St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1921-12-03
CHAPTER w.
At the Back Of Beyond.

To my chagrin, the railroad ticket
offices in Denver didn't know any such
place as Placerville in the Red desert
region, which was then, as now, trav-
ersed only by one railroad. The SIN
gle "Placerville" they had listed was
a station not far from Telluride, In
quite another part Of the state. Nor
could the Mining exchange gentleman
help me. However, he suggested that
If could find some old resident cold
timer was the word he used) whose
memory reached back ways, there
might be something doing.
"Steer me-" begged; I'm half
orphan and total stranger In Den
ver.'
He laughed, and then thought for a
minute, and said: Y
"The Du Pont Powder people have
been doing business here for a good
many years, and they know the pow
der buyers all over the state. It's just
possible that they could tell you. Sup
pose you ask at their office"
I went, forthwith; and the gentle
man to whom l presented my card at
the cashiers window had the dope.
The Red Desert Placerville, he told
me, was strictly a "haS BEEN The
placers had long ago been exhausted,
and the place had afterward figured as
a shipping point for some mine or
mines on the desert slope Of the East
ern Timanyonis. He was not quite GER
tain, but he thought the name placer
Vile" had been changed to something
else.
AS to the manner Of reaching the
"has been," this as he pointed out,
was simple enough. There were
through sleepers by way Of the P. S-W.
and Copah all the way to the Pacific
coast.
Armed with this information,
quickly shook the dust Of Denver (no
slam here intended at the Queen City
of the Plain) from my feet, taking q
through ticket to Angels; and the fol-
lowing morning, when I ran my win
dow shade up previous to turning out
for breakfast, the train was rollicking
along over endless reaches OF the
dryest, dreariest, most barren-loOking
country that the sun ever shone upon
red sand, it appeared to be, with with.
cred bits of grass here and there and
scattering punches of what I after.
ward learned was called "greasewood. y
It was while luncheon was getting it.
self served that the train stopped to
water the engine at the most desolate
place that ever lay out of doors, dc
think. The place was utterly deserted
either on the platform or in the street
upon which the station faced; not even
the bunch Of loafers which usually ma
terializes out of nowhere to see 6
train came and go. I was looking out
! Of the window and wondering how any
body, even hermit telegraph opera
| tor, could stand it to live in such 6
| graveyard of a place when got my
| shock.
It was dog that connected up the
| high-voltage wires for me; shaggy
| mongrel with his ears cooked and s
| red ribbon Of a tongue hanging out a.
he jumped up on the high station plat
form as If to say Hello, stranger!" tt
me. For, right down the center of thai
dogs face and dividing 1t as accurate
ly as If it had been drawn by some
mathematical craftsman, was lint
marking of a black half from white
| half!
I was just taking a swallow Of no
chocolate when the dog appeared, ant
it, nearly choked me. Luckily, / 60
| the swallow down before l saw tn,
horse-a grasshopper-headed Gov
pony, saddled and bridled and standing
hitched to a gnawed wooden rail IL
| front of one Of the tumble-dOWl