question would divide the country as
other questions had divided II in the
Uast MY economic studies made me
protectionIst That was nearly fifty years
40. am more Of a protectionist now
than at any time in my life.
Il left Kansas City in one OF the |
wagons Of a freight train bound for New |
Mexico Arizona. and Colorado. Kansas !
City was then called Westport. and was
made up Of a warehouse and few log !
buildings. At Fort Larned other wagons
came in and the officer in command OF |
the troops advised all the trains to keep /
close together as a protection against !
Indians.
No railroad had been built farther |
West than Fort Riley. in Northern Kan !
sas Savages instead OF farmers. inhab- |
tied the country beyond the Mississippi. |
We were on the road fifty-two days. |
reaching Santa Fe early in August. 1866. !
During the journey 7 saw the buffalo !
herd. There was only one herd, though |
there were struggling bands Of the AMI /
mails which had become detached and |
which were seen on the plains at differ
ent places The herd mus have con-
tanned 5.0ONOhO buffaloes. We travelled J
twenty-five miles a day, and were three
days in passing through the herd east to
west J
The bufaloes We learned. starting
from the south hank of the Platte River.
in Nebraska, had kept going night and
day without food. water. or rest, until
it reached the Arkansas River, some 3Cp
miles distant. Buffaloes. the same as
drinks
As ! saw them. the animals were
travelling in lunches Of from fifty to
LOCO each with spaces between. We
could see them toward the north as far
as the eye could reach. When a bunch
was headed toward our train. we would
go out and meet them and, by firing
guns and pistols. swerve their course
and send them above or below our
wagons. Each bunch had a leader and
if we could turn him the rest would
follow.
AT night We corralled the wagons,
putting the mules inside the Enclosure
and posting heavy guard on the prairie
armed with rifles. In some places the
banks of the river were low but in other
places they were fifteen feet high NO
matter whether they were low or high.
the buffaloes never halting for a mo-
ment. would plunge into the water at
full speed, piling on top OF one an
other. but not one was injured or
drowned as far as we could see.
Were Seen for Sixty Miles.
They would drink as they swan, and
reaching the south hank stop and feed
on grass that reached half way to their
backs. After we passed the western
edge of the herd and danger of being
to death was over. we went
into camp for two days and shot a large
supply Of meat The headquarters were
inf nd {,, he t.,