The Republican journal., 1916-10-12
LIFE AT LARAMIE.

Y.
Perhaps in writing Of the forts in
Texas should have explained that these
outposts to provide quarters for garri-
sons to protect the settlements were de-
void of bastions, escarpments, embraz-
aIres, etc, and did not even have stock
AIDES. think Fort Iuge had an ordinary
fence to keep out the hogs, which run at
large in Texas, or did then. Fort Lara
ME was typical frontier post 1t occu-
pied plateau above the Laramie river in
> treeess region Of level valley and
table land, with the Black Hills showing
IN one direction ard Pixies Peak in an
other. This was the time of the rush of
gold-seekers to Pixies Peak, of which
something may be said later. But to re-
turn to the fort, which was not fortified
Or protected in any way. Around the
parade ground were the officers quarters,
one-story wooden buildings, and near by
the suffers store. The quartermasters
and commissary departments, with their
warehouses and stables and quarters
for civilian employees. were on the fiat
below the other buildings. Just across
the river was an Indian village some of
the lodges occupied by white men who
had taken to themselves Indian wives
after the frontier fashion.
On the arrival of our command Capt
Paige had established his quarters on the
post grounds, and having ended rly ser
vice as a paymaster's clerk | continued
to share his tent and messed with him.
One day he entertained at dinner Ben.
McCulIoch, OF Of the three peace com
missioners sent to Utah by President
to Washington to report the conclusion,
and success, of their mission. Dinner
was served IN the wall tent in which we
then had our abode. When / was intro
duced to McCulloch he said that he had
near nelghbor of the name on the Brazos
9river) in Texas; and it was my grand
father, who went to Texas in the days
Of the republic, held various Offices un-
tASA WV 1AoNGtSi'J oSAfSN III tIe iS SlSie-
tlre, and when Texas was admitted to
the Union came to Congress for two
terms. He died in 1858 at his home in
New Danville, Rusk county. There was
one amusing incident of this dinner
Most of the Indians about the post were
afrant beggars and while we were eating
big Indian lowered around the tent
After the soup had been served the camp
kettle in which it was made, and which
still contained gallon or more. was left
on the ground just outside the tent
Capt. Paige proposed to bet that if he
offered the contents of the kettle to the
Indian he ould eat the contents and call
for more, and during the talk attention
was naturally directed to the Indian and
to the kettle. So when Capt. Paige Of
fered the soup to the Indian he, suspect
ing some trick, refused to touch it.
When it came time for the End column
to move on had been appointed forage
master at the post, ard my duties were
to deliver corn from tie two large store
houses upon orders issued by the quar-
te1master. The corn was put up in
square sacks or gunnybags, varying
somewhat in size but averaging per-
hays two bushels to bag. | was told
that the method of delivery had been to
weigh five bags and take the average
weight as the weight of all bags deliver
ed, ard which were tailed as they were
taken cut and loaded into the wagons.
My prede cessor had made large de-
fciency which | was expected to make
coed. ! scon found that the wagon
masters were in the habit of selecting
five of the smallest bags from which
they got the average weight, and that
they would carry cut two bags to put
against the two large doors to keep them
from blowing-to, saying not to check
the m as they would be returned. They
would, however, throw them into &
wagon the last thing and drive eff. 81
attended to selecting the bags myself
and checked the bags to be placed
against the doors as they were carried
cut, and then saw that they were brough
back, ard was rot long in making up thu
deficit and acquiring surplus.
l had table in the quartermaster'
office where l kept my accounts. TIL
Office was in the front end of a Ions
storehouse filled with clothing, blankets
harnesses, hardware, ETC., and pile O.
blankets made very comfortable rest
ing place on hot day when there wa