A SUDDEN LEAP FROM COW BOY TO MERCHANT.
About the first of July, shortly after my return, Hollicott sent me to
Kansas with a herd of eight hundred fat steers. My outfit consisted of a
cook, chuck wagon, five riders, and six horses to the rider.
We arrived in Caldwell, Kansas, near the northern line of the Indian
Territory, about September the first.
After putting the cattle aboard of the cars, and giving them a send-off
towards Chicago, we all proceeded to take in the "Queen City of the
Border," as Caldwell is called. I immediately fell in love with the
town, also with a couple of young ladies, and therefore concluded to
locate. I bought some lots and contracted a house built, with a view of
going after mother.
I then struck out with my outfit to attend the fall round-ups in the
vicinity of Camp Supply, Indian Territory. Returning to Caldwell the
latter part of November, I boarded a train for Southern Texas, after
mother, by way of Saint Louis to visit my sister whom I hadn't seen for
thirteen long years.
I arrived in Saint Louis one evening--just in time to let an old
flop-eared Jew take me in to the extent of a hundred dollars for a lot
of snide jewelry and a Jim-Crow suit of clothes.
Not caring to hunt sister until morning I went to the Planter's House to
put up for the night, and to note the change of twelve years.
After taking a bath and getting into my new rigging, I took a straight
shoot for the office to make inquiries about the old boys. I found a
long-legged youth behind the counter who, on asking how many of the old
hands of twelve years ago were still there, pointed out Jimmy Byron, the
kid I had the fight with, behind the cigar and news stand, across the
hall. He was very busy at the time dishing out cigars, etc. to the
scores of old fat roosters and lean dudes who were hurrying out after
having eaten their supper.
The rush was finally over and then I made myself known. He was terribly
glad, as well as surprised to see me. We had parted as enemies but now
met as friends. He informed me that there wasn't but three, besides
himself, of the old outfit left, and those were the old steward, who was
now proprietor, "Old" Mike, who was still acting as night watchman, and
Cunningham, the fellow who had slapped me and who was still clerk. The
latter gentleman I didn't get to shake hands with as he failed to put in
an appearance during my stay.
The next morning I struck out to hunt sister. I was armed with an old
letter which gave the address, therefore had no trouble in finding her.
She was alone with her three pretty little girls, her husband having
gone up town to his place of business--a drug store--when I found her.
The first thing she asked after kissing me, was, where I got my new
suit?
Of course I had to acknowledge that I bought them from a Jew on Fourth
street.
She then became frantic and wanted to know why in the world I didn't go
to Humphry's and get them?
"Who in the dickens is Humphry?" I asked.
"Why, I thought everybody knew Mr. Humphry," she continued.
She took me up town to this great establishment of Humphry's that
evening and there I learnt how badly I had been bitten by the Jew.
I remained in the city about a week and my brother-in-law spent most of
his time showing me the sights.
Before taking the train for Texas I bought mother a trunk full of
clothes, knowing that she would be in need of them after having "roughed
it" for nearly eight years.
I stopped in Houston one day looking for Aunt Mary, but learnt finally
that she had moved to the country.
I then took in Galveston and spent two days visiting Uncle Nick and Aunt
Julia. From there I went to Indianola on a Morgan Steamship and became
sea sick; Oh, Lord! I concluded I would prefer the hurricane deck of a
Spanish pony to that of a ship, every time.
In the town of Indianola I met a lot of my old Peninsula playmates, who
were there from Matagorda, in their sail boats, with freight.
There being no boats down from Tresspalacious, I left my trunk to be
shipped up the first chance and went to Matagorda with the two Williams'
boys, Johnny and Jimmy. Nearly all the Peninsula folks lived in the
vicinity of Matagorda now since the great storm of 1875, washed
everything they had out into the Gulf, besides drowning about half of
their number. Hence me going to Matagorda to visit them.
There were three Tresspalacious boys in Matagorda, and one of them, Jim
Keller, loaned me his horse and saddle to ride home on.
Mother was happy when I told her to get ready and go to Kansas with me.
There was only one thing she hated to leave behind, and that was her
wood pile. She had spent the past two years lugging wood from along the
creek and piling it up against her old shanty for "old age," she said. I
suppose her idea in piling it against the house, on all sides, was to
keep it from blowing over, should some kind of an animal accidently blow
its breath against it.
After spending about a week, visiting friends and waiting for my trunk
to arrive from Indianola, I struck out with mother for the enterprising
State of Kansas.
I hired a neighbor, Mr. Cornelious, to take us to the Railroad, fifty
miles north. He hauled us in an old go cart--one that had been sent
from Germany in 1712--drawn by two brindle oxen.
We arrived in Caldwell a few days before Christmas and after getting
mother established in her new house, I went to work for the "L. X."
company again.
I had secured a winter's job from Mr. Beals before leaving therefore it
was all ready for me to take charge of on my return. The job was feeding
and taking care of about two hundred head of horses, at the company's
ranch on the Territory line, near Caldwell.
Having lots of fat ponies to ride, I used to take a dash up town nearly
every night to see how mother was getting along and to see my
sweethearts. Thus the winter passed off pleasantly.
About the first of March I received orders from Mr. Beals, who was then
at his home in Boston, Mass. to get everything in shape to start for the
Panhandle at a moment's notice.
That very night, after those orders were received, I fell head over
heels in love with a pretty little fifteen-year old, black-eyed miss,
whom I accidently met. It was a genuine case of love at first sight. I
wanted her, and wanted her badly, therefore I went to work with a brave
heart and my face lined with brass. It required lots of brass too, as I
had to do considerable figuring with the old gent, she being his only
daughter.
Just three days after meeting we were engaged and at the end of the next
three days we were made one. And three days later I was on my way to the
Panhandle with an outfit of twenty-five men, one hundred horses and six
wagons.
An eighteen day's drive, southwest, brought us to the "L. X." ranch.
After laying there about a week, resting up, Hollicott sent me and my
outfit south to attend the round ups in the Red River country.
We arrived back at the ranch about July the first, with three thousand
head of "L. X." cattle which had drifted south during the past winter.
As I was anxious to get back to Kansas to see my wife and mother,
Hollicott immediately gathered eight hundred fat shipping steers and
started me.
I arrived in Caldwell September the first, and after shipping the herd,
Mr. Beals ordered me to take the outfit back to the Panhandle and get
another drove. This of course didn't suit, as I had only been at home a
few days. But then what could I do? I hated to give up a good job, with
no prospects of making a living by remaining in town.
I finally concluded to obey orders, so started the men and horses up the
Territory line, while I and Sprague went to town with the wagon to load
it with chuck. Mr. Beals had taken the train the day before to be absent
quite a while. After getting the wagon loaded and ready to start, I
suddenly swore off cow-punching and turned everything over to Mr.
Sprague, who bossed the outfit back to the Panhandle.
The next day I rented a vacant room on Main street and, rolling up my
sleeves and putting on a pair of suspenders, the first I had ever worn,
started out as a merchant--on a six-bit scale. Thus one cow-puncher
takes a sensible tumble and drops out of the ranks.
Now, dear reader in bidding you adieu, will say: should you not be
pleased with the substance of this _book_, I've got nothing to say in
defence, as I gave you the best I had in my little shop, but before you
criticise it from a literary standpoint, bear in mind that the writer
had fits until he was ten years of age, and hasn't fully recovered from
the effects.
FINIS.
* * * * *
Transcriber Notes
Minor obvious spelling and punctuation errors
have been corrected.
Words with various spellings interchangeably used in
the book have been retained as written.
Whisky-peet, Whisky peet, Whiskey-peet, and Whisky-peat
sunup; sun-up
breastworks; breast-works
may be; may-be
daylight; day-light
hairbreadth; hair-breadth
headquarter; head-quarter
storekeeper; store-keeper
sundown; sun-down
southeast; south-east
upstairs; up-stairs
daylight; day-light
page 292: made up my mind not to let the folk's know where ...
author perhaps intended folks? left as written.
page 271, 307 the spelling Gandalupe mountains is used in this
book twice and is found in few other sources at the time. Although
spelled Guadalupe mountains in most other sources, it is left as
written: Gandalupe mountains.