The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-05-29

! AFkdHSdW as SDe ALL
| 1t is thirteen miles from Gilbert to
the billiard home-as Doc billiard tells
| 1t. But billiard is kind hearted and
| charitable He looked at his collec-
ton of office grown state house nature
lovers and at the puny, meek eyed re-
porter and made the distance as small
IS possible. 1t was on that trip to
the billiard farm that the party was
really introduced to Arkansaw as she
| is today
billiard was happy and sang a song
about a man in Cheyenne song that
has never found it's way to Kansas,
the cabaret or the Keith circuit. Dill
lard sang with lust and vigor and feel
ing. But after the first mile, the news
paper man began to repent inwardly
as to things he had said about Kansas
hills.
He wished for a joy ride through
the flint hills of Greenwood and But
Ter county. He recalled unkind re-
marks about the sand Mills of Reno
county and utterance about the rough
riding in Cheyenne and RawlinS coun-
ty. He repented and sought forgive
ness. Around and around the noun
tain those mules went. Up and up and
up. There were hills on hills and
mountains on mountains.
Now billiard sang about tarantula
and a scorpion. He stopped his team
to rest. There was a spring and wa
ter never was so sweet, so cool, so
invigorating. Then up and up the
mules climbed. The rocks became
boulderS. The trees were a forest and
to Organ that the seat was hard and
the blanket was thin. Organ nodded
and shifted. Botkin heard the remark
and grinned. BOtkin was reducing
But there was a panied look on Col
onel Rahn's face and Felix, who was
riding with the cook tent and range.
had piled up on a roll of canvas, with
out hope and without fear.
Scasick ON Mountains.
Another mountain rose right out of
the top of the one the party had been
climbing for an hour. billiard said
didates walked. The reporter elected
himself to walk. That ride up the
mountains was making him seasick.
For a couple of miles the party
climbed over rocks and missed their
footingS and swore in undertoneS.
Then they stopped. There right un-
der them and within a stones throw
down the mountain side was the spot
they left an hour before. Organ was
beginning to grumble and he men
toned these things to Botkin. But
Botkin pointed out the big pines ma
tive flowers, massive boulders and
raved about the grandeur of nature.
To which Colonel Rain openly wished
that he had another chance at the sir
loin steak he had bought the previous
night in Kansas City. 1t was grand
scenery. Wonderful But there
wasn't much beneficial result from
wasting needed wind to talk about it.
In something more than four hours
the party reached the billiard home.
They had stopped for a very few min
utes to visit with George Davenport,
soon to become an important charac-
ter in the .party's camp life.
1t was after dark when billiard.
stopped his team and the reporter
humbly asked if someone Wouldn't
kindly help straighten out his cramped
legs or lift him to the ground. Just
when the reporter began to navigate
safely, woman came to the door and
said that supper was ready.
All, Supper! Um-m-m-
Supper! that was the sweetest word
those tired nature choSerS ever heard.
But it was not a supper TO which the
Kansans were seated. 1t was a nine
dollar plate banquet. A banquet of
native grown. home cured, hickory
smoked ham; fried eggs that were
that very day fresh from the hennery;
fresh onions and radishes, country
butter, honey, mountains of light bis
cult, fresh from the oven. black cof-
fee and sure enough cream ON res