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twg_000000052400 | of us, and especially to me. There was something new to be seen at nearly every turn of the road. At night the family generally "put up" at hotels or cross-road taverns along the way. One day as we were proceeding on our way, we were met by a horseman who wanted to sell his horse, or trade-him for another. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052401 | He said the horse had been captured wild in California; that he was a runner and a racer; that he had been sold by his different owners on account of his great desire to run away when taking part in a race. The stranger seemed to be very frank in his statements, and appeared to be very anxious to get | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052402 | rid of the animal, and as we were going to Kansas where there would be plenty of room for the horse to run as far as he pleased, father concluded to make a trade for him; so an exchange of animals was easily and satisfactorily effected. The new horse being a small gray, we named him "Little Gray." An opportunity | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052403 | of testing the racing qualities of the horse was soon afforded. One day we drove into a small Missouri town or hamlet which lay on our route, where the farmers from the surrounding country were congregated for the purpose of having a holiday--the principal amusement being horse-racing. Father had no trouble in arranging a race for Little Gray, and selected | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052404 | one of his teamsters to ride him. The Missourians matched their fastest horse against him and were confident of cleaning out "the emigrant," as they called father. They were a hard looking crowd. They wore their pantaloons in their boots; their hair was long, bushy and untrimmed; their faces had evidently never made the acquaintance of a razor. They seemed | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052405 | determined to win the race by fair means or foul. They did a great deal of swearing, and swaggered about in rather a ruffianly style. All these incidents attracted my attention--everything being new to me--and became firmly impressed upon my memory. My father, being unaccustomed to the ways of such rough people, acted very cautiously; and as they were all | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052406 | very anxious to bet on their own horse, he could not be induced to wager a very large sum on Little Gray, as he was afraid of foul play. "Wa-al, now, stranger," exclaimed one of the crowd, "what kind o' critter have you got anyhow, as how you're afraid to back him up very heavy?" "I'll bet five to one | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052407 | agin the emergrant's, gray," said another. "I'm betting the same way. I'll go yer five hundred dollars agin a hundred that the gray nag gits left behind. Do I hear any man who wants to come agin me on them yer terms?" shouted still another. "Hi! yer boys, give the stranger a chance. Don't scare him out of his boots," | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052408 | said a man who evidently was afraid that my father might back out. Father had but little to say, however, and would not venture more than fifty dollars on the result of the race. "Gentlemen, I am only racing my horse for sport," said he, "and am only betting enough to make it interesting. I have never seen Little Gray | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052409 | run, and therefore don't know what he can do;" at the same time he was confident that his horse would come in the winner, as he had chosen an excellent rider for him. Finally all the preliminaries of the contest were arranged. The judges were chosen and the money was deposited in the hands of a stake-holder. The race was | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052410 | to be a single dash, of a mile. The horses were brought side by side and mounted by their riders. At the signal--"One, two, three, go!"--off they started like a flash. The Missouri horse took the lead for the first quarter of a mile; at the half-mile, however, he began to weaken. The Missourians shouted themselves hoarse in urging their | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052411 | horse, but all to no avail. The Little Gray passed him and continued to leave him farther and farther behind, easily winning the race. The affair created a great deal of enthusiasm; but the race was conducted with honor and fairness, which was quite an agreeable surprise to my father, who soon found the Missourians to be at heart very | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052412 | clever men--thus showing that outside appearances are sometimes very deceptive; they nearly all came up and congratulated him on his success, asked him why he had not bet more money on the race, and wanted to buy Little Gray. "Gentlemen," said he, "when I drove up here and arranged for this race, I felt confident that my horse would win | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052413 | it. I was among entire strangers, and therefore I only bet a small amount. I was afraid that you would cheat me in some way or other. I see now that I was mistaken, as I have found you to be honorable men." "Wa-all, you could have broke _me_" said the man who wanted to bet the five hundred dollars | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052414 | to one hundred, "for that there nag o' yourn looks no more like a runner nor I do." During our stay in the place they treated us very kindly, and continued to try to purchase Little Gray. My father, however, remained firm in his determination not to part with him. The next place of interest which we reached, after resuming | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052415 | our journey, was within twenty miles of Weston. We had been stopping at farm houses along the road, and could not get anything to eat in the shape of bread, except corn bread, of which all had become heartily tired. As we were driving along, we saw in the distance a large and handsome brick residence. Father said: "They probably | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052416 | have white bread there." We drove up to the house and learned that it was owned and occupied by Mrs. Burns; mother of a well-known lawyer of that name, who is now living in Leavenworth. She was a wealthy lady, and gave us to understand in a pleasant way, that she did not entertain travelers. My father, in the course | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052417 | of the conversation with her, said: "Do you know Elijah Cody?" "Indeed, I do," said she; "he frequently visits us, and we visit him; we are the best of friends." "He is a brother of mine," said father. "Is it possible!" she exclaimed; "Why, you must remain here all night. Have your family come into the house at once. You | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052418 | must not go another step today." The kind invitation was accepted, and we remained there over night. As father had predicted, we found plenty of white bread at this house, and it proved quite a luxurious treat. My curiosity was considerably aroused by the many negroes which I saw about the premises, as I had scarcely ever seen any colored | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052419 | people, the few, being on the steamboats as they passed up and down the Mississippi river. The next day my father and mother drove over to Weston in a carriage, and returned with my Uncle Elijah. We then all proceeded to his house, and as Kansas was not yet open for settlement as a territory, we remained there a few | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052420 | days, while father crossed over into Kansas on a prospecting tour. He visited the Kickapoo agency--five miles above Weston--on the Kansas side of the Missouri river. He became acquainted with the agent, and made arrangements to establish himself there as an Indian trader. He then returned to Weston and located the family on one of Elijah Cody's farms, three miles | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052421 | from town, where we were to remain until Kansas should be thrown open for settlement. After completing these arrangements, he established a trading post at Salt Creek Valley, in Kansas, four miles from the Kickapoo agency. One day, after he had been absent some little time, he came home and said that he had bought two ponies for me, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052422 | that next morning he would take me over into Kansas. This was pleasant news, as I had been very anxious to go there with him, and the fact that I was now the owner of two ponies made me feel very proud. That night I could not sleep a wink. In the morning I was up long before the sun, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052423 | and after an early breakfast, father and I started out on our trip. Crossing the Missouri river at the Rialto Ferry, we landed in Kansas and passed along to Fort Leavenworth, four miles distant. EARLY INFLUENCES. General Harney was in command at Fort Leavenworth at the time of our visit, and a regiment of cavalry was stationed there. They were | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052424 | having a dress parade when we rode up, and as this was the first time that I had ever seen any soldiers, I thought it was a grand sight. I shall never forget it, especially the manoeuvres on horseback. After witnessing the parade we resumed our journey. On the way to my father's trading camp we had to cross over | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052425 | a high hill known as Salt Creek Hill, from the top of which we looked down upon the most beautiful valley I have ever seen. It was about twelve miles long and five miles wide. The different tributaries of Salt Creek came down from the range of hills at the southwest. At the foot of the valley another small river--Plum | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052426 | Creek, also flowed. The bluffs fringed with trees, clad in their full foliage, added greatly to the picturesqueness of the scene. While this beautiful valley greatly interested me, yet the most novel sight, of an entirely different character, which met my enraptured gaze, was the vast number of white-covered wagons, or "prairie-schooners," which were encamped along the different streams. I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052427 | asked my father what they were and where they were going; he explained to me that they were emigrant wagons bound for Utah and California. At that time the Mormon and California trails ran through this valley, which was always selected as a camping place. There were at least one thousand wagons in the valley, and their white covers lent | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052428 | a pleasing contrast to the green grass. The cattle were quietly grazing near the wagons, while the emigrants were either resting or attending to camp duties. A large number of the wagons, as I learned from my father, belonged to Majors & Russell, the great government freighters. They had several trains there, each consisting of twenty-five wagons, heavily loaded with | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052429 | government supplies. They were all camped and corraled in a circle. While we were viewing this scene, a long wagon train came pulling up the hill, bound out from Fort Leavenworth to some distant frontier post. The cattle were wild and the men were whipping them fearfully, the loud reports of the bull-whips sounding like gun-shots. They were "doubling-up," and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052430 | some of the wagons were being drawn by fifteen yokes of oxen. I remember asking my father a great many questions, and he explained to me all about the freighting business across the great plains, and told me about the different government posts. Pointing over to the army of wagons camped below us, he showed me which were the Mormons' | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052431 | and which were the Californians', and said that we must steer clear of the former as the cholera was raging among them. Five hundred had died that spring----and the grave-yard was daily increasing its dimensions. The unfortunate people had been overtaken by the dreadful disease, and had been compelled to halt on their journey until it abated. While we were | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052432 | looking at the Mormons they were holding a funeral service over the remains of some of their number who had died. Their old cemetery is yet indicated by various land-marks, which, however, with the few remaining head-boards, are fast disappearing. We passed on through this "Valley of Death," as it might then have been very appropriately called, and after riding | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052433 | for some time, my father pointed out a large hill and showed me his camp, which afterwards became our home. There was another trading-post near by, which was conducted by Mr. M.P. Rively, who had a store built, partly frame, and partly of logs. We stopped at this establishment for a while, and found perhaps a hundred men, women and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052434 | children gathered there, engaged in trading and gossipping. The men had huge pistols and knives in their belts; their pantaloons were tucked in their boots; and they wore large broad-rimmed hats. To me they appeared like a lot of cut-throat pirates who had come ashore for a lark. It was the first time I had ever seen men carrying pistols | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052435 | and knives, and they looked like a very dangerous crowd. Some were buying articles of merchandise; others were talking about the cholera, the various camps, and matters of interest; while others were drinking whisky freely and becoming intoxicated. It was a busy and an exciting scene, and Rively appeared to be doing a rushing trade. At some little distance from | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052436 | the store I noticed a small party of dark-skinned and rather fantastically dressed people, whom I ascertained were Indians, and as I had never before seen a real live Indian, I was much interested in them. I went over and endeavored to talk to them, but our conversation was very limited. That evening we reached our camp, which was located | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052437 | two miles west of Rively's. The first thing I did was to hunt up my ponies, and from my father's description of them, I had no difficulty in finding them. They were lariated in the grass and I immediately ran up to them supposing them to be gentle animals. I was greatly mistaken, however, as they snorted and jumped away | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052438 | from me, and would not allow me to come near them. My father, who was standing not far distant, informed me that the ponies were not yet broken. I was somewhat disappointed at this; and thereupon he and one of his men caught one of the animals and bridled her, then putting me on her back, led her around, greatly | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052439 | to my delight. I kept petting her so much that she soon allowed me to approach her. She was a beautiful bay, and I named her "Dolly;" the other pony was a sorrel, and I called him "Prince." In the evening some Indians visited the camp--which as yet consisted only of tents, though some logs had been cut preparatory to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052440 | building houses--and exchanged their furs for clothing, sugar and tobacco. Father had not learned their language, and therefore communicated with them by means of signs. We had our supper by the camp-fire, and that night was the first time I ever camped out and slept upon the ground. The day had been an eventful one to me, for all the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052441 | incidents were full of excitement and romance to my youthful mind, and I think no apology is needed for mentioning so many of the little circumstances, which so greatly interested me in my childhood's days, and which no doubt had a great influence in shaping my course in after years. My love of hunting and scouting, and life on the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052442 | plains generally, was the result of my early surroundings. The next morning father visited the Kickapoo agency, taking me along. He rode a horse, and putting me on my pony "Dolly," led the animal all the way. He seemed anxious to break me in, as well as the pony, and I greatly enjoyed this, my first day's ride on a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052443 | Kansas prairie. At the Kickapoo village I saw hundreds of Indians, some of whom were living in lodges, but the majority occupied log cabins. The agent resided in a double-hewed log house, one of the apartments of which was used as a school for the Indians. The agency store was opposite this structure. All the buildings were whitewashed, and looked | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052444 | neat and clean. The Kickapoos were very friendly Indians, and we spent much of our time among them, looking about and studying their habits. After a while we returned to our own camp, and just as we arrived there, we saw a drove of horses--there were three or four hundred in all--approaching from the west, over the California trail. They | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052445 | were being driven by seven or eight mounted men, wearing sombreros, and dressed in buckskin, with their lariats dangling from their saddles, and they were followed by two or three pack-mules or horses. They went into camp a little below us on the bank of the stream. Presently one of the men walked out towards our camp, and my father | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052446 | called to me to come and see a genuine Western man; he was about six feet two inches tall, was well built, and had a light, springy and wiry step. He wore a broad-brimmed California hat, and was dressed in a complete suit of buckskin, beautifully trimmed and beaded. He saluted us, and father invited him to sit down, which | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052447 | he did. After a few moments conversation, he turned to me and said: "Little one, I see you are working with your ponies. They are wild yet." I had been petting Dolly and trying to break her, when my father called me to come and look at the Californian. "Yes," I replied, "and one of them never has been ridden." | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052448 | "Well, I'll ride him for you;" and springing lightly to his feet, he continued: "come on. Where is the animal?" Accordingly we all went to the place where Prince was lariated. The stranger untied the rope from the picket pin, and taking a half-loop around the pony's nose, he jumped on his back. In a moment he was flying over | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052449 | the prairie, the untamed steed rearing and pitching every once in a while in his efforts to throw his rider; but the man was not unseated. He was evidently an experienced horseman. I watched his every movement. I was unconsciously taking another lesson in the practical education which has served me so well through my life. The Californian rode the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052450 | pony until it was completely mastered, then coming up to me, jumped to the ground, handed me the rope, and said: "Here's your pony. He's all right now." I led Prince away, while father and the stranger sat down in the shade of a tent, and began talking about the latter's horsemanship, which father considered very remarkable. "Oh, that's nothing; | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052451 | I was raised on horseback," said the Californian; "I ran away from home when a boy, went to sea, and finally landed in the Sandwich Islands, where I fell in with a circus, with which I remained two years. During that time I became a celebrated bare-back rider. I then went to California, being attracted there by the gold excitement, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052452 | the news of which had reached the Islands. I did not go to mining, however, but went to work as a _bocarro_-catching and breaking wild horses, great numbers of which were roaming through California. Last summer we caught this herd that we have brought with us across the plains, and are taking it to the States to sell. I came | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052453 | with the outfit, as it gave me a good opportunity to visit my relatives, who live at Cleveland, Ohio. I also had an uncle over at Weston, across the river, when I ran away, and to-morrow I am going to visit the town to see if he is there yet." [Illustration: BILLINGS AS A BOCARRO] "I am acquainted in Weston," | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052454 | said father, "and perhaps I can tell you about your uncle. What is his name?" "Elijah Cody," said the Californian. "Elijah Cody!" exclaimed father, in great surprise; "why Elijah Cody is my brother. I am Isaac Cody. Who are you?" "My name is Horace Billings," was the reply. "And you are my nephew. You are the son of my sister | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052455 | Sophia." Both men sprang to their feet and began shaking hands in the heartiest manner possible. The next moment father called me, and said: "Come here, my son. Here is some one you want to know." As I approached he introduced us. "Horace, this is my only son. We call him little Billy;" and turning to me said: "Billy, my | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052456 | boy, this is a cousin of yours, Horace Billings, whom you've often heard me speak of." Horace Billings had never been heard of from the day he ran away from home, and his relatives had frequently wondered what had become of him. His appearance, therefore, in our camp in the guise of a Californian was somewhat of a mystery to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052457 | me, and I could hardly comprehend it until I had heard his adventurous story and learned the accidental manner in which he and father had made themselves known to each other. Neither father nor myself would be satisfied until he had given us a full account of his wanderings and adventures, which were very exciting to me. Late in the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052458 | afternoon and just before the sun sank to rest, the conversation again turned upon horses and horsemanship. Father told Billings all about Little Gray, and his great fault of running away. Billings laughed and said Little Gray could not run away with him. After supper he went out to look at the horse, which was picketed in the grass. Surveying | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052459 | the animal carefully, he untied the lariat and slipped a running noose over his nose; then giving a light bound, he was on his back in a second, and away went the horse and his rider, circling round and round on the prairie. Billings managed him by the rope alone, and convinced him that he was his master. When half | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052460 | a mile away, the horse started for camp at the top of his speed. Billings stood straight up on his back, and thus rode him into camp. As he passed us he jumped to the ground, allowed the horse to run to the full length of the lariat, when he threw him a complete somersault. [Illustration: BILLINGS RIDING LITTLE GRAY.] | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052461 | "That's a pretty good horse," said Billings. "Yes, he's a California horse; he was captured there wild," replied father. The exhibition of horsemanship given by Billings on this occasion was really wonderful, and was the most skillful and daring feat of the kind that I ever witnessed. The remainder of the evening was spent around the camp, and Horace, who | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052462 | remained there, entertained us with several interesting chapters of his experiences. Next morning he walked over to his own camp, but soon returned, mounted on a beautiful horse, with a handsome saddle, bridle and lariat. I thought he was a magnificent looking man. I envied his appearance, and my ambition just then was to become as skillful a horseman as | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052463 | he was. He had rigged himself out in his best style in order to make a good impression on his uncle at Weston, whither father and I accompanied him on horseback. He was cordially received by Uncle Elijah, who paid him every possible attention, and gave me a handsome saddle and bridle for my pony, and in the evening when | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052464 | we rode out to the farm to see my mother and sisters, I started ahead to show them my present, as well as to tell them who was coming. They were delighted to see the long-lost Horace, and invited him to remain with us. When we returned to camp next day, Horace settled up with the proprietor of the horses, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052465 | having concluded to make his home with us for that summer at least. Father employed him in cutting house logs and building houses, but this work not being adapted to his tastes, he soon gave it up, and obtained government employment in catching United States horses. During the previous spring the government herd had stampeded from Fort Leavenworth, and between | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052466 | two and three hundred of the horses were running at large over the Kansas prairies, and had become quite wild. A reward of ten dollars was offered for every one of the horses that was captured and delivered to the quartermaster at Fort Leavenworth. This kind of work of course just suited the roaming disposition of Billings, especially as it | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052467 | was similar to that in which he had been engaged in California. The horses had to be caught with a lasso, with which he was very expert. He borrowed Little Gray, who was fleet enough for the wildest of the runaways, and then he at once began his horse hunting. [Illustration: EXCITING SPORT.] Everything that he did, I wanted to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052468 | do. He was a sort of hero in my eyes, and I wished to follow in his footsteps. At my request and with father's consent, he took me with him, and many a wild and perilous chase he led me over the prairie. I made rapid advances in the art of horsemanship, for I could have had no better teacher | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052469 | than Horace Billings. He also taught me how to throw the lasso, which, though it was a difficult thing to learn, I finally became, quite skillful in. Whenever Horace caught one of the horses which acted obstinately, and would not be led, he immediately threw him to the ground, put a saddle and bridle on him, and gave me Little | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052470 | Gray to take care of. He would then mount the captive horse and ride him into Fort Leavenworth. I spent two months with Horace in this way, until at last no more of the horses were to be found. By this time I had become a remarkably good rider for a youth, and had brought both of my ponies under | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052471 | easy control. Horace returned to assist father in hauling logs, which were being used in building a dwelling for the family who had moved over from Missouri. One day a team did not work to suit him, and he gave the horses a cruel beating. This greatly displeased father, who took him to task for it. Horace's anger flew up | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052472 | in a moment; throwing down the lines he hurried to the house, and began packing up his traps. That same day he hired out to a Mormon train, and bidding us all good-bye started for Salt Lake, driving six yokes of oxen. . BOY DAYS IN KANSAS. During the summer of we lived in our little log house, and father | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052473 | continued to trade with the Indians, who became very friendly; hardly a day passed without a social visit from them. I spent a great deal of time with the Indian boys, who taught me how to shoot with the bow and arrow, at which I became quite expert. I also took part in all their sports, and learned to talk | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052474 | the Kickapoo language to some extent. Father desired to express his friendship for these Indians, and accordingly arranged a grand barbecue for them. He invited them all to be present on a certain day, which they were; he then presented them with two fat beeves, to be killed and cooked in the various Indian styles. Mother made several large boilers | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052475 | full of coffee, which she gave to them, together with sugar and bread. There were about two hundred Indians in attendance at the feast, and they all enjoyed and appreciated it. In the evening they had one of their grand fantastic war dances, which greatly amused me, it being the first sight of the kind I had ever witnessed. My | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052476 | Uncle Elijah and quite a large number of gentlemen and ladies came over from Weston to attend the entertainment. The Indians returned to their homes well satisfied. My uncle at that time owned a trading post at Silver Lake, in the Pottawattamie country, on the Kansas river, and he arranged an excursion to that place. Among the party were several | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052477 | ladies from Weston, and father, mother and myself. Mr. McMeekan, my uncle's superintendent, who had come to Weston for supplies, conducted the party to the post. The trip across the prairies was a delightful one, and we remained at the post several days. Father and one or two of the men went on to Fort Riley to view the country, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052478 | and upon their return my uncle entertained the Pottawattamie Indians with a barbecue similar to the one given by father to the Kickapoos. During the latter part of the summer father filled a hay contract at Fort Leavenworth. I passed much of my time among the campers, and spent days and days in riding over the country with Mr. William | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052479 | Russell, who was engaged in the freighting business and who seemed to take a considerable interest in me. In this way I became acquainted with many wagon-masters, hunters and teamsters, and learned a great deal about the business of handling cattle and mules. It was an excellent school for me, and I acquired a great deal of practical knowledge, which | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052480 | afterwards I found to be of invaluable service, for it was not long before I became employed by Majors & Russell, remaining with them in different capacities, for several years. The winter of - was spent by father at our little prairie home in cutting house logs and fence rails, which he intended to use on his farm, as soon | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052481 | as the bill for the opening of the territory for settlement should pass. This bill, which was called the "Enabling act of Kansas territory," was passed in April, , and father immediately pre-empted the claim on which we were living. The summer of that year was an exciting period in the history of the new territory. Thousands and thousands of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052482 | people, seeking new homes, flocked thither, a large number of the emigrants coming over from adjoining states. The Missourians, some of them, would come laden with bottles of whisky, and after drinking the liquor would drive the bottles into the ground to mark their land claims, not waiting to put up any buildings. The Missourians, mostly, were pro-slavery men, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052483 | held enthusiastic meetings at which they expressed their desire that Kansas should be a slave state and did not hesitate to declare their determination to make it so. Rively's store was the headquarters for these men, and there they held their meetings. [Illustration: STAKING OUT LOTS.] At first they thought father would coincide with them on account of his brother | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052484 | Elijah being a Missourian, but in this they were greatly mistaken. At one of their gatherings, when there were about one hundred of the reckless men present, my father, who happened also to be there, was called upon for a speech. After considerable urging, he mounted the box and began speaking, as nearly as I can recollect, as follows: "Gentlemen | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052485 | and Fellow-citizens: You have called upon me for a speech, and I have accepted your invitation rather against my will, as my views may not accord with the sentiments of the rest of this assembly. My remarks, at this time, will be brief and to the point. The question before us to-day is, shall the territory of Kansas be a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052486 | free or a slave state. The question of slavery in itself is a broad one, and one which I do not care at this time and place to discuss at length. I apprehend that your motive in calling upon me is to have me express my sentiments in regard to the introduction of slavery into Kansas. I shall gratify your | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052487 | wishes in that respect. I was one of the pioneers of the State of Iowa, and aided in its settlement when it was a territory, and helped to organize it as a state. "Gentlemen, I voted that it should be a _white_ state--that negroes, whether free or slave, should never be allowed to locate within its limits; and, gentlemen, I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052488 | say to you now, and I say it boldly, that I propose to exert all my power in making Kansas the same kind of a state as Iowa. I believe in letting slavery remain as it now exists, and I shall always oppose its further extension. These are my sentiments, gentlemen and let me tell you--" He never finished this | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052489 | sentence, or his speech. His expressions were anything but acceptable to the rough-looking crowd, whose ire had been gradually rising to fever heat, and at this point they hooted and hissed him, and shouted, "You black abolitionist, shut up!" "Get down from that box!" "Kill him!" "Shoot him!" and so on. Father, however, maintained his position on the dry-goods box, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052490 | notwithstanding the excitement and the numerous invitations to step down, until a hot-headed pro-slavery man, who was in the employ of my Uncle Elijah, crowded up and said: "Get off that box, you black abolitionist, or I'll pull you off." Father paid but little attention to him, and attempted to resume his speech, intending doubtless to explain his position and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052491 | endeavor to somewhat pacify the angry crowd. But the fellow jumped up on the box, and pulling out a huge bowie knife, stabbed father twice, who reeled and fell to the ground. The man sprang after him, and would have ended his life then and there, had not some of the better men in the crowd interfered in time to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052492 | prevent him from carrying out his murderous intention. The excitement was intense, and another assault would probably have been made on my father, had not Rively hurriedly carried him to his home. There was no doctor within any reasonable distance, and father at once requested that he be conveyed in the carriage to his brother Elijah's house in Weston. My | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052493 | mother and a driver accordingly went there with him, where his wounds were dressed. He remained in Weston several weeks before he was able to stir about again, but he never fully recovered from the wounds, which eventually proved the cause of his death. [Illustration: MY FATHER STABBED] My uncle of course at once discharged the ruffian from his employ. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052494 | The man afterwards became a noted desperado, and was quite conspicuous in the Kansas war. My father's indiscreet speech at Rively's brought upon our family all of the misfortunes and difficulties which from that time on befell us. As soon as he was able to attend to his business again, the Missourians began to harass him in every possible way, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052495 | and kept it up with hardly a moment's cessation. Kickapoo City, as it was called, a small town that had sprung into existence seven miles up the river from Fort Leavenworth, became the hot-bed of the pro-slavery doctrine and the headquarters of its advocates. Here was really the beginning of the Kansas troubles. My father, who had shed the first | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052496 | blood in the cause of the freedom of Kansas, was notified, upon his return to his trading post, to leave the territory, and he was threatened with death by hanging or shooting, if he dared to remain. [Illustration: MY FATHER'S ESCAPE] One night a body of armed men, mounted on horses, rode up to our house and surrounded it. Knowing | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052497 | what they had come for, and seeing that there would be but little chance for him in an encounter with them, father determined to make his escape by a little stratagem. Hastily disguising himself in mother's bonnet and shawl, he boldly walked out of the house and proceeded towards the corn-field. The darkness proved a great protection, as the horsemen, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052498 | between whom he passed, were unable to detect him in his disguise; supposing him to be a woman, they neither halted him nor followed him, and he passed safely on into the corn-field, where he concealed himself. The horsemen soon dismounted and inquired for father; mother very truthfully told them that he was away. They were not satisfied with her | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000052499 | statement, however, and they at once made a thorough search of the house. They raved and swore when they could not find him, and threatened him with death whenever they should catch him. I am sure if they had captured him that night, they would have killed him. They carried off nearly everything of value in the house and about | 60 | gutenberg |
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