https://kccarchives.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16/421/Memories.pdf 184ea68e01942c9373c7ac51b265e5ba PDF Text Text ON BEING AN O.I.C. T447 I was so pleased (to put it mildly) when they told me I could be an Officer-in-Charge. The fact that I'd never heard ofthe place or had any idea of where it was located didn't bother me at all. As it turned out, the little town (Stratton) is about 25 miles from the Kansas border, and a friend kept teasing me by saying such things aB "you better take groceries with you 'cuz they might not have stores out there in "Kansas". Other alleged friends recounted horror stories ofwinters on the Eastern plains and told me how desolate and windswept it was. By the time I left home, I had the car piled full with things I would need for camping out; planning on no electricity, running water or inside plumbing. The last things I strapped on were a wash tub, my grandma's gcrub board and my little dog. As I headed east, my car turned into a Conestoga wagon. The land was so flat that the level ground seemed higher than the road. I felt like I needed to stand up to "see". There was a momentof apprehension as Pike's Peak faded from view but then a spirit of adven- ture swept over me and I could hardly wait to begin my new job. The first day I was at the new office, the local newspaper man came over. He was also the owner, the photographer, the pressman, and the delivery boy. He wanted to photograph the dear, departed REAL Postmaster and the "new lady". The next evening, I went to the one and only restaurant in town, the Golden Prairie. An oldtimer, wanting to show hospitality to the "new lady" put a rattlegnake's rattle on the table near my plate. Gleefully, with missing front teeth, he told me "old George caught 500 of these just outside of town last summer". I touched it gingerly with a fork handle and being careful of the inflection in my voice asked why old George "caught" them. He gave me a look that seemed to marvel at my stupidity and said, "Why, lady, he sells the meat to fancy restaurants . . . tastes just like chicken, ya know". He ambled off before I could ask if the Golden Prairie was on the snake hunter's client list. I spent a few days rearranging the furniture in the office. It was one of those "open" offices where you couldn't even sneeze with- out a customer saying "gesundheit". They would come into the lobby at 8, watch us scurrying around and say "The REAL Post' master always had the mail boxed out by now", or "Ain't ya done yet?", or "Whatcha been doin' all morning?" My days were also filled with running back and forth between the front counter and the bor section. No one in town used their P.O. box keys. In the mornings, the older folk would come in and say "Let me have my mail and Gertie's too (some ancient or infirmed neighbor) and then "No, I don't know what her box number is. . . it's around the corner there, kinda high up. The REAL Postmaster always gave it to me". In the afternoons, the children would come in'kin I have my dad's mail, please" standing on tiptoe, big eyes beseeching, and my heart would melt. In the meantime, Dad had already been and asked for his own mail, and mom and grandad's too. Duringthe third week, people were beginning to say, "Oh, I forgot my key". By the fourth week, we had put the Postal Service in the red with a booming business in key sales. The office has two clerks, both of whom It was suspected that he had killed Allen, who was the foreman of the Bar T Ranch, which have been with the Service for several years. covered several miles along the Republican River. He supposedly hid in the ditch and shot Allen as he rode by. "They can do everything the REAL Postmaster can", I was told. Try as I might to be decisive and assertive and convince them I was no dummy, they knew I was in deep . . water. . when I spent hours up to my ears in the Account Book, Stamp Ledger, DMM, F1 and the FOM. There was also the spasmodic hiccuping of the calculator and the waste basket filled with reams of tape that gave me away. But they are so helpful and I appreciate them more than I can express. In one week's time, we had three major storms, one of which was the worst of the entire winter. My friends were right; the wind roared and howled and blew for a solid 48 hours with gusts up to 70 miles per hour. When I opened my front door the next morning, I discovered two feet of snow against it and there was a four-foot drift behind my 4-wheel-drive vehicle. I shoveled a path out to it, walked around it, looked under it and behind it and walked back inside, shaking my head because I knew I couldn't get it out. I looked wistfully at my fuL\ Club card but knew that even if I had a 'phone, there was no tow service to call in this small town. Finally, my determination and not-to-bedaunted spirit took over and I lunged back out to my car. After all, had I not survived past winters in a place often called the coldest spot in the Nation? I wasn't about to let a little ole eastern plains "blow" get me down. I rocked it back and forth and then with a mighty roar, when over and out of that drift, amid cheers and smiles of watching neigh- bors. I lurched and lumped away over the frozen, drifted road to open the Post Office for another day ofbusiness. All the roads into town were closed and no mail trucks could get in, but we were there to sell a stamp or commiserate about the weather. By the next morning, the snow was piled even higher, but someone had plowed the Post Office parking lot and had even shoveled a little path to the rear door near where I parked my car. These people take pride in "their" Post Office, and that day especially, I felt really proud to be part of it. I look forward to the day when I can be a REAL Postmaster. Written while Interim Postmaster at Strat- ton, 1984 by Michele McHenry THE MUNSINGER STORY T448 When Anna and Herman Homm and children came to Colorado in 1892 they rented some land on the ledge where the Launchman and Republican Rivers meet, just above the Bonny Dam is now located. To the northwest of them lived the Hracheck's. He went to Denver and worked in the brick yards for months at a time. Southwest of the Homm's lived the Munsingers. Mr. Munsinger was a locator, who hated all cattlemen. There was much friction in those days between the cattlemen and homesteaders. Munsinger was notliked in the community. The Hracheck's hogs had wandered over to Munsingers and when Mrs. Hracheck went after them, Munsinger beat her up. One night Munsinger went to Herman Homm's to get some medicine for one of his children who was sick. Munsinger was wearing a pistol which was not unusual for men in those days. The Homm's oldest daughter, Lena, went outside to get a bucket of water from the pump.When she came back inside, she said she had seen August Meyer, a bachelor, who worked for several of the ranchers, and Mr. Hracheck coming from Burlington in a spring wagon. They had gone to town to swear out a warrant for Munsinger's arrest. Abruptly, Munsinger said he had to leave. Right after he went out, they heard a shot. August Meyer came hurrying into the house and blew out the kerosene lemp. He was carrying a rifle. Herman Homm lit the lamp again. He wanted to be able to see what was going on since he did not trust Munsinger. A little later Hracheck pounded on the door, then ca-e in and said, "I killed him and I had a right to". That night Munsingers body was covered and left just outside the door where he had fallen. They had to wait for the coroner to come. During the night it snowed and the body couldn't be seen. Gutting, another neighbor, who lived about 2 miles west of Herman Homm's, nearly stumbled over the body when he came the next morning. Gutting said in German, "Turn the swine out". He hadn't liked Munsinger either because Munsinger had burned his house down. The inquest was held the next day at Herman Homm's house. The body was brought into the kitchen and laid on a bench. Since it was winter, and the only heat in the house was in the kitchen, the children, Lena, Kate, Minnie, Alma, Mary, George and possibly Tillie and John had to go to bed in the other room to keep warm since they weren't allowed at the inquest. At the inquest, Meyer and Hracheck testified that Munsinger was wearing a pistol, had called them names and had threatened to kill them. Later August Meyer told Anna Homm that Hracheck had suggested to him that since he was a bachelor, he should say that he had killed Munsinger, then skip the country before the trial. Anna told him she thought he shouldn't confess to the murder if he hadn't committed it, just to make it easier for Hracheck. He said he guessed he shouldn't either. No one ever went to jail for the murder. Munsinger was buried in the southeast corner of his place and was later moved to a cemetery. At the inquest, Mr. Dangberg, the consta- ble, who lived northeast of Idalia, told Herman Homm, "If you had done it, it would have been alright, but the ones that did kill him were no better than Munsinger". This territory was then Arapahoe County and Denver was the County Seat. by Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Homm �RATTLESNAKE TALES T44S An early day resident recalls an incident of about the year 1895, which happened to him at an old ranch about five miles west of Arlington, around 20 miles north of Rocky Ford, Colorado. This boy was still a lad in his teens when he had this experience. He was in charge of caring for some cattle and horses for Charley McCabe, during the owner's absence. The adobe was a large, oneroom house. The lad blanketed down on the floor in a corner of the room. There were no bedsteads. After going to bed, yet not asleep, he heard a noise which he thought might be a bug. He heard the noise as it passed by the head ofhis bed where he lay and went on toward the northwest corner of the room. He raised up to get a match to see what it was. He said, "Behold, it was a big rattle snake!" Being kid-like, he was so excited that he tried to hold a match in one hand for light while trying to put a boot on with the other hand. By the time he had his boots on and the old lantern lit, he threw a few sticks at it. The sticks were the kindling he stored to cook his coffee and biscuits next morning. Then by the dim light of the lantern he watched the snake crawl along until it crept into an old cupboard secured from the back of an old chuck wagon. Those old cupboards also were called a mess box. The door to the cupboard was off; therefore, it made a good place for the rattler to seek refuge. The lad said he was at a loss knowing how to get the snake out so he could kill it. Finally he took a piece of paper and set it afire and threw it back into the box, thus warming up the rattler. At this point, my friend began laughing so hard it was difficult for him to relate the story! When the rattlesnake retreated from his lair, the lad was standing near the side of the cupboard for protection and struck the gnake's head with a small piece of firewood. He thought, perhaps, the rattler had entered through a mouse hole near the door. Next question was, would there be another; so, being sort of squenmish about going back to hia original bed, he decided he would change his corner. There was a heavy table in the room, made from 2 x 6lumber. He decided he would be safe there, so he rolled up his bed quilts and placed them on the table where he slept soundly the rest of the night. Another tale of horror comes from my friend . . . There was a shack on the Smoky and he resided there for awhile. It was wonderful to have some company in early days as it was rather lonesome living alone. There was a man who came along at dusk in the evening; rather it was really dark by the time this young fellow and his company entered the shack. The man planned to eat supper and stay overnight. They were really enjoying a good conversation and visiting when the young man reached over and picked up a piece of wood to make some shaving with which to start a fire in the stove. Their only light was from an old lantern. By experience, we who have used kerosene lanterns know their feeble light is very inadequate to light a room. Deep shadows shroud the corners. Since the first piece ofwood was too hard to cut for shavings, he reached for another. He heard the frightening rattle of a snake. The visitor grabbed the lantern so the snake could be seen more clearly. By that time the snake had started to crawl back into the corner. The young man pinned the rattler to the floor by using another piece of wood; the snake then backed up, pulling its head out of the hole and they finally succeeded in hitting it on the head. My friend, who was the young man in this story, laughs a lot as he tells these tales and remarked "that was one time I was glad I had company to whip the 'snake's tail'." by Grace Corliss 4.H YEARS T450 4-H was a happy time when I was growing up. Many young people belonged to 4-H. We had a club in our neighborhood, and north of us was a very large number of young people in 4-H club work. There was also a large club south of Vona. One year all the clubs met at Vona, and we went on the train to Burlington to stay three days at the fair. The girls stayed in a tent, and the boys stayed in the barns with their animals. In remember Bertha (Boger) Wear stayed in the tent with us. I thought if I lived in town I sure wouldn't stay in that tent! We were about out of food our last meal and Bertha made us pork and bean sandwiches. They were plenty good. One summer the 4-H clubs canped for two days at what was called Davis Lakes - towhat the is now Bonny Dam. I remember going Art Boese home south of Vona to a 4-H club picnic. One time after a big rain we girls were walking to our leader's home. The ponds were full of big frogs, so we took off our long Elbert Co. Republicon", though I'm not sure except that it was, the 'Republican'. Cunningham moued upon the site of the uillage soon after. After about d year, Cunningham left and the 'Republicon'ceased to be. On my pre-emption claim southwest of town, and later on the northwest quarter of Sec. 25 south of town, I printed a small religious paper,'The Messenger of Loue'.In early Oct. '91', W.H. Lavington and David Swayzee induced me to begin a local paper and I named it'The Flagler Aduance'. Atthe Jan., 1892, session of the Co. Commissioners, the Aduance was given the contract for all the county printing for that year. Perhaps the only time it all went out of Burlington. As I remember, in Jan., '93', the commissioners gave the printing to the Burlington Republican and the Aduance, but I do not remember what share to each. (In 1894, the Aduance was given an even smaller share and finally expired of starvation in Dec. of that year.) I failed to say that the Ad.uance was moved from the country to the home I built for it in a story and a half building, north of the section house, which I sold in '96'to Fry. It may be ofinterest that one ofthe earliest church services held in the Flagler neighborhood, I held in a shack or vacated saloon building in the bottom some 40 rods northwest of the Republican railroad bridge, perhaps July 25, 1888. Malowe, as we tried to call Flagler first, was mostly a village or camp of tents, W.H. Lavington had just opened a grocery store in a tent. I was a customer of his. The post office was in a god shack a mile farther east, and the eccentric postmaster had it named Bowser in honor of this canine companion. My homestead was the NE quarter of Sec. 35-9-51, which with my tree claim aCjoining it on the south, I sold in the late '90's'to Edley T. Epperson for $400. The editor of the Ad,uance taught a four months school at Cope, carried the Star Route mail six months to Arickaree and to Thurman, then taught 8 months at Vona. Part of this time I was driving to Cope twice stockings and filled them with frogs. When y€s, you have we got to our leader's house guessed, we had fried frog legs. a month to conduct services for the Congrega- by Fern Summers (then Claremont) 24 members and Arriba, 10. Flagler paid 960, Claremont, $60, Seibert $25, and Arriba, $30, and the Missionary Society C.IV. SMITII T45l A Flagler pioneer corrects history of the town, by a letter to the editor of the Neurs, on Oct. 25.1934. tional people. In 1896, I was called to take charge as home missionary of the Flagler field, Flagler with 20 members, Stratton paid the remainder. This will show the cause of mv interest in Kit Carson Co. Sincerely yours, C.W. Smith by C.W. Snith Dear Mr. Guard. I read with interest Bessie Guthrie's "History of Flagler" in your issue of the 18th. There were one or two inaccuracies quite natural for one not on the scene in those olden days. In July, 1888, I started from Decatur co., Kans., for Elbert Co., Colo. I am quite DEATII OF PIONEER'S BABY T462 sure it was July 23 ofthat year, that I entered Colo. and Elbert CO. at Kanarado, and reached Crystal Springs the next day. The 25th I started to look for a claim in the Valley of Mud Spring Draw, southwestof "Malowe". We stopped at a shack on a ridge, a quarter of a mile east of the present town limits. In that shack a young man, Arch Cunningham, was printing what I think was the second I believe "The issue of the Republican, - "Februar5/ 12, and 15, 1887, were clear warm days and we newcomers thought we were going to have several days of good weather. Three of the neighbors took advantage ofthis and started to town for hay, grain and provisions. One of my neatest neighbors went, also another neighbor who lived nine miles farther, making him forty-four miles from town. His child had what he though was �a cold with some fever. He said to his wife: 'I will go to town today and will be back tomorrow night and will bring medicine for the child.'Kissing his wife and baby good-bye he start€d on the longjourney before daylight on the morning of February 15 with a team that had lived on half rations all winter as the grass for miles and miles around had burned off early in the fall. Late that evening the little child died. The young mother was all alone in the dugout. She started across the prairie about eight o'clock to a neighbor about three miles away, carrying the dead child in her arms. This man lived alone as his wife was to join him on the homestead in the spring. Between sobs she asked him to go about nine miles to a friend's home and bring her back with him. This friend was our nearest neighbor. The man stafed on his errand and the heartbroken young mother trudged back to her dugout hugging her dead child close to her breast. The reader will understand that we left our buggies and spring wagons back east and had only heavy wagons. The mode of travel was slow and tedious. The man arrived at our neighbor's home about midnight and related his sad story. This woman said: 'My husband has gone to town and I am afraid to take the children with me as it might be diphtheria or scarlet fever.' She told him there was a young man living on the claim south of them, but that she did not like to take her children to him so late at night, but if he would stay until morning she would get the neighbor to take care of the children and go to the sorrowing mother. piece of fat meat from which he seemed to derive much pleasure, especially if we were generous with sugar. While we were out doing chores the little girl came running out, yelling that the baby was choking. We ran to the house and, locating the trouble, jerked the meat out of his throat. Later he cried some more and we gave him more meat, but this time tied a string to it and after fastening it to the foot of the bed, charged the little girls to pull on it if the baby showed signs of choking. About sundown we saw a dark object far off on the prairie which we were sure was the children's mother. Bundling up the children we started to meet her. How glad the mother was to see her little ones safe; so were we, to know that the responsibility was off our Peaches .25, Eggs .25, Meat 1.80, Coal L.?5, Apples .25, Beans .25, Rice .25, Soap .25, Sugar.50, Coffee.25, Tea.25, Raisins.20, Lye .10, Blueing .05, Wash tub 1.25, Broom .2b, Starch .10, Coal oil .25, Pepper .10, Thread .10, Gingham 1% yds. .10, Wash board .25, Water pail .50, Grain 1.17, Postage Stamps .20. Total amt. for March $21.15 by Joyce Miller 1959 BLIZZARD HITS STRATTON T454 shoulders. The neighbors who had gone to town on the 15th had been delayed by the blizzard and did not arrive home until the morning of the 18th, shortly before sunrise, and with them the father of the dead child. By this time others had come. We failed to find a loose w board to make a coffin, but pulled one off the side of the stable. We laid a pillow in the little box, but when the young mother saw it she cried bitterly. She said that it was more than she could bear to see her baby put away in that rough box. She brought a black dress and asked that it be cut up and used to trim the coffin. Soon two feminine hands had made a wonderful change in the appearance of the little box. The funeral was held'that afternoon. We were all a bunch of inexperienced young Toward morning it had snowed about two inches, but when daylight ssme it qrss snlm with a heavy black cloud in the south west which soon spread toward the northwest. Soon the wind whipped to the northwest and between the snow that was already on the ground and what was coming down, we were in the midst of one of the worst blizzards that we ever went through, and have seen a good many of them. The storm was terrific until about nine o'clock in the evening. The morning of the 17th was bright, clear and crisp with long drifts of snow here and there. We could not help feeling out of sorts with the elements which one day play such havoc and the next morning turn around and ask the first child buried in what is now Yuma County, then Arapahoe County. This gives the reader some faint idea of the heroism of those young wives who came to Colorado in the days when the land was forgiveness. young, leaving comfort, friends and relatives Soon after sunrige we saw a team and wagon approaching with several people in it. They proved to be our neighbor's wife and three children. She told the sad story and asked us to take care of her three children far behind to stand beside stalwart young husband who fought to wrest eastern Colo- people so there was no funeral service beyond an attempt on our part to sing a hymn, repeat the Lord's Prayer in concert and sing another song. While singing at the grave, which was a little distance from the dugout, we heard the mournful howling of three coyotes on a little hill nearby. We quickly placed ourselves FuIl corrals face ranchers between them and the young mother and the children and frightened them away." This eightcen month old child was perhaps rado from the desert. by Mary E. Evans that day. We felt we could take care of the two little girls, but were not sure about the three month old baby boy. However, we were willing to do our best. She said she had just given him a good breakfast and he would probably sleep until noon, but ifhe awakened and cried very hard, we should give him a FRANK BOGER LEDGER piece of fat meat to suck. With these instructions they started on their way, for we all realized that the young mother and been all alone in her dugout with her dead child two nights and a day through the blizzard. When they arrived the young mother was putting a pretty ribbon on a little dress. With the three children we had in charge all went well until about eleven o'clock when the baby boy opened his big blue eyes and looked around for his rDirnmo, We allowed him to cry until the little girls said he might get spasms, then we hurried and gave him a T453 The following was taken from an old ledger of Frank and Flora Boger. Shows expenses of :::i::r;iii :r..'{1''i Snow, snow, snow! the month. Frank brought his bride to Colorado: March, 1896 Stove Pipe $.60, Stove 1.00, Tobacco .20, Meat .35, Crackers .25, Apples .10, Overshoes 1.00, Lodging 1.00, Horse Collar 1.00, Candy .10, Corn .30, Crackers .25, Coffee .25, Matches.05, Meat.30, Sausage .25,Beef. .20, Bread .50, Corn .50, Sugar .20, Bread .25, Canned Fruit .48, Flour .90, Potatoes .45, The season's first snowfall of the year came in the form of a paralyzing blizzard that whipped across Eastern Colorado closing traffic on all highways - but best of all brought welcome moisture to relieve the several year drought condition. All highways in Eastern Colorado were closed beginning early Friday morning and because of the huge snow drifts many side �roads were still closed Wednesday and will be blocked for a number of days yet. The moisture began falling Thursday evening about 7 p.m. in the form of a very wet snow and as the night proceeded the wind velocity increased. By early Friday morning the wind velocity was at least 70 miles per hour whipping the west snow into huge snow banks. The velocity of the wind did not begin to diminish until the middle of Friday afternoon; however, the blizzard did not abate until late Friday night. According to the local weather man 1.13 inches of moisture fell in the Stratton vicinity. Drifts of at least ten feet were seen about town, inundating cars. Schools at Vona, Stratton, Burlington and Seibert were closed until Wednesday because of the blocked roads. Even then much Stratton until about 6 a.m. Saturday, having worked through the night to open the 18 miles of highway. John Buol of Burlington lost five cattle when they drifted onto the railroad tracks near Peconic switch station between Burlington and Stratton, and were killed by the railroad snow plow. A number were reported to have lost livestock in the storm. Ernest Cure lost ten head of cattle when the animals took refuge in a ditch and were covered by the drifting snow. Tom and Jim McCormick lost a number of sheep in the storm. Other rumors of stock dying in the storm could not be confirmed at until today, Thursday. Although the snow drifted badly the temperature never fell below 20 degrees so that much of the snow melted where it fell or drifted. This storm covered a large area including Wyoming, northeast and eastern Colorado, parts of Nebraska and Kansas. Much concern was in evidence about the town of Stratton all day Friday, during the storm. because of the K.C. Electric maintenance crew, James Hansen, Albert Gwynn, Max Toland and Sam Crocker, who had left in their trucks about 2 a.m. Friday morning when the storm interrupted power distribu- tion in this area. About 3:30 a.m. Max Toland and Sam Crocker became storm bound when their truck slid off Highway 24 about 800 feet east of the driveway at the Jack Luebbers farm home. But since they did not see the farm home or could tell otherwise where they were located because of the dense, fogging wet snow, they remained in their truck until 1:30 p.m. Friday when they made their way to the Luebbers home. James Hansen and Albert Gwynn bucked the blizzard until their truck became stalled in a huge drift on highway 24 about three fourths mile west of Bethune. They stayed in their truck until the blizzard let up enough so that they could make their way to the Eugene Taylor home in Bethune. Each of the crew had radio facilities on their trucks but because of the storm could not contact the Hugo central station but a few times. In the meantime, the wives of the crew and friends made preparations to look for the men. They knew the approximate places the trucks had become stalled because of the radio contact. About 7 p.m. eleven men with two cars and a tractor left Stratton in search of the linemen. The men, J. Oscar Smith and son Richard, Lee Carpenter, Vic Carpenter, Tom, Gene and John Clark, Bob Best and Mike Lewis found Max Toland and Sam Crocker safe at the Jack Luebbers home about 8:30 p.m. All the men then went on from there battling the drifts and arrived at the second stalled K.C. Electric truck about midnight. Hansen and Gwynn had left their truck but a note in the car informed the searching party all was well. The highway snow plow left Burlington about 5:30 p.m. Friday and never reached as overalls 55 cents and rope 40 cents. At round up time in the spring and fall, representatives ofall the outfits were present to handle the cattle and identify their own. About 1896, when he was working for Met, he was with a round up group camped at the Limon Breaks after a big blizzard. While night herding the cattle, the cowboys listened all night to the wolves howling from nearby. The boys in the round up crew slept cold in their tarpaulin beds. Mrs. Fisher, the former Stella D. Strode, came to this county by covered wagon also in 1887. She was born at Mason, Texas, and her this writing. by local newspaper difficulty will be encountered by school bus drivers when they pick up and deliver the school children for some time because of the depth of the snow. Seibert schools opened Tuesday while Stratton schools did not open the account book showing expense when he was out working were; dinner at Hugo 25 cents, horse shoeing 75 cents, bed and breakfast 50 cents and personal items such FISHER T466 Mr. Fisher, who passed away January 10, 1959, at the age of 83, had spent 72 years in this part of Colorado, and had the rare privilege of seeing this area change from the prairie that had known little change for centuries into our present day world. The days of the big cattle outfits whose cattle ranged over thousands of acres were already numbered when he came here. Homesteaders were beginning to settle the land and a few years later Mr. Fisher, himself, located on a homestead and began ranching on his own. Mr. Fisher was like other young men of his day, a working cowboy, working for the big cattle outfits in the area. He took part in many round ups and was known at that time as one of the best bronco busters. Although Colorado had become a state in 1876, about ten years later when Mr. Fisher and Mrs. Fisher (who was then Stella Strode) came here, this part of the state was mostly prairie with only a few inhabitants. Large cattle outfits were located here and there where there was water and ran their stock over many thousands of acres. Mr. Fisher worked for numerous cattle outfits, one of them being the Quarter Circle. The Quarter Circle worked from the Fort Morgan area to the Arkansas River with headquarters where Sugar City is now. At the time Mr. Fisher worked for them they had 425head of mares from which to raise their saddle strings. In speaking of the early days, he recalled the last buffalo hunt which occurred in 1887. The last two buffalo ever seen in this area were railed to the flats north of Seibert after being flushed from gullies northeast of Hugo and were shot close to Hell Creek. Mr. Fisher also recalled the big Texas cattle drives, the last two of which were in the springs of 1892 and 1893. The big herds of cattle were being moved from Texas to Montana when ranching was begun there. Later Mr. Fisher told his family he wished that he had gone along on those drives. At that time he was employed by W.N. Leeper on a ranch southwest of Flagler. A family keepsake is a small account book put out by a livestock commission firm, Blachard, Shelly and Rogers of Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City. In it he noted that he began work for the Met Cattle outfit in December 1896. The late C.J. Farr, father of Duncan Farr, was the foreman. Items in father had migrated to Missouri, then to Colorado where he took up a homestead on the Republican River. It was known for a long time as the Ranney place. The Fishers and the Strodes were among the first settlers to arrive and their houses were mostly dugouts and sod houses. They recalled that near what is now Flagler the Pugsley Brothers of Hugo had a small cabin and some corrals. At that time the railroad had not been built so settlers had to go to Akron or Haigler, Nebraska, or to Hugo for supplies; the trips taking several days depending on the distance traveled and the means of transportation which was usually a horse and wagon. The Fishers were married in Flagler on May 6, 1903, and moved to her homestead where they went into the cattle business. Mr. Fisher was the first in this area to breed up a herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle. Another highlight of the cattle business which occurred about 1918 was the building of a community dipping vat at the Fisher place. At that time it was a great improv- ement over anything that had been used. This was a cage-type affair into which the animal was loaded and dipped in the vat with power furnished by a team of horses. It was built at the Fisher place due to the central location. and the number of corrals available. It was in use for several years with ten or twelve men there every day working with the stock during the dipping season. The Fishers retired in the mid 1940s. moving into the town of Flagler. Copied from the Flagler Nears, February 12, 1959. by Editors RATTLESNAKES T456 Not many years in the past, Orval Monroe, who lived ten miles north and one and a half east of Vona, found a den of rattlesnakes on his farm. He was driving his car and saw a snake. While killing it, he saw another. His brother came to help, and in two hours they killed eighty. Within the space of five acres and with the help of other men, that day and the next, they killed a total of one hundred and twenty-five. They now knew why the little Monroe girl had been bitten by a rattlesnake a few days earlier. South of Stratton we also had a den of rattlesnakes. This was near the Herb Griffith �fields and all fields had to be fenced to keep range stock out of crops. Framing was done with horses and mules. A few homesteaders LIFE FOR THE HOMESTEADERS T467 A new day dawns on the prairie, a quite undisturbed land with its own familiar sounds - the song of a meadow lark and a turtle dove as they greet each new day, the yapping of the coyote as they prowl the prairies at night; sounds that remain unchanged with the passing of time. By the time the homesteaders came, the Indian camps were gone, the large herds of buffalo, once so numerous in this area, had disappeared - all that was left as a reminder of their presence were buffalo chips and bleached bones of buffalo carcanses that dotted the prairies. farm. Tom Holm, Bob Piper, Bill Ferhenbach, Ray Schlichenmayer, Bill and Herb Griffith, were some of the men who helped in that vicinity. They would hunt in the spring and in the fall. Results one time: twenty-five, fifty-five, sixty-eight. They never failed to get good results. Dead rattlesnakes are good results! Mrs. Harvey Wood found a four-foot rattlesnake in her garden about the time of the Monroe killing. Mrs. Nick Stoffel also killed one in her garden here in Stratton. In earlier years, Leo Klotzbach was bitten by one. No hospital, no serum! Dr. Beechley was the resident physician here then. Leo has not verified, as it was rumored, that Dr. Beechley knew herbs, as did our grand- parents, and picked a prairie herb that helped in the healing of Leo. Even then he was sick for a long time, but did reeover. Mrs. Leiber and Mrs. Cecil Eisenbart, both from south of Stratton. were bitten while in their gardens, but there was serum available drifted too farm, they worked them back closer to home. Blocks of salt were kept out for stock. There was lots of hard work, but communities found time for pleasures, too. Neighbors were neighbors - always ready to lend a helping hand with extra work or in times of and wagon, drove around looking for bones. The bones were sold and shipped to a place where they were ground and used as fertilizer. wagons with barrels of water and head in the undulating buffalo grass. There were soapweeds, pancake and pin cushion cactus, plus a variety of wild flowers that bloomed each spring. There were birds that nested on the ground, prairie dogs, prairie owls and rattle soaked gunny sacks in water to beat the fire out. They sometimes plowed a ditch as a fire guard to stop a fire. People exchanged work at harvest and threshing times, or when ever any extra help was required such as laying up sod, building buildings and fences. Commu- snakes, as well as bull snakes, hog snakes. There were ground squinels, jack rabbits, cotton tails, badgers and coyotes. All this and the prairie was still treeless. The homesteaders had many hardships to contend with coming to a virgin buffalo grass prairie - to an unmarked piece of ground that was to be their new home, with no buildings, no water, no trees, no fences -just a vast open prairie land with nothing as far as the eye could see. Brave, courageous, pioneers of Kit Carson County - Homesteaders. The first and most important things to be done were to provide something to live in and a well and windmill. The building material available was sod, so that is what most homesteaders first buildings were made of. It was an open country with free range for cattle and horses. It was not free range for sheep. Sheep could graze on the buffalo grass, but only with a herder. Sod was broken for trouble. Prairie fires were not uncommon. and any and all who saw smoke would load direction of the smoke to fight fire. They nity basket dinners were a time of getting together to pitch horse shoes, play ball and visit - everyone was welcome. Everyone was welcome at the country dances. Dances were held in homes - people would move furniture out of a couple rooms and have a dance - or in barns or hay lofts or in school houses. John Bloomquist and Lee Raines had nice barns for dances. Smokey Hill had dances in the school house and it was also used for church and Sunday School. by Isophene D. Lesher CHRISTMAS AT CAMP LEWIS T458 Camp Lewis, Washington at that time. A rattlesnake does not have to be coiled to strike. I saw one strike two feet in the air while uncoiled and flat. One Sunday Boots Wilson killed a rattlesnake and out of the wound crawled sixteen little snakes. The local papet, The Stratton Press, carried the picture. The story of the rattlesnake still continues as late as 1983. It was in the fall of the year. Jim McConnell was getting ready to wean his calves, when his son Raymond ran upon a rattlesnake, but it ran in a hole before he could kill it. A few days later, on a rather warm day, LeRoy Herndon and Leonard Beese went to Jim's pasture known as the "Fred Wagner place" to get one of their calves. In a low bottom along the sand creek they ran upon snakes and started killed them and they killed about thirty-five snakes. LeRoy's dog was helping and got bitten and they had to rush the dog to the vet or they might have killed more. by Florence Mcconnell Central Community, used oxen. The weather was the deciding factor in raising a crop. There had to be summer rains to grow a crop. There was no irrigation in these early days. Rains would fill ponds and lagoons that provided range water for stock, otherwise stock had to go back home or to a watering place. Good stockmen rode to check on cattle and horses and if the stock had roamed or And these, too, would soon disappear, gathered up by the bone pickers who, with team The land was a prairie carpeted with Boots Wilson killed this rattler with her young. even had oxen. The Griggs, in the First Rodeo at the o'c' Dunlap Ranch �don't know whether Grandpa Sam Schaal had it published in the Record,the CalI or . Our Dad, Jake Schaal, trained as a medic with Field Hospital Company 252 of the 13th Sanitary Train Regiment. World War ended before his outfit was shipped to Europe, and Dad wae discharged on Apr. 5, 1919 at Ft. D.A. Russell (near Cheyenne), Wyoming. Dad learned many useful things in his field hospital training and was adept at giving first aid, doing special and "pressure" bandaging, setting broken bones, applying and wrapping splints, etc. He was always grateful that he had been trained to help the injured and bind rather than having to up the wounded maim and kill the-enemy. by The Rev. Herbert Schaal way back east and do a little shooting once in a while so the dudes would have something to talk about after they went back home. These dudes, or tenderfeet as we called them, were our best sport. We just had to pretend a little and their imagination would do the rest. A few shots and a wild dash past the ranch house after dark was about all they could stand. They liked to ride and just had to do it. It was the most fun when you slip them a horse that was gentle in the corral but became a bronco as soon as he cleared the gate. I have seen them come to a gate and struggle around to get it open and closed and then find they had the horse on the wrong side of the fence or maybe they would be. We did not milk any of those wild cows, but once there was a fellow there who had to have some milk. Well we told him of a homesteader TOM DILLON AND THE BAR T. T459 I was born in Springfield, New York, in 1885, just one year before this part of the west Jake Schaal in his World War I uniform. Enlisted in U.S. Army on Aug. 27, I9L8. was opened for homesteaders. I did not come here until 1906, but there was still some homesteads to be taken so I took one, 15 miles north and one east ofBethune. I did not come to homestead though, I just saw the opportunity in taking one and saw that it would not interfere with what I really came for, and that was to sell draft stallions. We knew in New York State that they January 1, 1919 Dear Folks: I will try and write a few liens to let you know that I am all O.K. yet. hope you are the same, I received your letter, (Christmas) cards and check. Thank you very much for the same; was very glad to hear from home again. Well, I hope you (had) an opportunity to go to the program on New Year's eve. We had a nice Christmas program. Had a tree about 25 feet high, strung with red, yellow and green with one big white light at electric lights the top of the -tree which looked like a star it from a distance. The tree is (outdoors) sure is a pretty one. - We got pretty good treats and a fine Christmas dinner from the "Y" (YMCA). Last night we had a big New Year's program, and got treats again this afternoon. The band furnished the music for both programs. Well, I suppose it is quite cold back there now. We are having ice and heavy frosts the past three or four mornings. We did not have to drill from December 24 until January 2, but we will start to do something tomorrow again. I see the other boys (from home) quite often here lately. They are all O.K., too. Did any of you folks see Jake Weisshaar since he came home? The way they talk around here, we won't get out of here for several months. Well, this is about all I can think of now. Church services will start pretty soon now, so I will close. I wish you all a happy, brightNew Year and best wishes. Goodbye 'till we meet again. From your son and brother, Jacob Schaal We have the above letter on an old BurlingSon newspaper clipping which has no masthead or further notation on it. So we needed horse power in opening up the west, so my uncle persuaded me to come out here somewhere and form companies to buy a stallion. I recall that Henry Goebel, Posie Chandler, Lee Woodcock and Henry Johnson were in the first company. I was equipped to teach school and I took the school known as the Tuttle School. It was made of rock and I taught John Richards, his brother Harry, sister Edna and another sister, Cora; Ethel and Bertie Ragan, Clay and Hazel Yount and others. I do not remember any church close, but we held services at the school house and when a minister came through we had a sermon. Here is something that happened while I was teaching. John Richards and his two sisters were coming to school one morning, driving an old mare and the girls were picking on John. John tried to take care ofhimselfbut they were getting the best of him, so he hit the old mare a good one and threw out the lines and said, "There you are girls, I hope that old mare runs off and I hope we are all killed." But the old mare had too much rheumatism. They were not killed and John lived to raise a nice family. Yes, I worked on the old Bar T and I guess that was one of the most popular ranches of the day. Its big days were before I came. Burt Ragan came there as a poor boy and later became the manager. They never owned much land. They did not need to, they just turned the cattle loose as there were no obstructions in the first days. The cattle would drift in the storms clear to the Arkansas River and then fall in and drown. I did not hear much of the killing that took place out there. We had guns, but it was not necessary to wear them and there was plenty of n-munition. We had to wear our guns when the ranch was entertaining guests from who lived down the trail about five miles who milked a cow, so he got on a horse and started out. This man was pretty hard on a horse and he bounced so much that when the horse's back was going up he was coming down. Well he made the trip alright, but the milk must have been a little rich and sour for he had a little paddy of butter and some whey when he got back. I married in 1909 to Jessie L. Kellogg from my old hometown. Her father was out here before that buying buffalo hides. He was down in Kansas near Norton one day and there were just two little stores there. One of these men must have been new to the region for a large group of Indians came through and he was really scared. They were loaded with buffalo hides. Well, in a quick transaction Mr. Kellogg bought out the store and the same day traded the entire stock to the Indians for the hides. Those were great days that I spent at the Bar T, but it is better now. I would not want to go back to them. Mostly I helped put up hay and then went back to teaching school in the winter months. Burt Ragan, the manager then, was about ready to start out on his own as he had about 200 head of cattle. Henry Goebel was managing the Spring Valley and he traded and bought a lot. He was an accommodating man and you could always sell an animal to Henry. You could drive in a cow, calf, or even a hog and Henry would buy it for a fair price. by KCCC RATTLESNAKES MOVE IN T460 Our sandy ground is covered with a variety of grasses, sagebrush, soap weed and cactus. It is home for our cattle, horses, the coyotes, rabbits, pheasants, gophers and a few snakes. The snakes have a free range unless I discover them in my yard or we see a rattler. In October 1983, we began seeing more rattlesnakes that normal on the roads. Lyle Garner owns property to the east of us with rock cliffs facing south. We presume several rattlers were scouts, then passed the word that they had found a nice sunny location to hibernate for the winter. Lyle and Theo Borden went to these rocks looking for something to shoot at. They found �were going to get some rocks or not, but you could take a rock claim with another claim if you could find one and you could also take what you called a desert claim the same way. A desert claim was one that the government thought was too sandy and hilly to support a family. Anyway, they were on their way to this rock claim and were intending to go through the Bar T, as was the custom, and the Bar T was liking Mr. Munsinger less all the time, for one more homesteader meant a little less grass for the Bar T. Before they came to the Bar T Rattle Snakes Move In! (photo from Rich Gaddy) more than their wildest imagination would let them believe. They ca-e to get Garold and Tony to bring more guns and shovels to help them kill snakeg. They had killed 250 in just the few hours before sundown. The hunt went on for six weeks before the first snow. Each step was chosen with care. A live snake would be right beside a dead one. I was thankful for the sport of getting themselves a trophy of the skin or rattles. We kept a count from people that reported to us the number they had killed. I didn't want to know how many were taken out live in ten gallon cans. The dead ones totaled eleven hundred ninety five. Had there been this many rattlesnakes in the area for the summer, we would have seen them competing with the bullsnakes for the bird eggs. We would have been doctoring noses of curious horses all summer. Any that escaped probably decided not to trust that scout the next winter! It turned out to be an extra cold winter with lots of snow. We haven't seen many since. by Jean Paintin WE CAME FROM RUSSIA T461 This is the story of Fred Bauder as told by his wife Minnie on Januar5r 12, 1958. Fred was born in the area of Odessa in Russia in 1877 but, of course, he was not really Russian but German, as his grandfather had migrated from Germany to Russia. Fred and his parents arrived here in America in 1888 and took a homestead upon arrival, seven miles north of Bethune and just a little east. When Fred was 16 and his brother, Andrew, a little older, they were out looking for work. At first they worked on ranches as far away as north of Denver, Fred was back here working on the famous Bar T before he was 20. Most of the things that were typical ofoutfits like this happened before Fred went to work there. I have heard my father speak of some of them. One was about the time when the farm hand shot down the Mexican, when it was just a misunderstanding about a pair of gloves. Then there was another story about a man from Denver by the name of Munsinger who was making a living by locating homesteads and charging for it. He also did suweying. I do not know if he was qualified as a surveyor but someone had to do it. One day my father and Mr. Muneinger were going north to the Bar T to a rock claim. I don't know if they gate, one of the ranch wagons fell in just ahead of my father and Mr. Munsinger and told them not to come in. When the Bar T men produced three guns, Papa and Mr. Munsinger had to withdraw, but Mr. Munsinger was mad and turned around to go arm himself. I guess it had to come to showdown sometime to see if this land could be homesteaded, and the Bar T fenced in. Papa kept trying to get him to change his mind, but he kept right on going and did get a gun and come back, but he finally gave up and went the long way around to get to the rock claim. Later on they clashed again southwest of the Bar T headquarters. I think that Mr. Munsinger was surveying; he could have been as they kept getting closer with this work and Munsinger was armed this time and they shot it out. Munsinger killed the foreman and shot the heel off another man's boot. Someone asked Munsinger why he got one shot so low and he said he aimed low and did not want to kill the second man. Yes, Fred had some experiences while working on the Bar T, but they were the kind that fell the lot of all ranch hands at that time. There was lots of saddle work for they rode for miles and miles. There were lots of other things to do that the boys who think they would like to be cowboys never connect with ranch work. There was the time that he had to go to Lamar with two other men and get a trainload of Southern steers that were coming in. The train had been held up on the line by something they could not help. It may have been a washout or a wreck, I cannot remember anJrmore, but the steers cnme in in terrible shape. They were in the cars so long their hips were raw and they were awfully weak. Then they had to be branded before they left the yards, for as soon as they got them out of town they might mix with other cattle or some would stray away. There were a lot of them. I think it was 1,000. They got them branded and then started out with them through Lamar to the ranch north.Three of them were so weak that they dropped in the etreet before they got out of town and few more after that, but it was way after dark before they got them out far enough to let them bed down. Then the men were ready to try and get themselves something to eat, but before they had started, here came an official from Lsmar and said that they had to move those dead cattle out of town. They did just that with nothing to do it with but their ropes and the tired saddle horses. The year that they got this big shipment ofsteers from Lamar the ranch said that they had not made any money and Fred did not get paid his wages. They were supposed to give him $5.00 extra for every horse he broke and I think he received that. Water was sometimes the biggest problem. There was always plenty at the main ranch on the river but the cattle were many miles from there at times and wells were few and those old mills that they had then were not what we have now. Fred had to work on windmills and wells a lot and the help he had was not always good. He was working on one when the pipes slipped and came down on his hand. He had two fingers that were just dangling, so they rode into town and the doctor sewed them back on. Then the doctor left town, but not for good, just for a while. Well, this did not turn out very good, and Fred's hand startcd to mortify. They were afraid he might even lost his life. It did not seem that there was anything that could be done. But someone told him to go see a man by the name of Allen who was selling drugs in Burlington. This man had served in the Army and had been in the Hospital Medical Corps, as an assistant. He looked at Fred's hand and swore. and said "such a doctor." He removed the fingers, did some cutting and stitching, and the hand got well. Fred and I got married in 1907 and took a homestead 7 miles north of Bethune. It was not easy to establish and keep a home then, but then it was much better than when my folks started. We worked hard and we finally did get a nice ranch for ourselves totaling 1,319 acres. We raised four children and gave all a good education. Fred always did all he could to help in the community in whatever way he could. He suffered out the dry years like everyone else but hung on. Age and health forced him to give up the farm and move to town in 1946 where he could take life easier. He passed away in the spring of 1957. bv K.C.C.C. CHILDHOOD MEMORIES T462 As a child I cannot remember any special hardships. Now my parents are both deceased. We were just a short way from the South Dakota border which was then an Indian reservation. The Indians used to start prairie fires which the settlers spent many days control- ling. At present, this country is a fine ranching and farming area. When the time came for the government to ope-n the country for settlement, many people lived in sod houses. The sod houses were always cool in the summer and warm in winter. In our sod house, we used a topsy stove one winter for heat. This had what was called a drum oven on the pipe for baking. My mother baked many loaves of bread and other goodies in it. My mother had many beautiful flowers in the windows. In early days, there were no churches but there was a family who had moved into our neighborhood who organized a Sunday school. The father of this family had been Governor of the State of Nebraska. He was a fine man and worthy to be our Sunday school superintendent. This Sunday school was held in our little school house. Many are the happy memories of those days when I attended a rural school. To me, it is doubtful if anything can ever replace the rural school for children. To me. that is one �of the reasons for a strong America. The following poem recalls many blessed feelings. brothers considerable trouble. The wild stallions would come into their horse herds Our kitchen seems to be the place Where all the family gather. Round the table they will sit, Because they say, they'd rather. Our kitchen seems to be the place Which makes our house a home. and steal many of their mares and drive them miles away from the Wagner's range. The brothers at last got permission from the State Government of Colorado to shoot the wild stallions whenever they were caught stealing mares. Most of the stallions were smaller and not nearly as valuable as the Here we dance and sing and play And have no thoughts to ronm. by Grace Corliss LINCOLN HIGHWAY 19 13 the cities where there is a cattle market today. There were a good many wild horses in this area at that time and they caused the Wagner T463 According to the Cappers Weekly on Oct. 29, 1963, Halloween of 1963 was the Fiftieth Anniversary of a celebration dedicating the first proposed route of the Lincoln Highway which passed through Kit Carson County about where Highway 24 is now. I well remember Burlington's part in the celebration. The town folks had received advance word from members of a thirty car caravan of eastern people who planned to make the first transcontinental trip by car on the new Lincoln Highway that would pass through Burlington on a certain date. So the Burlington town folks, wishing to give those eastern tenderfeet a taste of western hospitality and wild west entertainment, arranged in an old fashioned chuck wagon feed and a small rodeo at the fair grounds. The caravan arrived on schedule with probably the most automobiles that had ever been in Burlington at one time; thirty four autos. The chuck wagon feed was a grand success. My brother Millard, and I, had ridden forty miles from our ranch to bring in some bucking horses. Apparently the visitors had never seen a cowboy and a bronco in action together before. They had cameras of all kinds, shooting us from all directions. For something special and different, my brother Millard put his saddle on his bronco backwards, then mounted, and rode backwards. The four cowboys that took part in the bronc riding that day were: Jim Jones of Kanorado, Bert Townes of Burlington, Millard Harrison and myself, Carl Harrison of Vona. by J. Carl Ilarrieon IIORSE RANCHING T46'4 Wagner's domesticated horses. The brothers were also given permission to catch, brand and break any of these wild ponies that they desired. So one winter they made quite a project of catching wild horses. They chose winter time when the wild horses were thin and not very strong. They would ride until they found a wild herd, then with their well fed and strong saddle horses they would be able to rope the wild horses on the prairie. They would then put a rope hobble on their catch, turn it loose and rope another, proceeding in that way until they had spent their saddle horses or caught what they wanted. In doing this the hobbled horses could be herded together and driven to their ranch headquarters without too much more trouble. Corraling a loose wild horse with a saddle horse is about like trying to corral a jack rabbit or a coyote. Since these horses had never known or learned to respect a barbed wire fence, it was almost impossible to keep them in a corral or a pasture. Keeping the horses gave them more trouble than catching them. Fred Wagner told me that they tried some horse steaks from some of the wild horses that they killed. They never relished horse steak as it always seemed to have a sweet sweaty horse like the smell of a sweaty horse. I have heard it said many times in the old days that John Wagner was a real wizard in his handling and breaking of wild horses. He seemingly cast a spell over extremely wild horses. He could then accomplish things in their handling and breaking that no one else could. The brothers had a horseman friend and neighbor in Cheyenne County, Colorado by the name of Pinky Henderson. Pinky came to them with a hard luck story. It seemed he had sold, loose on the range, about fifty head ofhorses, to a New York buyer to be rounded up, loaded and shipped at a certain time. When the time came to deliver them. he found that he was unable to corral them. There were some wild horses running his, and some ofhis horses had never been in a corral. When he was crowding them near a corral, the wildest horses in the herd would break back like jack rabbits in all directions and while he was trying to stop one critter the rest would break and run and soon the herd was scattered and gone beyond hope of stopping Two brothers, Fred and John Wagner, moved into Kit Carson County from Cheyenne County, Nebraska in 1903. They them that day. Henderson knew Fred and John were excellent horsemen with a good string of broughtwith them about seven hundred head extra good saddle horses. He had come to ask them to come down into Cheyenne County and help him corral the horses that he had ofhorses. John took a homestead about eight miles south of Stratton where they made their headquarters for some time. The government land was all open so their horse pasture qr6s elmssf, boundless. There was a fair market for horses in thoge days to the Army for cavalry horses. Many were shipped to the eastern United States and a great many were shipped to Europe. There was a good horse market at about all sold. Fred and John moved down near Henderson's place. They took with them a chuckwagon and a string of good strong saddle horses to help Henderson corral his horses. The next day the three of them went out and spent a good share ofthe day getting the horses rounded up and back near the home corral. As they neared the corral a few of the wild "quitters" as Fred called them, began to get nervous and tried to break out and leave the herd. With strong fast mounts the men managed to hold them together almost to the corral gate. A wild stallion broke back between the horsemen. In trying to stop him, they left other gaps open and a few seconds later horses were scattered and running in every direction. They let the wild horses go for that day and tried again the next day with the seme results. On the third day the wild stallions, that had succeeded in escaping twice before taking the rest of the herd with them, repeated the performance. Fred and John were pretty badly disgusted with their failures. When Henderson wanted them to try it again, they told him that they were tired running their saddle horses for nothing. They said they wouldn't help to try to corral the horses again unless he, Henderson, would allow them to shoot the quitters whenever one started to break out of the herd. Since Henderson wouldn't think of letting them shoot any ofhis horses, Fred and John packed up their chuckwagon, took their saddle horses and went home. After a week or ten days of unsuccessful attempts to corral his horses or to get other efficient help to do the job, Henderson again appealed to the Wagner brothers to help him. In the deal, he would allow them to shoot the quitters. Their next attempt at corraling the herd proceeded about as usual until they were nearing the corral gates. A big beautiful sorrel stallion broke back. Fred said that he thought, as he saw that big beautiful horse breaking for safety, "I would sure hate to kill that horse if he were mine, but he has got to be stopped." He took aim and let him have it. By the time the smoke had cleared away, he and John had killed four or five quitters. They were then able to corral the remainder of the herd without much trouble. When the gates were closed securely, Fred said, "I rode out to take a look at the big sorrel stallion that I had just killed. I turned him over to see if he was branded and dnmned if he wasn't my own hoss," by .I. Carl Harrigon CHRISTMAS ON THE PLAINS 1930 STYLE T465 The weeks before Christmas were filled with much preparation for the school program. Our school never had more than seven students enrolled in all eight grades but we always had a program that would last about 2 hours many skits, memorized solos, duets, groups. We "readings", songs - by their hems to form would hang sheets dressing rooms and curtains to draw. If the pupils had younger brothers or sisters at home they were encouraged to "speak a piece". This was always looked forward to and enjoyed because you never knew for sure what would happen. My sisters and I always had new dresses for the program that my mother had made usually out of used fabric that some of the family had given her. I remember especially a beautiful tan colored dress trimmed with a �pretty bright plaid. I had put it on to wear for the very first time and in the hurry and commotion to get ready a bottle of hair oil that one of my brothers had out to use got tipped over and spilled down the front of my new dress. Of course I had to wear something old and since the fabric was not washable (wool) the dress had to be discarded. We always had a church program to take part in also however since it served a much larger area there were alot more people to share the responsibility. I remember the church Christmag tree looked huge to me and since no one had trees in their homes it was a real sight. Real candles were placed on the tree and were lit during the program. One of the men of the congregation would stand close by to put out the fire should one occur. Santa made his appearance at the end of the progrrm with treats for all the children. I remember getting a package in the mail from Grandma Jameg (she died when I was five or six so it must have been her last Christmas.) It sat in the unheated "parlor" until Christmas morning. No present was ever opened around our house until that magical morning. In the mail also would come a box from an uncle who had a goodjob in the Oklahoma oilfieldg. We didn't open it either but we knew it would be a 5 pound box of a luxurious gift! chocolates - What I remember the year when I was about six years old my parents had given me some chickens to raiee. They told me if I took good care of them I could sell them at Chrigtmas time and I would have some money to buy presents with. When December came I asked my Dad if he would take my five hens to town and sell them for me. Realizing that the effort of catching them and taking them to town was going to be more trouble than they were worth he got out his pencil and paper and proceeded to make me a business deal. He figured out what each would probably weigh and what the going rate per pound was at the time and wrote me a check for the amount. I was very proud ofthat traneaction and altho the check was a few cents less than a dollar (this was during the depression) I managed to buy something for everyone - Mother, Dad, three brothers, and three sisters. Christmas Eve was always a very special partly because we were excited about time Santa- coming and presents waiting to be opened next morning but mostly because of the tradition of the white tablecloth and the light€d candles while we ate our bowls of steaming oyster soup. Before we started to eat however we listened to the reading of the Christmas Story. I always wanted to go to bed right after supper so morning would come faster. My sisters and I would be up in the morning long before daylight to see what Santa left in our stockings. Dad would hear us up and he would get up also to get a warm fire going in the heating stove. Our presents from Santa were usually small enough to fit into our long cotton stockings (the kind we wore daily). The foot of the sock was always filled with candy and nuts. On the table would be all the pretty bowls that we never used any other time of year and they would be heaped high with peanut brittle, hard candy, peanut clusters, nuts of all kinde. Compared to the 1980s our presents in those days were really nothing at all but I cannot ever remember being dieappointed with what I got in fact I always felt like a very lucky little girl as indeed I was. by Reta James Lounge herding cattle and horses on the free range, milking cows and delivering the cream and eggs into Vona seventeen miles away by team and buggy. by J. Carl Harrison 65 YEARS A FARMER. RANCHER T466 As I heard and saw our 1979 cattle selling at record high prices I wondered how many of our 1979 cattlemen remember or have heard their father or grandfather recall the cattle price situation back in the 1930's when there wae a surplus of cattle and a shortage of feed. There would be a fair crop of thistles on land where the planted crop had failed. The thistles were mowed and raked and stacked where, in some areas, that was the prevailing cow feed. In some instances, the stalks of the thistles were so had and stiff that a cow couldn't eat them so in a good many instances a farmer with an old type thrashing machine would make the rounds in the neighborhood and the etacks of thistles were run through the machine which ground them up fine enough that a cow could eat them. The winter weather wae hard and people were losing cattle from starvation. F.D. Roosevelt put a law through suggesting the killing of surplus cattle, and in return the government would pay the owner for what was killed. It was either that or let them starve, so I called for government assistance. At last the government crew anived. It was a hard pill to take to etand in your cattle corral and watch those government riflemen stand and shoot your cow herd down one at a time, but it was either that or see them starve. We were paid twelve dollars per head for our cows and four dollars for calves. Several of our neighbors were present at the time and I told them to butcher out anything that had any meat on them and they did. I bought corn for twenty-five cents per bushel for supplemental feed for the few cattle that I had left and bought replacement calves the next year for $1.00 per head. I have seen hundreds of head of horses on the free range of which very few were claimed by any one, almost like the old wild horse days. All that a cowboy had to do was to pick out the horse that he wanted and help himself. It used o be said that a well-mounted cowboy had a $10.00 horse and a $50.00 saddle. I fed out a carload of gteers in the early twenties on 25 cent corn and delivered them to Kansas City by rail for $6.15 per hundred pounds. And along about that time a license tag wasn't required on a car and no brake and light inspection. There was no income tax and in L924, the tax on our half-section homestead was just $12.00. About that time, I taught a country school, and was bus driver and janitor for $50.00 per month. At least it kept me off W.P.A. In the summer of 1926, I rode a horse from our homestead south of Vona to Colorado Springs to attend a summer session of a teacherg review course at Colorado College for six weeks. During that time, my wife, Winnie, and our two small boys ran the ranch alone; raising chickens, caring for the hogs, CORN HARVEST SIXTY YEARS AGO T487 Back in 1916, corn was the main cash crop in Kit Carson County, especially north of the Rock Island Railroad. There was no deep well irrigation in those days, so corn was a dry land crop. All was picked by hand as the corn picker had not yet been invented. Thirty or forty bushel per acre was considered a good yield. In those days, a corn picker was one man with a team of horses hitched to a lumber wagon. The wagon had two or three sets of side boards and a high bump board on the off side to stop the ears of corn as the shucker threw them at the wagon. A good corn shucker in getting to the field by day light and staying at it steady till dark could shuck between seventy five and a hundred bushels, depending on the quality of the corn and the general size of the ears. When a farmer hired a corn shucker, he was paid about three or four cents per bushel for his work, which amounted to somewhere from $2.00 to $4.00 per day. This depended on his speed and staying power. The shucker generally furnished his own team and wagon for which he would receive feed for his tenm and his own board and room. The boss would measure the corn that the shucker brought in as one bushel for every inch high filled in a standard wagon box. Then he had to scoop his load off after dark. A great deal of the corn raised north of Stratton was hauled directly into Stratton and sold to the Stratton Equity Coop. The Co-op bought thousands of bushels of corn by wagon box measure, which was one bushel to the inch. This was ag accurate as weighing a load and paying for one half of the weight as corn and the other half of the weight as the cob for which they received nothing. Around .500 per bushel was a fair price in those days. During the rush of corn picking season on most any day you could see a continual line of horse drawn wagons loaded with ear corn coming into Stratton from the road running straight north. There would be a solid line of wagons as far as you could see. The Co-op would have the corn unloaded in long ricks on the open land just north of the Rock Island Railroad where Miller's car wrecking yards are now. The Co-op then shelled the corn and left the cobs in long ricks which they sold back to the formers and town people for $1.00 a load. They used the cobs as fuel for cook stoves and heaters. There was a time during the 1920s when corn was so cheap that many families, mine included, didn't bother to shell the corn off the cob. Instead they used ear corn for fuel in place of wood, wood, or cow chips. by J. Carl llarrison �THE LAST ROUNDUP T468 Probably the last old style cowboy-chuck wagon roundup to take place in Kit Carson county was brought about by an odd group of circumstances back in the early twenties. But before getting to the story proper, a little back ground material is necessary. A good many residents will remember a couple of good old dry land farmers, who settled northeast of Stratton, brothers-inlaw, H.H. Woods and F.P. Powers. They decided to spread out a little in a partnership cattle venture. They went to some southern market and bought around 400 head of aged southern steers. Now for someone who had always handled gentle docile native cows, there was quite a bit to learn about handling a herd of aged southern gteers on the open range. But not knowing anything of the wild roving nature of their newly purchased herd, they decided to make use of the open range that was pretty plentiful yet in the southern part of the county. They made a deal with a farmer about 14 miles south of Stratton, Herb Ellis, to furnish water at his windmills and ride herd on the bunch. Ellis let them know that he would be pretty busy farming, but that they had a little cow pony mare that his wife could ride and that she could keep an eye on the steers in her spare time. Eventually the cattle arrived by rail. They were unloaded in Stratton, and driven out to the Herb Ellis farm. They arrived at the watering place about a half mile from the Ellis home, but just out of sight of it, about sundown. The cattle took a good drink and laid down to rest. The three men, Woods, Powers and Ellis, thought that it looked like the end ofa perfect day and from then on all they needed to do was to watch those nice gentle steers eat, drink and get fat. So they all retired to their homes without the least thought of worry. But little did they realize what was in the minds of "those nice gentle steers". The next morning at the Ellis farm, after the chores were done and breakfast over, Ellis and his wife cranked up the Model T, deciding they would drive over the hill to the herd, check the water, and perhaps make a count. But to their bewildering surprise as they crested the hill in view of the watering tanks, not a single steer was to be seen in any direction. "Oh, well", Herb says, "they likely just moved over the next hill. We will find them right there". But What!! No steers over the next hill. At that turn of events, Herb decided to drive back home, get the old saddle mare, lead her behind the car until they found the cattle and then the Mrs. could drive them back near the home place. They acted on that decision. They drove till they played the old mare out leading her behind the car and never found but 30-40 head. Then they tied the old mare to a fence, as she slowed them down too much. and drove on into the afternoon. I might mention here that what Woods, Powers and Ellis didn't know about this particular breed of long-legged steers, was they were accustomed to moving 6 to 8 miles at a time, or if they should become frightened by a dog or car they would stampede. It was nothing for them to run 8 or 10 miles without stopping. So before the day was over, Ellis and his wife decided to go home and send word to Woods and Powers of the developments and ask their advice. Early the next morning the owners, Woods and Powers, drove to the Ellis farm themselves, visibly disgruntled at the Ellis'carelessness and disability to effectively ride herd and keep tabs on a bunch of"nice old steers", and immediately took off in their car to find, round up and return those "nice old steers", to the home stomping ground. They drove a good share of the day, back and forth, round and about, and to their surprise found very few of their cattle. They did locate a small bunch near the Buzz Dunlap ranch, where they stopped and talked tn Buzz, telling him of their dilemma and asking his advice as to how best to get their wayward steers located and gathered. Wher- eupon, Buzz advised them to get an old fashioned chuck wagon, hire a crew of cowboys and conduct a real old time roundup. So, that is what they proceeded to do, and inside of a few days had secured a horse dravm chuck wagon, and hired a few cowboys and a few extra saddle horses. The cowboys that were hired were: Maynard Dunham, Buzz Dunlap, Roy Chamberlin, and myself Carl Harrison. Also helping was H.H. Woods sixteen year old son, ding snort and the stampede was on. The drivers barely escaped with their lives, as that 200 head of steers turned in fright, as one solid mass and thundered off into the night. They had done it again, only this time the bosses had seen how it happened. They learned quite a lot in those few short moments about the temperament and disposition of those nice old southern steers. They realized that it wan an impossible task to try to stop them or to bring them back in the dark. We cowboys knew nothing of the episode until we returned Monday morning, only to find our last week's work had come undone in a few fateful minutes. The bosses were out in their automobile frantically scouring the range for their wayward steers. Before noon the bosses were back in camp empty-handed, looking rather sheepish. We soon got organized and were on our way again. We tracked the herd to a sand creek about 2 miles south of Dunlaps, where we counted about 200 fresh tracks, where they crossed the sand creek still at a trot. The rest of the roundup was somewhatuneventful. We found some of the steers within 10 miles of Cheyenne Wells and First View. We spent almost another week before we found them all and delivered them back to the home range. Woods and Powers had learned through some costly experience that the farmer's wife Harvey. The two bosses manned the chuck wagon, took the extra saddle horses in tow, in her spare time with one little old pony mare was no match for that bunch of long prepared the riders three meals a day, and set up camp at night, any place night happened with a good tight fence. That is where our to overtake us. With the accumulation of steers that we found each day and added to the herd, we took turns night herding for fear of losing them all again. We started covering an area about 20 miles in diameter around the Ellis farm. At the end of 4 or 5 days we had found only about half of the herd. With Saturday night coming up, the cowboys decided they wanted to go home and rest over Sunday. Powers made the remark to us before we left, that he didn't understand why anyone should have any trouble holding that bunch of cattle. "Why," he said, "A ten year old boy with a threelegged horse should be able to keep track of that herd of steers." Oh!! What he didn't know, but was soon to learn after his help was gone and before the night was over. The bosses watched the cattle for an hour. some grazing, some lying down, so they decided to pitch their tent a few rods south of Dunlap's corrals. Just before dark, the two men had some misgivings. Powers said to Woods, "Just suppose we should sleep too soundly and those cattle should decide to move again tonight, don't you believe it would be the wise thing to do, to put them in Dunlap's corral?" They agreed that that was best. So, shortly they were out around the legged steers. So the owners rented a pasture roundup terminated. But before the cowboys left for home that last night, one of them admonished Powers, that he should get that "10 year old boy with the three legged horse", on the job for safety.!! by J. Carl Harrison BIG ROUNDUP T469 In the early 1900's the land in Kit Carson and Cheyenne Counties was principally devoted to stock raising. Most of the land was not fenced as yet, and the ranchers let their herds of horses and cattle graze for miles in any direction almost without limit over the open and unfenced prairie. Most ranchers employed range riders or cowboys who rode the range almost constantly for the sake of keeping tab on the whereabouts of the loose cattle, checking to find how far from the home ranch they were ranging, and turning some bunches back in toward the home place that had wandered too far off their home range. Some large outfits that allowed their cattle herd bunching them and driving them toward to range for many miles in all directions the corral. There wae one more thing these men hadn't realized and that was these cattle hadn't been raised around the habitats of civilized men. Namely; houses, barns, autos, men on foot, and last, but not least, as they would conduct a round up in the fall for the attempted to drive them during the time that dusk turns to darkness, past the camp tent, in which a lighted lantern had been left. At that particular instant a playful puff of wind co-e along, flapped the sides of and the entrance flaps of the already spooky looking tent. A dozen leader steers let out a resoun- sake of sorting out the sellable stock for market, branding and weaning calves, and keeping the herd near the winter feed supply. I attended one of these big roundups in Cheyenne County in 1913. It was conducted by two brothers, Bret and Ike Grey who were large operators in that area. The Grey brothers employed about 15 cowboys for the roundup. Some ofthe boys brought their own saddle horses, and with those that the boss supplied, there must have been 35 saddle horses in the remount supply string. It was �one cowboy's job to ride herd on the saddle horse herd, and follow up with the chuck wagon whenever it moved. This cowboy was cdled the horse wrangler. He would also bring the horse herd into camp, usually in the morning, or any time of day when fresh mounts were required. The cowboys would make a corral of lariat ropes, the boys themselves acting as poets in the fence. Then each cowboy in his turn would go in and catch the mount he wanted. Meals were served at the chuck wagon, I DROVE TIIE STAGES T470 Yes, I drove the stage coaches and I am not surprised that you are surprised for there are not many of us left. I do not know of any of the men that I drove with that are living. Stage coach driving had its incidents and some of them would seem precarious today, but at the time it was just a way of life and the fastest transportation that we had. It prepared by the roundup cook. Those meals were certainly relished after a day of hard riding. We each had our bedroll and slept on the softest place we could find on the ground would get you there and just about anywhere that you wanted to go. You have come a little late to get the story that I could have told you 50 years ago when drifting too far at night and also to keep them from stampeding. We never experienced a stampede on the Grey roundups, but I have seen real stampedes of herds of wild cattle who becn'ne frightened by a noise or a light at night and from any experience that was no use trying to stop a stampede of wild frightened cattle at night. I have known them could have told you of several single trips that under the stars. We took turns at night herding to keep the gathered herd from to run and travel for eight or ten mileg before stopping. Since the roundup was a good time and place to break in a green bronco there were generally a few in the remount string. Most every morning, some cowboy would draw a wild one and we would have a little exhibition. The wild horse, after being roped, would be snubbed to the saddle horn of a gentle horse, then blindfolded and eared down by a man on the gentle horse until the bronco was saddle and bridled. Then the rider got on, the blindfolds were taken off, and the horse turned loose to do his worst. This particular roundup was in process for about three weeks, and the country covered pretty thoroughly from the U.P. Railroad to the north line ofCheyenne County north and south, and from about even with Cheyenne Wells to Wild Horse east and west, moving the chuck wagon headquarters in a big circle, adding the cattle that were gathered each day to the holding herd was was moved alongwith the chuck wagon each time it changed snmping places. Several of the smaller ranchers in the areajoined the roundup for the sake of gathering their own cattle that might be scattered somewhere in the area. The cowboys were told to pick up all cattle carrying the brands of the several helping ranchers. This was my case, as I was gathering for my father, A.W. Harrison, who was located about 20 miles southwest of Stratton. Some of the old timers may remember some of the nnmss of the helping ranchers: Billy Lang, Mustache Barber, Al Hungerford, Win Cotton, Ben Brown, and Mr, Freeman. The roundup ended near an old cow camp about 20 miles NW of Kit Carson, known then as "Lost Springs", and we had nearly 2,000 head of cattle. We held them there several days working the herd, cutting out the cattle of each of the small ranchers in turn and holding them some distance from the main herd, until each was sure he had all of his brand, I then headed for home with about 30 head of my father's cattle. My time with the roundup had been well spent. by J. Carl Harrison my memory served me better. When I climbed off the lagt coach on my last drive I would have made a good story, but today I cannot remember the towns I went through. I can remember, though, some of the hills, especially coming down them. Going up a hill was of little notice when the horses had something to pull on but going down took skill and courage more than once. The passengers never knew how many times I have felt my heart up high in my throat. There is one thing that I have often wished I could do, and that is to have 4 "4-up" or "6up" of some of the horses I used to drive on one of the old stages on the same old road filled with some of the kids here in Flagler. It would be something they would never forget. This is as I remember it. Our state route was 365 miles long and it ran between Schanico and Corvallis, Oregon. My run was from Prineville to Schancio, or anyway I can remember climbing off at the end of the run in those towns. I well remember those wonderful horses. I do not see how a company could put together such a string of animals. They were of various colors but much of the same built; tall, good bodies and muscular with stamina to spare. You could not keep them from running, no matter howyoupulled they went, but just a mere whoa that they could hear and they would stop. I crossed several streams and hills and the hills were where I had to be real careful. There was one bridge of a sort and it was a $500 fine to run a horse over it. I could pull the horses down so that they were going slow, but they pranced and still shook the old bridge. I had to come down quite a hill just before going on this bridge and one day, pull as I could, the horses kept gaining speed and I noticed that the coach was pushing on the tongue team. I looked at the brakes that were on the back wheels and one of the shoes was gone. The other one was not effective for the shoes were on a benm that was hung under the coach and when I pushed on them with my foot it applied pressured to the center of the beam. This equalized them. I could not slow them down nor stop them and they acted like they really were having a time at last, but the bridge stood it and I was not caught but I thought I might be for one of the passengers knew the bridge and told me at the next stop that I was supposed to walk the horses over it. If she only knew how close they came to losing their driver on the curve leading on to the bridge. I was satisfied. We hit the bridge with dl four wheels on the planking and I was thinking as we approached it that two of them might not fit. I have a soft spot in my heart for the days I drove the stages and I think of them a lot. We came in to the station on a tear, dust fogging. That was the only way the horses would do it. I had to use the brakes, for the stop was sudden and if I did not use the brakes the coach would push the tongue tesm and tongue into the lead tenm. I climbed down and attended the baggage and passen- gers. I was through with the horses for someone else took over that. Sometimes I drove six horses, but mostly four. I carried up to 1,550 pounds of baggage and mail. This took very little time. The fresh horges were already out and hitched when we arrived. On some coaches the tongue clipped onto the coach so all you needed to do was unclip it, drive the foamy horses offand back the fresh ones in and clip their tongue on, but on most of them you had to drop the tugs on the tongue team. That was the most the servicemen ever did. They hitched the lead teams. They clipped on and off and, no matter how, changing horses never took one minute. I always looked around and usually hailed someone I knew. Conversation was loud and fast. Sometimes there were orders for me that were hard to hear. I climbed up, and on the way saw that the baggage was hard fast. I picked up the lines and released the brakes and we were off right then and just like we came in. These horses always cnme in fast and left the same way. Passengers in the back seat faced the front and more than once the start caught one of them leaning forward and I would hear their back clump against the back of the seat. At one stage stop I had to drop the mail bags off at the post office, turn a corner and then stop at the stage depot. It was at this place that I had a lead team that I well remember. This team had been passed up by several drivers because they were so hard to control. Some thought they had been used on a fire engine somewhere for they never wanted to slow up until you were ready to stop. They pulled harder on the bits than some 6-ups. I drove these horses out one day and outside of the pulling that I had to do on the lines I did not have any trouble. I will never forget though the sudden stops and quick starts. They always stopped, too, when they were supposed to. They knew we stopped at the post office and they always did, and they knew, too, that it was just a little ways and around the corner where we stopped again, but would they take it easy? No! We came into the second stop on the double. The service had a cooling offstop where they stood for awhile and they knew where that was, too, so that just as soon as they were unclipped from the stage they slid the attendant to their cooling offplace. I wish you could have driven that tenm. I rather expect that stage stops were different than most people picture them. There was lots of interest in the stage aniving. Anyone who was not in town too often made it a point to be there when the stage came in. There was more interest in the stage than in the trains. News was so valuable and more carelessly given, as it was not authenticated like it is now and, ofcourse, the isolated areas were more eager to get it and repeat it. There was no style in dress except that it seemed the more the ladies could put on the more in style they were. The bigger and wider the hat also. It looked like some of the men coming from the east had worn all the clothes �they had. These were the men coming in to make it their home and somehow get their living in this new land. They were the dandies, too, who dressed the part and told the tallest stories. I was in full charge of the coach on the road. The passengers were in my care and if I gave them an order it was to be obeyed. They were wonderful days; very, very wonderful for a young man like me. Some of the drivers were well known for only old timer's store in Flagler and probably in the county. My wife and I are enjoying good health. We hire no help and have not thought of retiring. Some of our slowest moving items have been here for some time. Anna and I saw Flagler born and have seen it grow and it has been a happy experience, a happy life being a part of it. by Roy Bader, deceased one reason or other. The stories oftheir deeds that made them known were told and retold around the stage stops. I was born July 30, 1881, and was named Earl Brown. We came to Flagler in '88 after living three years at Brewster, Kansas, and took a homestead, the northeast quarter of section 12, township 9, range 50. My wife Anna, coms for the same reason, to take a homestead, only she came later and alone and I soon changed her nnme which was Boethin to Brown. We were married September 1, 1913. We had two children that did not survive us, as one lived just for a short time and we lost the other in the 'flu epidemic of 1918. We saw the rails laid into town and it eure had a big meaning for all of us. Before this we had freighted everything from the railroad that was south of us and had gotten our mail from Bowserville. Merchandise of a minor nature was also sold at the post office and the new road came close to this and it was built fast as so many crews worked at different places. They were near Bowserville on July 4th, 1888, and the crews got in bad shape from celebrating with some kind of liquor. They said they got it at the post office and there was trouble about this as you could not dispense liquor from such. Federal trouble was trouble then, as now,as there were forts here and there. The closest one here was on the Arickaree River north of here. I was here to see some of the last cattle drives and while I understand lots of them watered at Crystal Springs, the ones I saw were west of the town of Flager. They were large droves and I think 25 or 30 men were with each drive. They powdered the earth and drank the river dry. They were not always steers, in fact, lots of times they were nearly all cows. I was pretty young and maybe that was why I was always late in getting there to see the whole thing, but I never did get over there and mingle with the punchers like I would now if I just had the chance. There was one homesteader who built the wall for his barn out of ties and that was when they were building the railroad. Well, a man from the Flagler headquarters went out and told him that he would have to return them as they were building a railroad and not barns. Well, the fellow told the railroad official that he could not make him return Union Pacific ties and they had to leave it that way. The ties stayed in the barn wall. We had our fling at the cattle business, but my father liked business better and entered it early. The homesteaders start€d raising grain just as soon as they could get it planted and about that time Dad started buying it. Everything then had to be sacked and he loaded out two cars one night after supper and that was in the early nineties. There were about a dozen farmers helping him and each car held about 500 bushels. I think I have have established a record in Kit Carson County in one respect. We have been in the some store since 1903. It is the Corn shucks were used for bed ticks (mattresses). There were also feather ticks, but that took lots of feathers. Pillows were also made of feathers. Chicken was a summer time meat and the soft feathers and down were always saved from the fowls. Kerosene lamps were used for lights and kerosene lanterns were carried for any out door chores or anything after dark. The cave (cellar) was a cool place to keep things. It was a place for potatoes, winter vegetables, fruit and all kinds of canned goods. LIFE AS A EARLY FARMERS T47l Saturday was 'town day' for the farmers a day to take in the cream and eggs and do the trading. All farmers had milk cows. Milking was one of many regular morning by Isaphene Dunlap Leeher JOIIN WILLIAM BORDERS and evening chores. The milk also had to be separated (hand-powered separator) and by Saturday, creom and eggs needed to be taken to town. Cream was kept in a cool place in five or ten gallon cans and had to be stirred with a long special stirrer during the week. Eggs were carried in egg cases (twelve, six or three dozen size) or in a bucket with grain (barley, wheat or milled) poured over them to keep them from breaking. Farmers did their weekly trading, visited neighbors (who were also in town) and on Saturday evening in Burlington, the Bandstand was pulled to the intersection of Senter and 14th Street (Main Street) and there, local talent played various band instruments. It was good entertainment. All farm wives raised big gardens, set incubators or hens and raised baby chicks. Roosters were used for fryers. Oh, how good that first 'fryer tasted about the 4th of July! Pullets were raised for the next years'layers'. Incubators cnme in 500 - 250 - 110 - 50 egg size with a kerosene heater underneath. A thermometer was placed on the eggs in hopes of keeping the heat regulated. Each egg had to be turned over every day by hand. It took three weeks from the time of setting to the hatch. Butchering was done in the fall after the weather became cool because there was no John William Borders. refrigeration. Pork meat was cured with liquid smoke and hot pepper rubbed well on the meat, or fried down. After the meat was fried and put in large stone jars, hot lard was poured over it to cover and seal the meat. Sausage was especially good prepared this way. Pork was also smoked. Beef, pork and chicken were also canned in mason jars. The fat was trimmed off the pork meat, cut into pieces and cooked in a large container, then lard was rendered off. The cracklings were used to make soap. Lye and water were added and cooked to the right consistency, then left to cool. Later it was cut into chunks and put on a board to dry. Fuels for stoves (both cooking and heating) were corn cobs, coal and cow chips. Cow chips made a good quick hot fire, but Oh - the ashes! However nothing went to waste. The ashes were put in a barrel resting on a sloping board and water was added which leached the lye from the ashes. Shoes were shined by turning a stove lid upside down, using a little water with the soot, and this was applied to shoes with a cloth or brush, then rubbed to polish. Manda I. Borders T472 �J.W. Borders was born to Mr. and Mrs. James Borders on December 3, 1881, in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. His mother was the former Miss Sarah Tabitha Musselman. J.W. was educat€d in the grade schools of Wiscon- sin and graduated from high school in Stratton, Colorado. Although he held a teacher's certificate, he never taught. He cnme to Stratton, Colotado in 1897 where there were only thirteen people in the settlement and worked with a railroad sec- tion crew for 13.5 cents per hour. About 1905 he took out a tree claim locatpd three miles north west of Stratton and fatmed for several years. He then becnrne a partner of Nason Fuller in the operation of a grocery store. After a week of this partnership, the store burned down, but was rebuilt. Later Mr. Borders went into the grain business. J.W. Borders was a widely known grain dealer throughout Kit Carson County, Colorado and also in Lincoln County, Colorado. He was the manager and main stockholder of the Snell Grain Company in Stratton for many years. The Snell Grain Company had six branches, located in Stratton, Vona, Genoa, Hugo, Flagler, and Arriba, Colorado. Mr. Borders became a grain buyer for Snell Milling and Grain Company of Clay Center, Kansas in 1911. In 1912 he bought out Mr. Snell and built a grain elevator that was added onto many times. The Snell Grain Company was reorganized and incorporated and its n'me was changed to the Snell Grain Company. It was also a closed family corpora- tion. Although the Borders Family is no longer involved with Snell Grain Company the company is still in existence in Arriba, his farming operations and through general merchandising with the development of Stratton and that section of Kit Carson County. He lived a busy, useful, active, clean and honorable life and left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. Nason Fuller was born in Canada February 6, 1846, and there pursued his education until he was sixteen years of age, when he moved to Piatt County, Illinois. He was quite small when his father died. At a young age he began work upon the home farm and when the family moved to lllinois he assisted his mother with the farm work. The family consisted of six sons and two daughters. Mr. Fuller and his brothers carried on the farm in Piatt County until he was twenty-four years old. The family then moved to Mcdonough County, Illinois, where Nason secured employment in a wood shop. He assisted in the building of wagons and in other wood County, Illinois, the daughter of George Gregg and Lydia (Majors) Ingre-. George Gregg Ingram was a stonemason and farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Nason H. Fuller moved in September, L872,to Iowa, where they resided for eleven years. Mr. Fuller worked at various occupations, but mainly did blacksmith work and farming during the period. He was successful in almost everything he undertook throughout his life. He was a man of sound judgment and discrimination and thus his named Ira D. He married Bertha Arnold and lived in Vona, where he conducted a general store. Ira and Bertha had two children, Hoyt and Susan. In 1884 a second child, Manda Iva was born from Burlington. The railroad was completed in May of 1888. Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Borders becn-e the parents of four children: Floyd, who married Rena Mae Hartwig of Vona, Colorado; Halbert (deceased), married Olive Cozine; Hazel who married Hershel C. Harrison; and Marion who married Eleanor De Walt of Longmont, Colorado. There were five grandchildren: Richard Lee, married to Pa.tricia Lowe; Donald Dee, married to Sandra Simson; Robert, who married Zulma McDermott; Diane, married to Tom Moore of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and John Wilson, married to Margaret Schwall. Robert is now married to Emma Jean Sewell. Halbert Borders passed away in 1946. Mrs. J.W. Borders passed away on March 29,L962. J.W. Borders passed away on October 29, L970. by Marion Borders T474 February, 1872, Angeline was born in Warren daughter of Nason H. and Angeline (Ingram) Fuller, on April 19, 1901, at Stratton, Colorado. Manda cqme to Stratton with her parents in a covered wagon in April of 1888. Her father, Nason Fuller, rode the first train and returned on the first passenger train SAILING AND GOOSE HUNTING were united in marriage on the 22nd, of opinions were often sought on points of law. On the 3oth of December, 1875 a son was out of the Stratton to Burlington, Colorado by Marion Borders work for three years. During this time he net his future wife. Nason H. Fuller and Miss Angeline Ingram Genoa, and Hugo, Colorado. J.W. Borders married Manda I. Fuller, Congregational Church. He served for two years as county commissioner of Kit Carson County and was recognized as a valued and progressive citizen. born to Mr. and Mrs. Fuller whom they Dennis Orth, Burlington, CO. 2 geese shot around HaIe, CO. Dec. 12, 1985. Weight 10% lbs.,9% lbs. to Mr. and Mrs. Nason Fuller. Manda I. became the wife of J.W. Borders in April of 1902. J.W. Borders managed the elevator at Stratton and was in partnership with Angeline Fuller, Manda lva's mother. Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Borders had four children, Floyd, Halbert, Hazel and Marion. Mr. Nason Fuller and his family began farming on the homestead at Stratton. His health became impaired and moved into Stratton, where he conducted a general merchandise store for two years. Mr. Fuller then sold out and engaged in the cattle business, living on the old homestead. He remained there for thirteen years and was successful but again found the work too hard for him and again left the farm. He and his wife moved to Burlington, where he worked at the carpenter's trade. After two years in Burlington they returned to Stratton at the request of their children. Mr. Fuller once more conducted a general merchandising store, but a year later his store was destroyed by fire. He was entering his store with a NASON HOYT FULLER T473 Mr. and Mrs. Nason Hoyt Fuller and family moved to Colorado in the year 1888 and homesteaded at Stratton. Mr. Fuller was closely identified through lighted lamp when he suffered a heart attack and the lamp fell, breaking, starting the fire. His friends rescued him from the burning building. Mr. Fuller sold his farm in order to obtain ready money to resume business. Nason Hoyt Fuller remained active in business until his death. which occurred on the 27th of December, 1917. Mr. Fuller belonged to the Masonic Fraternity and was a faithful member of the Dennis and Jean Orth, Bonny Dam, 198?. Local sailors have returned from a variety of late-summer regattas. Physical manifestations of their struggles are worn like badges. Many are noticed favoring aching limbs, lame shoulders or knees. Others are repairing chapped lips, exemining bruises or treating cuts, abrasions, blisters, nicks and scrapes to the skin referred to in sailing circles as "boat �bites". In spite of the inherent risks in the sport, area sailors entered and placed in two major races held recently by the Ogallala Yacht club on Lake McConaughy near Ogallala, Nebr. First place in the Trane Mac went to Sam Schreiner of Stratton sailing a Sun Juan 23. Crewing for Sam were Dennis Orth and Glen Veihmeyer of Burlington. There were 78 in the off-shore and 128 entered in one-design. Competing in the offshore division were skippers: Sa- Schreiner, Hugh Balkwill and Glen Veihmeyer. Crewing of Veihmeyer's Eagle was Bob Cook from Grant, Neb. Sa- Schreiner placed first in the off-shore "Open 2" fleet of 20 boats. In August 1987, Glen Veihmeyer also participated in a regatta out of North Platte in his Eagle trimaran on Lake Maloney. Curt Veihmeyer crewed for his father in these events. by Dennis Orth THE LARGEST AND TIIE SMALLEST T476 been the smallest man in the service, but it is upon the variation in the size of these two men that the Burlington post makes its claim. Pratt's clothing is especially made, his trouser measurements being 66 by 38. Magee takes a 32by 24 trouser and wears a size five shoe. by Marlyn Hasart THE SHORT NIGHT OF A COWBOY T476 "When you ask me to recall the by gone days when I was a young cowpoke, the one thing that came to my mind are the short nights. I know that I'll never forget them. They stand out in my mind so vividly and were so much a part of my youth, that it has always been a wonder to me the short time that a cowboy could spend in that wonderful bedroll. About the only thing that I would know was that I had been asleep and I would feel the boss kicking me, and it seemed that I had hardly closed my eyes. I cannot ever remember awakening in the night except a couple of times when the cattle went on a stampede and then I expect I got the usual kick to get me going." "Yes, the ground was hard and sometimes it was cold and sometimes it was wet and raining or snowing, but it was always the same - I rolled up and that was the last thing I knew until it was morning." These words were spoken by Emil Stalgren. We found Emil playing poker that afternoon of May 18, 1958, with his brother, Roy and two friends. We might have known it would be poker or craps, for the horses were all gone from his place and his life was made up about equally of the three. Many times we have seen him in days gone by, on his knees rolling dice with a blanket spread out on the prairie and a complete circle of cowpokes around the blanket, winning a little and losing a little with Emil and ueually losing just a little more than they were winning. These ga-es were a regular Sunday event. The boys started gathering about ten in the Rube Pratt of Kirk and C.L. "Jack" Magee of Burlington, members of The American Legion, Post No. 60 of Burlington, Colorado. morning and the dice were soon warming up. They took time out to eat a sandwich that was on the back of their eaddle or to drink a cup of coffee that was on the fire, and sometimes a drink of something a little stronger. Then about one in the afternoon a few of them would ride off over the prairie and bring in a bunch of broncoe and the rest of the day would be spent in riding these animals - not to break them to ride, but to see how hard The largest and the smallest members of they could make them buck. These same the American Legion bece-e the challenge of the Arthur Evans Post No. 60 of Burlington, horses were sold like any other horse with not Colorado. The challenge went to all other Anerican Legion Posts in the United States to match the variation in the size of it's two members. The members upon whom the Burlington post bases its claim are Rube Pratt, farmer living near Kirk, Colorado and Clarence L. Magee, local attorney. Pratt, who it is claimed as the largest marine in service during World War I, stands six feet ten inches in height and weighs 375 pounds. Magee, who is five feet one inch tall weighs 125 pounds, does not claim to have a word eaid about how they had been used, to anyone coming along wanting to buy horses. Emil Stalgren was born September 29, 1882, in Stockholm Sweden. He arrived in this country with his parents, Charles Alfred and Hannah Sophia Stalgren in 1884, along with his brother Gus and sister Hannah. Seven other children were born here: Herman, Ida, Josephine, Pearl, Maude and Anna. They stopped first at York, Nebraska, but in a short time went on to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Here Emil's father opened a tailor shop. As there was not too much business, the Stalgrens moved again. This time to Wallace, Kansas. Emil did not say just how long they remained at Wallace, but there he learned much about how to care for himself and how to mix with the outfits and cowpunchere. He learned a lot about horses, too, and decided he liked them. He was roping, branding, herding and doing many other things when he should have been going to school. He did not like the pay and so he decided to go back to Wyoming. He was about 17 at that time. He ceme to a Settlement called Pine Bluffs and was soon working for a man by the nnme of Parker, but he could not remember the name of the outfit. He was to get 930.00 per month, meals included. As he was youngest man in the outfit he was called "Kid" or "Slim". Wild horses were not much to Emil's liking and he did not try to tane any, but his brother Gus broke a few and some of them gentled down about as well as any other horse. Emil said he just did not like them and you did not have much of a horse after you went to all that trouble. They were mostly too small. Emil had to mention again here how short those nights were and we asked him how short they were, and he said he thought that in summer they were about 5 or 6 hours put in in the bedroll. One man had to stay up all night. That was always done so as to keep an eye on things and the horses that were kept close by in a bunch. If there were seven working cowboys that meant there were ?5 or 80 horses for them; four well broke horses to pull the chuck wagon, and an old skate that the cook rode and a few good ones for the boss to ride. Sometimes they would not get a bunch of cattle finished that they had rounded up that morning, and that meant that someone had to hold them together and away from the other cattle. So many were the nights that some of the cowboys were up all night. A horse and rider, moseying around after dark, always seemed to have a quieting affect on the cattle. An occasional cough, a little singing, and always that shuffling around was all that was needed, but it had to be done. The first thing the boys did when they were kicked out in the morning, was to drink coffee that was always on the fire. Biscuits of a sort were always on the bill o'fare, the rest varied a little. Fresh beef was a standby, although when they used the last of the beef they usually waited a few days before another was prepared. The other things were salt pork, prunes and raisins. Emil spent nearly all of one winter rounding up stray horses. Horses could get around pretty fast and when they got 75 miles from the home ranch that was considered far enough and they shooed them back always. He had a partner most of the time. He would be someone representing another outfit. Emil could not remember any of them that he rode with that wintcr except Emil Foreling, who later became sheriff of one of the wegtern Nebraska counties. He even saw him in later years when he went back to see his old time stomping grounds. Well, they just rode and rode and looked and looked. One thing of note was that in all that riding that winter no one asked them where they came from, where they were going or what they were doing. Emil said that you did not agk questions, you waited until information was given or you �went without it. They did stop in at places, eat and stay overnight or longer if it was necessar5r', such as storms, etc. They were on legitimate business and were not reluctant to tell who they were, whom they were working for and what they were in the vicinity for. No place was locked and they went in and stayed just the same as if someone was there. No one thought anything of doing this. They all did it. We knew Emil when he bought cattle from people far and near and he was a fair and square dealer. He just took a little time to look them over and then made a bid. He never dickered. The bid was always just a little under what he thought he could ship them for and still make a little profit. People who did not have a carload to sell liked to sell to Emil. You could buy from him also if you wanted cattle. The old Texas Trail went though Emil's stomping ground and he thought he was on the last drive. This was a drove of 5,000 that were being taken to Montana and they were moving and grazing slowly along. This trail meandered over a trail that was about 20 miles wide so there would be a little grass to eat on the way. This one went close to Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, and all the boys that were on the drive got drunk and things were held up until they got over it. He left Wyoming in 1906 and came to Kit Carson County, Colorado, to homestpad. There were not many people for neighbors as most of the first homest€aders had left and the grass had come back pretty well where they had tried farming. Emil got into the cattle business right away and soon built up a herd that numbered 400 at the peak. He thought that as soon as he had acquired the same number as his father had, he could be considered a rancher. His father had already come to Kit Careon County. He was hurt seriously out on the range when he was riding a horse that wanted to act mean all the time. The horse seemed to hate people. He had a fit when Emil was in the saddle and fell and pinned one of Emil's legs under its side, and also that foot was still in the stirrup. He had to maneuver so ae to get the horse to slide over and yet not get up, becawe if the horse did get up and his foot was still in the stirrup he would be drug to death. After some time he decided he was free, so he let the onery horse get up. His ankle was broken and the knee that was .wheeled around on the ground under the horse bothered him all the reet of his life and he never could seem to get it into a comfortable position. The cowpunchers were always welcome at the Stalgrens and they liked to step in. Everyone behaved. It seemed no one ever doubted Emil's ability to keep order. Just a little remark from him and everything wan right again. He had a way with people of any caliber or mentality or character. There never was another man like Emil. him to. One time when Reuben was elsewhere and not watching Archie, he tried it. It turned out alright. He pulled leather and asked why he did it, he said that he was not going to be thrown off the first time. They all had a lot of good clean fun. Emil regretted somewhat that some folks thought that pioneer life was lived like barbarians and heathens lived. He informed us that it was just a mile and a half west of his place to the Wallet Post Office. The minister stopped there at times and people could get married, baptized or have a funeral preached. Emil was a little on the rough side and we never saw or heard of him being in a church, but it wasjust on the surface for there was a lot of charity in his heart for anyone that needed it, the church or anyone. He was always ready to help. It was Emil's thinking that it was time someone was writing about the early cattlemen, for he said there were so many twisted ideas about the days gone by. They had no chutes in those days but they worked the cattle with horses and got the job done just as well. They did not have the cattle diseases that they have now. Cattle used to lay down outhouse were erected. The sod blocks were cut from a thick rooted grassy low place on the land and hauled by team and wagon to the building site. I was a small girl at the time but remember helping Dad with all but the first part of the house and barn. He made a sod cutt€r, a sort of sled drawn by a team of horses. Dad, being a blacksmith, fashioned the cutter; the sod was cut twelve inches wide, four inches thick, in long strips and then Dad took a sharp spade and cut the strips into 18-inch lengths and turned the sod out upside down to cure. The blocks were hauled on planks, laid on the running gears of a wagon. The blocks were laid up brick style and reinforced every so often through the wall with a twelve-inch board, with windows and doors being allowed for. A plate was put on top the walls for the roof rafters and 12 inch boards laid, covered with tar paper and sod was then put on the roof grass side up. The inside of the house could be plastered to keep out mice, sparrows and snakes. Our floors were 12 inch boards also. The doors were homemade. About 1914, Dad dug a tions in the pasture that there is today. Emil sweat€d many a horse until they were cellar under the kitchen and bailed the dirt out with a box sled with one horse hitched on a chain. It was my job to lead the horse. In 1915. I started school in a sod school house and completed all eight grades here. My two sisters and one brother also attended school here until the school was abandoned. and we moved to Limon. Colorado. in a lather and panting to get a doctor to help a person in need. The first doctor who was a by Margaret Berry Slise in a different place very night. The more separated they were the healthier they were. Black leg was bad but it seldom struck for they did not have the reasons for getting it that they do now. There was not the varia- good doctor in his way of thinking, was old Doc Fergeson and they were all pretty fair after that. He has seen a lot of improvement in the way of doctoring, but none of them had ever helped his bad leg and now it was his whole side. On June 21, 1958, Emil's brother, Roy, with whom he lived, went to town to get groceries and returned home and not finding Emil in the kitchen as usual, looked in the bedroom, He was lying on the bed. Emil Stalgren was dead. He was buried in the Beaver Valley Cemetery, the cemetery he had helped start and helped care for since he was a young mErn. Many of his relatives lay there waiting for him. by Roy Bader SOD IIOUSE LIVING T477 I will give you a brief description of our homestead northwest of Flagler, Colorado. In 1907, my father homesteaded the SW % Sec. 7-6-51 in Kit Carson Co. and in March 1908, he cnme out from Goff, Kansas to erect sod buildings. He stayed with a bachelor neigh- bor, Mr. Guhr. DIGGIN'UP OLD BONES T478 When Glass Davis was a young boy, he and his brothers recall gathering buffalo bones to sell. At one time, hunters slaughtered the buffalo very indiscriminately, leaving the meat . . just slaughtering for the hides. After a number of years, the early settlers began to arrive and there was a market for loads of buffalo bones at Haigler, Nebraska. The grandfather of the Davis children would drive the team, hitched to a wagon, while the youngsters gathered the bones, which brought $8.00 in cash or $9.00 in trade. One evening, several carcases were found close together up the South Fork of the Republican River. There were large bullet slugs under each carcass and also a whet rock, or as we call it today, a whet stone. No doubt the skinner who lost it must have had quite a loss, as it would have been a long distance to a settlement where one could have been purchased. The Davis children gathered many piles of buffalo horns and they were considered of Dad put up a two-roomed sod dwelling at the Stalgren's every Sunday afternoon. first, with rooms 14 X 16 feet. Mom and I value. One day a couple of eowboys came up the Dee and Carl Dillon were two of the main riders. Frank Barnett was there just learning. arrived May 1, 1908, after having spent a few Reuben Andereon took on one just once in a while, but he was just a kid and did not try to tough ones until the rodeo moved over the the Frnmer Ranch, which was the last place they were held. Reuben's kid brother, Archie, was always wanting to ride, but it was not river; one stayed and talked with the Davis children. He admired a pile of buffalo horns which were becoming very scarce or might Indiana. There wae a period when there was a rodeo anything for kids and Reuben did not want weekg with my Probst grandparents in Later, in 1916, Dad erected an addition to the soddy making a nice three room home which was quite comfortable through the severe wint€rs. Other buildings consisted of a tar-roofed barn, a granary and a garage in 1917. Also a small chicken house and an have been considered antiques, since there were no more buffalo roaming the prairies. This fellow admired the horns and selected several pair ofthe beauties. Buffalo horns are somewhat of a "kin" to ivory tusks. Soon the other cowboy returned from his errand to the Tuttle Ranch. The cowbovs had about a �gunny sack and a half of beautifully matched horns, and all of a sudden they spurred their horses and took off at a gallop, leaving the children with their mouths open over such an outrageous trick. In later years, Glass accompanied a man to the foothills where one of these fellows was retired in a small shack among the cedars, and was in very poor health. The visitor, who was acquainted with the buffalo horn thief, was amazed at the number of cigarettes the man was smoking. Cigarettes apparently were a new commodity. He remarked to the old cowboy, "You will kill yourself smoking those darn thing", whereupon Glass remarked, "Let him alone, he is getting just what he deserved", recollecting the high-handed thieving deal of the nice buffalo horns. Today, buffalo heads and other parts ofthe animal are often found along the South Fork of the Republican River after flood waters have receded. Many are washed out of the soil, from 10 to 12 feet deep. Many Indian relics also are found, but are becoming more scarce each year since there are so many seekers. Large Iimestone bluffs, located north of Bethune on the South Fork ofthe Republican River, have yielded large fossilized remains of giant sea turtles which have been estimated to have weighed over a thousand pounds. claimed to have originated from beautiful Arabian horses brought over by the Spaniards to ride while on their conquests. Enemies of the wild herds of horses in Kit Carson County, in early days, were ferocious wolves of the plains. The means used by early-day ranchers to protect their horses in the corrals at night were by hanging lanterns around the corral to frighten the wolves. Mountain lions are known to have been killed in this part of the country in early history. Glass Davis relates that an old horse wrangler dieclaims the stories about wild stallions having a large herd of mares. He declared that a stallion noses out (runs away) the young colts and keeps his original band. It was quite a thrill and much enjoyment to see the little bands of frolicking mustangs appear, working their way across the verdant prairie, finally making a wild and thunderous dash for their favorite watering place in the river. The river skirted the south hills of what by Grace Corliss SIM T480 now is known as the Corliss Ranch. Of course, the Wood and Corliss places had not been homesteaded at that time. All land around the Tuttle and Davis places were virgin prairie of buffalo grass with no fences. This little band of mustangs roamed the river valley and adjoining hills. My parents, Sim and Dolly Hudson, with me (Georgeanna Hudson Grusing) at the wheel on Lake Mead, Nevada, Summer 1938. If it were a hot day, Davis recalls, occasionally some mustangs would lie down in the cool, historical things that are held privately, as many are becoming lost and scattered. spring-fed waters and wallow. After their thirst was quenched, they would loiter off toward the south prairie. In those early days of history in Eastern by Grace Corliss their range hands out to round up all cattle There should be a large museum built in Kit Carson County to gather in the many with a gate and not much extra. It was located on a ranch owned bv McCrillis. Colorado, large cattle companies would send THE LAST HORSE ROUND UP T47g According to a bit of historical knowledge given by Lewis Glass Davis, Burlington, Co., about what he considers was the last round up of wild horses in this part of the country around the "Old Tuttle Ranch," and Elias Davis Ranch, located on the upper part of the South Fork of the Republican River, about 15 to 23 mileg northeast of Stratton, Co. The Davis family arived here in the spring of 1887. At present, the "Old Tuttle Ranch" is owned by Tom Price. The Davis ranch was abandoned after the big flood of 1935 and later annexed to the Harvey Wood Ranch. This part of the country in Kit Carson County was the range where a band of 11 mustangs roamed the river valley and hille to the south. According to history, mustangs lead a carefree, playful life, loafing along whenever they felt like it. Mustangs were noted to be the speediest horses for travel on the western prairies. Bands of horses are reputed to operate a form of protection to keep the herd from danger, by having one or more as an advanced guard to give an alarm at the approach of danger. This alarm is expressed by a sudden snorting, at which the body of horses gallops off with the most surprising swiftness, with their heads high and tails in the air. When the mustang got a "man-Bmell" he was off like a shot and the rest of the herd ran with him. Mustangs had a keen senee of smell and could smell men from a long distance, on a breeze. The first wild horses in North America are they could find between the Platte River and the South Fork of the Republican River. Then they would divide the cattle by brands. It is claimed also that from the Republican River, south to the Cimmarron River, large roundups in like fashion took place. When these large ranches wanted extra horses, according to what is told by histo- rians, they would send a group of horse wranglers, otherwise cow-hands, with a chuck Slqmpa George Barker and my stepmother, Hazel Hudson, stirring a "mud pot" while I (Georgeanna Grusing) look on. Later Summer 1939 in Yellowstone Park. wagon to carry their food and bed rolls. At night the cowboys would bed down on the prairie. One day, around the last of May, Davis recalls seeing such a round up in progress in the river valley, south and west of the Davis homestead buildings. Glass recalls seeing the herd of mustangs coming down the valley from the west, from the direction of the Tuttle Ranch. Some of the herd cut through a bunch of cattle rounded up while a rider appeared hazing part of the herd eastward in the vicinity of the present Wood ranch buildings. Evidently the rider had been Qhasing the horses since early morning, as his horse looked very worn. Eventually, the mustangs joined in the wild running and crossed the prairie southwest of the Davis buildings. They ran across the river by the Davis place and disappeared into the south hills where Glass says no doubt there were fresh riders waiting. After that, Glass says he never saw them again. In later years, Glass says he heard reports ofwild horses southwest ofSeibert and on the Smoky, but those were the last in this neighborhood. Glass recalls in early days that he saw ruins of a wild horse corral on the Launchman River northwest of Burlington. The corral was in fair shape but not usable. According to information, it was a dry-wash Not only did my dad, Sim Hudson, get a picture of me (Georgeanna Grusing) feeding the bears, but he also caught a better photo of Hazel, his wife, feeding a bear while Grampa George Barker and I watched. You can see I was about ready to jump out of my skin! Late summer 1939 in Yellowstone Park. Sim Hudson wasn't always an easy man to live with since he had an energetic drive that sometimes mowed people down he - but certainly was an interesting man! Long before he shot the head off of a large rattlesnake about to strike me (when I was a baby playing in a sandpile) to long after he brought my 15th birthday present (a live, full grown horse) into the house in order to surprise me, �we never knew what to expect from him! He wouldn't allow me to call him Dad, he *@LqT'1Y:,,'r":i3'i I'i:r41'rtf8lv1liYf'. man came to the lumber yard and said, "I didn't ' sleep last night because of what you said, so I got up this morning and had breakfast and decided you called me a liar and that you will have to take it back." According to Dad, he replied "Well, I slept wouldn't let me ride a bicycle, he wouldn't teach me how to drive (and he, a car dealer!) yet when I was only 10-11 and scared, he ingisted that Mother and I each ride a mule with him down to the bottom of the Grand all right, but I haven't had any breakfast, so because what was good for the goose was- good for the gander, and the gosling ae well. Sure enough, we all had a fantastic experience! He wanted photos of me feeding the bearg in Yellowstone, and of mystepmother, Hazel, we are about even." The other man was about Canyon fifteen to twenty years younger than my father, who was already well along in his thirties. They decided the place to have the fight was in the intersection by the lurnber yard and they hadjust started when I arrived and sat down on my wagon load of papers. It was a bare knuckles fight and an unusually and of Qlnmpa stirring the mud-pots and geysers, and he got them! Due tothe beef shortage duringWWII, Sim shipped Mexican oxen in by rail, driving clean fight. We later learned that Dad's opponent had been a boxer at Kansas State University and considered pretty good. Coyote Hounds them on foot from the depot on the north side of Burlington (across lawns, through rosebushes and once-clean laundry hanging on clotheslines) to a pasture 11 milee south of and where town, where they were fattened - catching a Sim conned my Iowa cousin into Once when Dad struck his opponent on the left shoulder, he went down. It was not a knock-out blow but it was a powerful blow and he went completely down. When he got up he rushed my father and grabbed him big ol' bullsnake and getting him drunk. Thereafter, for several months, the snake ehowed up regularly at the stock tank for hig "happy hour." Sim hunted and we 6f,e nlmqst, everything: bear, possum, pheasants, jack rabbits, elk, deer and antelope, to say nothing of the frog legs that kept jumping around in the frying around the body and legs. Dad hooked his left arm around his head and I heard him ask "Do you want to break clean?" Evidently he did for they did break clean and resumed the fight. Every so often I would look up the pan. Coyote Hounds Sim had a vast variety of friends, and interests, becauge he liked people for what water. I returned quickly to see the hound eat they were, not who they were. Coneequently, he hosted many a person at our dinner table (with Hazel and me doing the cooking and cleanup): old and young doctors, artists, cowboys, farmers, sportsmen, mentally retarded, business men, physically handicapped, hitch-hikers and goldminers. Sim wanted me to know dl kinds of people, but he aleo wanted me to "grow up right" and saw to it that I regularly went to Sunday School and Church, even if he did not. Although Sim and I were as different as bacon and eggs, I nm both pleased and o-uged whenever someone says I'm getting more like him every day. He was a character! He had character! He was not a hypocrite: he said what he thought; he was what he was. He provided well and loyally for his family, especially his mother; he was honest, made many loans to people down on their luck, had a good sense of humor and was a great story-teller. If I can do as well with my life as he did with his, the world will be a better place to live in. by Georgeanna Hudson Grusing COYOTE HOUNDS T48r My father-in-law, George Paintin, was proud of the hounds he kept to hunt coyotes. He rode a good horse that didn't mind carrying his catch on the saddle. He tried to convince me of the merits of keeping hounds. He may have succeeded had the hound not eaten the chicken I was preparing to clean. I placed the chicken on the doorstep while I ran in to get the scalding the last bite. by Jean Paintin THE GREATEST FIGHT I EVER SAW T4a2 Back in the forties, I saw Sonny Liston in a prize fight in Denver. Liston was in his prime and at that time he was not afraid of anyone. He was a power man and it was a real demonstration of his strength and power. But the greatest fight t ever saw was in Burlington at the corner by the Foster Lumber yard, just one block east of Winegar block on Main Street. So far as I know, there were only two spectators. I had a ringside seat (on a coaster) wagon) and Hugh Baker - the Sheriff of Kit Carson county, saw it from one block away. I was twelve or thirteen at the time. It was elmsst, six a.m. on a Sunday morning. I had been to the depot to get the Sunday papers. I had them on the wagon, as they were too much of a load to handle on a bicycle. My Dad had talked to a customer about his bill the day before as it was way over-due. The man had promised many times, but no payment had been paid. He again promised to make a payment in three weeks and my Dad said "You lied to me the last time - how can I believe you this time?" I don't know what the man said, but he did promise to pay in three weeks and it was left at that. Dad was also up before six and went down to the lumber office to work on the books. It was the end of the month and he wanted to bring his "list of accounts" up to date. That was the list of accounts payable to the lumber yard. Shortly before I arived at the corner, the street and I would see a man in a cowboy hat (HuSh Baker) looking around the corner of the First National Bank. About every ten minutes the other man would stop and ask, "Have you had enough?" Dad always replied, "You have as much to fight for as when you began." Finally, after about one hour of really heavy fighting, excellent boxing - both men still on their feet and only one knock-down, I heard my father give his seme reply to the question, "Have you had enough"? I didn't'hear what the other said. My Dad said lat€r that he said "Yes, but I think I understand you a lot better." That afternoon we went for a ride - I remember how terribly bruised my father's face was. His upper lip was swollen and I couldn't take my eyes off it. The other man canied his left arm in a sling for two or three weeks because ofa "cracked" bone. The fight was in the news service in about five minutes. Evidently, HUGH Baker went to the telephone immediately and called someone in Norton, Kansas, because Dad got a call from his boss in Norton before the day was over. The man never did pay his bill! by Carl Sr. Bruner I PUNCIIED COWS ON TIIE CHICAGO RANCII T483 The Cattlemen's Association knew that when they wentto talk to Joe Boyles he would take them back agood manyyears and he did, back to 18&t when his father, Andrew Jackson Boyles, had come to this country in a covered wagon. Joe did not remember much about that early day in Colorado thought, as he was not born until his father had left for the fulfillment of an appointment as U.S. Marshal in the Oklahoma Territory. Andrew did not stay long in Oklahoma after the strip was opened up, but returned to Colorado, where Joe grew up. In 1904 the Rutherford family had sold out �to a company from Chicago that had recently of how it had been brought up from Cheyenne come from Denmark. There was A.L. Ander- Wells in the very beginning and placed in Old Burlington, then the main part of Burlinet. ,.. Then later, how it wag moved to its present sen, Lars Larsen and Nels Nelsen. These men had connections in Chicago and called them- selves the Chicago Cooperative Livestock Conmission Co. And it was here that Joe got his firet job, and he thinks he was about 16. He was to etay with one farnily and was to get $15.00 a month and all the oatmeal he could eat. They had it boiled for breakfast, warmed over for dinner and fried for supper. Joe cannot eat oatmeal yet today. The Chicago Ranch had from 600 to 1,000 head of cattle and they ran on the wide open spaces. Joe was on the range most of the time. There was a large sheep ranch farther south and Joe found himself down there many times and he always managed to be near a sheep shack at meal time eo as to get a little variation from his oatmeal diet. Farther east from the Chicago Ranch was a big horse ranch operated by a Mr. Eversol. The Chicago Ranch was supposed to get several hundred horses from Kansas City but they never showed up. About seventy head was all that they ever had. The Chicago Ranch lost plenty of cattle that were never found and just a few horses. They all carried a 4 slash T on the right hip. There were a lot ofbutcher shops around and it was thought that here was where most of the missing cattle went. Joe's rougheet winter on the Chicago was a wintpr following a drouth and there was lots of snow. Cattle could not get through the enow to find what little feed was shipped into Burlington. He used a teqm of horses and a tenm of mulee on two sleds and would go after a load one day, stay overnight in Burlington, and on home the next day. He did this day in and day out all winter and he thought the winter would never end. Joe remained at the ranch several years and must have been a fair cowhand because he received severd raises. He gaved his money and in due time thought it was time he was getting married. Thee was a girl by the name of Vera Coad who had come to Burlington in 1906. Her parents had heard of the nice climate here so had come from Wieconsin, to take a homestead. They were married in 1914. Joe and his father saw a lot of changes take place around the Burlington area. They saw all the livery stables come and go in Burlington. Joe remembers the time his Uncle Billie's stable burned down and how 16 tenms perished in the flames. The days ofthe boots and saddles were into a slow decline when the Andersens left the Chicago Ranch. Mr. Andersen got Joe to drive his last horses into Burlington to be sold. He delivered them to the Livery Stable that stood where C.D. Reed was selling tractors. One was a horee that Joe will always remember, a good horse, strong and true, with a mild manner, eorrel in color with a white mane and tail. The last owner of the Chicago Ranch, while it could be called a ranch, wag Wm. Mead. It contained about 2,000 acres and wag all fenced. During the depression years, he went broke and the ranch was sold and was cut up into small parcels of land. So ended the historical and friendly daye of the Chicago Ranch, with not one incident to mar the good character it always carried. Joe laughed when he got to talking about the Montezuma Hotel. He recalled the story location by the use of eighteen teams of horses and mules. It seemed that it was the ambition of all its owners to keep pace with the growing Burlington. It was refaeed again and again and added onto'and remodeled. They never wanted to turn away any guests. Finally after a few years with business on a decline and the taxes much too high, they gtarted to make it smaller. Then in later years what did it do but burn to the ground. But the hotel did not die. It was rebuilt and carried on as before. Joe saw the Lester Beveridge Ranch develop and become one of the leading rancheg. They brought in registered cattle to help improve the quality of the cattle in the county. Joe was always known throughout the area for his horsemanship. He rode in the first rodeo ever held in Burlington. He never lost interest in good horses. He had many pictures of them in his home. by Roy Bader Anyway it was a lot of fun and created quite a stir. by Henry Y.Iloskin ADOBE HOMES T485 George and Agnes Paintin cnme to Colorado in 1912. Their first home was a two room sod house. It was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The roof would always leak when it rained. One leak was sure to be over the bed, regardless where they moved the bed. Occasionally a mouse found a way in and a large bull snake tried to take up residence on a pile ofcozy quilts. It had a short life once discovered. One of Dad's philosophies of life was "it is never to expensive, if you do it yourself'. With this in mind, he and mother decided to build a bigger and better home for their growing family in 1919. Their preference was Oregon l'-ber but money was scarce so they chose the native adobe dirt that could be made into blocks. This was plentiful south of the William HOOTCH MELON STORY T484 A story worthy of mention is the "Hootch Melon Story". This was probably conceived by a number of persons. The story that ran in the Roc&y Mountain Nea.rs is as follows: "A contract which is unique is recorded to have been signed here yesterday between V.H. Chandler and three of the leading real estate firms of Burlington. Mr. Chandler, who is one of the oldest settlers in the area and one of the most successful watermelon growers in eastern Colorado, had contracted to plant and care for one acre of watermelons for each firm. In the middle of August, when the melons will be about half grown, Mr. Chandler plans to plug each melon and to plant in the cavity from which the plug comes a special yeast of his own invention. The outer part of the plug ig them replaced, and the whole covered with adhesive strips. Not only does the yeast, acting on the natural sugar content of the melon immediately begin to develop alcohol Among the tissues, but it stimulates the growoth of the fruit to a tremendow degree. Within a week the place where the melon was plugged is marked only by a brownish scar and within a month from the date of the operation ninety-six out of a hundred melons will show at least 10 percent alcohol and will exceed 30 pounds in weight. These real estate men who are, A.W. Winegar, J.A. Swenson, and E.L. Powell, are to pay Mr. Chandler $1.00 for every melon that exceeds of equals 10 percent alcohol or 30 pounds weight, and payment to be made on tests oft€n average melons from each acre. Mr. Chandler estimates that there will be from 900 to 1000 melons on each acre that will meet the test, and plans are being made for one of the most extensive real estate campaigns ever canied on in the United States." This article appeared April 1921. Thyne place just two miles south. Uncle Joe and Aunt Susie Garnerwould build oneatthe same time. Aunt Susie's father, Clark Hampton, was the engineer for the project. They built forms from wood to shape the adobe blocks and dug a round pit about a foot deep. This was the east part. To get the project underway they drove the teems of horses pulling wagons to the site ofthe adobe dirt, loaded them by hand shoveling, hauling this dirt back to their pit and unloaded, again by hand shoveling. Straw and water was added to the adobe in the pit. The mixing was done by tying a rope to the tail of one horse and the bridle or a horse behind. Several were tied in this fashion and as they walked around and around in the pit, being led by one person, their feet did the mixing. This process made the straw and adobe stick together. Once again, the shoveling began to fill the forms which were placed on a flat, level area of ground. The mud was mixed and formed at the Paintins one day and at the Garners the next. This gave time for the mud to set and shrink so the forms could be lifted off. The blocks were allowed to dry before they were laid on a concrete foundation to build the walls. The original Paintin home had four rooms and the Garners had five. The Paintins made an addition to theirs in 1929. It had a steep roof that formed a flat area on top which was covered with tin. The chimneys came thru this area. The tin was used as a fire prevention measure from sparks coming out of the chimneys. The steep roof provided a loft area above the ground floor making extra living space available. This was warm in the winter by the chimney coming thru but it was like an oven in the summer unless a shade tree was in the right spot. The stairways were built to accomodate feather beds or mattresses that would bend. The modern mattress and box springs of today proved to be a problem going up or down. Both of theee homes stand today. The Paintin home needed new replacement windows that were no longer available. Over the years the yellow jacket wasps carried the adobe away from the ceiling joists. The �knowledge for these repairs went with our pioneer parents. With the s'me philosophy as Dad's in mind, Garold and Jean buift a new wood frnms hm. in Lg77. Tbo generations of children grew to adulthood-in the adobe !oa9, \,Iarilrn and Tony wilt bring their familiee back to enjoy the new home. The old adobe home will be preserved for our collection of articles of the past. The history will be there for our grandchildren to eee. ;ouch and wonder about the etoriee behind them. by Jean Paintin THE LAST BUFFALO HUNT T486 Ae told in the 'Burlington Call,, by H.G. Hoekin, Feb. 21, 1985. When the -Union P-99ifc Railway was completed in 1g?0, it divided the vast number of buffalo oo ihe plains into two herds, the northern and the eouthern. It likewise brought facilitiee for the easy ehipment of buffalo hides and start€d the industry of hide hunting, ultimately exterminating the buffalo as a wild animal. By the early 80's the extermination was almost complete and only small scattered bunches exist€d over the west€rn plains. In the region now called Kit Carson countv. these buffalo passed through Burlington, in the summer of 188?. At this time Burlington was locat€d about where the John Lueken farm house was, and many of the businesses houses were only tents. Among the businegs tents, was the drus store of Maynard E. Cook. (Mr. Cook later moved hie stock of drugs to the present site of_B_url, about where the Dunn garage stood.) Mr. Cook's story of the hunfstated ,, . . . Remember it was quite warm, when someone gave a ehout, "buffalo!!" Only a few ofus had transportation of any kind, but managed to get somethiag to ride horses, ponies, wagons, buggies and carts. Everybodf that codd goi away on the chase. One cow, her calf and a bd -: and how they could run. Howdy! It w-aq a lonrg chase for many miles across open plains. Talk about rought riding . . . It was the most erciting race I ever saw, except the time we chased the deputy gheriff wiitr ota man Baker, to Cheyenne Wells, where he was 6rrng to a coal chute. I don,t remember now who helped-kill the buffato, but we captured the cow and the calf and the bull wa.g killed !V manV shots fired. Dr. Biehop claimed the bull and he got the hide which-he had made into a big fine coat, which I purchased from him when he left Burlington. Mr. T.G. price got the head and had it mounted. I kept the ".-oat until about six years ago (lg27), when the moths got into it and ruined it." John Anderson got the calf and sold it to Elitch's Gardens. The mounted bull's head was kept in Mr. Prices office in the court house until around 1900's when he sold it for $250, to Mr. S.B. Hovev. I! wag later said a Hoyt and Cole of Oxford, -_ Nebraska were the last of the professionai b-uffalo hunters to operate in this county, and that Dr. Hoyt was really the one who kiiled the bull. by Janice Salnans BUFFALO SKULL PROVIDES MYSTERY T487 "When the Kit Carson County Courthouse in Burlington was remodeled, ihe commis_ sioners found they had the skull of a buffal<r (supposedly the last buffalo to be killed in the area.) on their handg. They decided to take it down but eo many citizens put up a fuss. they decided to clean it and a rr-riii-U""t rpl Now comes the mystery: When Shirlev Fundingsland started to remove the dust ani accumulation of grime, a picture of an Indian spearing a buffalo was painted on it alone with the inscription; ,We were monarchs o? the Plains.' The comm. and Fundingsland were started and wanted to know who painted it?" wrote a Denuer posf article. We haven't been able to find out who painted it but the history ofthe buffalo head r1_wgll_known by the Burlington Garden CLul. The story dates back to 198g, upon receipt of a letter from a Mrs. Durineer. daughter of S.B. Hovey, one-time R"oc{ Island agent here. Inthe-letter, Mrs. Duringer explained that the skull originally hung in the o?fice of T.G. Price, Burl. real estate and insurance man. for many years. Upon his death, Mr. Hovev acquired the skull, and it followed him in his many transfers along the Rock Island. Even_ tuallV, the skullpassed along to Mr. Hovey's son-in-law, Mr. Duringer. Upon Mr. Durine_ er's death, his wife offered to send the skjl here, knowing the history of the last buffalo hunt in Kit Carson counrv. Members of the Garden club accepted the skull, and it was decided to hand it in th" court house. Harley Rhoades, H.G. Hoskin. Mrs. Bessie Wilson, and Mrs. pearl Scheli chose the spot. The skull remained in the court house until the remodeling project, when it was taken down to be cleaned and rehung. Apparentlv. the origin of the painting goei bacl severai years. Members of the Garden club believe now that the painting was always on it, but was o-nly discovered when Fundingsland started to clean the skull. by Janice Salmans FULLER MEMORIES T488 I was born in 18bb, in Warren Countv. Illinois, and cnme to Colorado in April, lgdd with husband and two children in a covered wagon. We lived in our wagon until our sod house was built, which wasin June. We were advised to come west because of my hus_ band'g health. Our household goodJ were shipped to Haigler, and later weie freighted across to our homestead, which was loiated at "Old Columbia". There was nothing in sight when we came, just stretches of prairie. dug a hole in the ground, cut a piece -We o! s-tove pipe in half and laid it over the top of the hole and built our fire there. We used no mattresses, pillows or sheets. Imagine how thrilled I was when we got our sod hdme built and had our furniture again. We had slept in our clothes-so long that it seemed queer to undress and go to bed. We also appieciated eating on a table and having a cupboard for our dishes, instead of putting them awrv in a box. We brought corn meal-and bea"s;iih us and that is what we lived on for a month. We would have fried mush for Ureamasi ana supper and bean soup for dinner. When we got some flour I made biscuits and baked them on top of the ,.stove". Si"ce we coJJ get no milk, eggs, meat, or potatoes, we had. to be content with fried mush and bean soup with biscuits, but we enjoyed this as we trai healthy appetites by not overeatine. I remember the first Sunday aftJr we had o-ur habitation, that my husband said. iokin_ gly, that he would invite the Cnmps over tor dinner. (The Qnmps were people *e l"e* i" lowa.) 8ut since he couldn't invite them, he broqsht home two lady school teachers anJ the Methodist minister, Rev. F.F. fhomas; we had bean soup for dinner and a happv afternoon. When we first located on our homestead, the- greatest problem was to get water. We had to go four miles east to h;ul ,rt", froa well, but oftcn there would be so manv ahead of us that my husband would have 6 get up at 2 o'clock and get in line so he could get home before night. When this well woJd get out of order, we had to haul water from a water hole about B miles west of here. Often times we would find pollywogs and othei things in the water, but we siraiied it throush a cloth two or three times, then boil it to mafe it fit for use. Later we got water from the railroad well dug in this vicinity. On Sept. g. our own well was finished and we drew water with a windlass. We felt that we *"r. lli" richest of people. We were never sick and mv hueband was gaining in health everv dav. " -*a Mr. Fuller built a blacksmith .irop operated it for B years and then sold it and opened a grocery store and general merchan_ drse business. We built a two_story frame house and lived upstairs and had tire ,to.e downetairs. One evening Mr. Fuller went down to the store and fainted. I hard the thud and went downstairs to find the store in flames and I pulled Mr. Fuller to the outside. I called for help. A neighbor came to n"m lui we lost everything. _ W!"" the town, Claremont, was estab_ lished, everyone moved to the new to; and that is where we started another store. _ In the fall of 1888, Mr. Fuller went back to Iowa to help harvest a corn crop ana wnen tre returned to Colorado, he cami thru on the trrst passenger train that went over the new railroad to Colorado Springs. by Angelina Fuller PAINTIN BARN BURNED T489 20, 1968. We had gone to the - It wasinJune funeral Stratton for Henry Ledpp. O" ou, we-saw heavy smoke norih of town. lly 'l ne lome trre truck was ahead of us but we had no idea where it was headed. We were only two ttfles from home when we discovered just where the smoke was coming from. We weie frantic.not knowing whethei our son, Tony, and his McGriff, were safl. 'I IIey hacl-grandfather, planned to fix fence in the pasture. We were relieved to see Tony run"irig to "s. �His Grandfather had told him to stay on the doorstep at the house while he went to see if he could save the horse that was in the barn' Garold ran to find my Dad and turned off the electricity on the waY. Once we knew everyone was safe, we looked around us. The large barn was completely burned. This was a heavy loss to us' All of our milking equipment was gone. Twenty five trundrJd bales offeed in the loft were burning and one horse was lost. Once the fire got started, it exploded and threw fire in every direction. Anything in the area that was wooden or didn't have a tin roof burned. All feed bunks, trailers, corrals, buildings, trees and the pasture were on fire' The neighbors and everyone frlm the surrounding areas helped to control the fire' Dwight Lewis turned his ir-rigation puPp.ol to sirpply water. Ernest Cure brought his water truck in close to the house to water down the roof. The feed bales would form pockets of gas and explode repeatedly. ParL- Malone broughtlhe County bulldozer out from town and d'ugtwobigtrenches attwo A.M' the next morning when they saw there was no way to control-the blaze. He pushed all the burning feed in the trench and covered it with dirt' The neighbor ladies helped serve -the huge amount-of food they prepared and brought in along with the plentiful supply that- Ed DischnJr sent out. Lots of the neighbors helped us walk the area to cover chunks of smoldering debris and get our milking facili- ties back into operation. They came back several weeks lat€r to help build the new barn. We lost a lot of material things. We only had one pitcMork left. To this day, we don't know what start€d the fire. by Jean Paintin A MODERN PIONEER T490 I emigrated to Colorado in 1957 - not in a but in a 195? Buick. I had "ou"r"d-*"gon, been further West than New York, never married only two days, and all of my belongings were in the backseat ofthat car. I am sure I ielt like a real "pioneer" at that time' especially after everyone had convinced me that ttreie were still Indian uprisings West of the MississipPi! I recall that tears flowed profusely as we drove, and drove, and drove some more over the vast "wastelandg" of Kansas' Was love really worth this? When we finally arrived in East€rn Colorado, I was greeted warmly in a home that even had electricity, a phone, and indoor plumbing - those people were-wr-ong after all - and fhadn't even seen an Indian for 1500 miles! I was very impressed by the vastnees ofthe plains and when someone said we were just going down the road a bit, I wae-not prepared Ior the 30-mile drive. At "social gatherings", people all talked about the weather and a new recipe they had tried. I thought this -was rather dull, but have since found outjust how important these two topics are to a farmer's wife; especially the recipes - I never knew people expected three full-course meals a day! th" l*gouge bewildered me and it took awhile to learn what all of this meant' Needless to say, I was the brunt of many a snicker! Where I grew up everyone went right or left, not North or South; in fact, ! don-'! recall ever knowing which way was Northl Dinner was our evening meal and I learned the hard way that this is the "noon meal" here after several people showed up for "lunch" when they had been invited for "dinner". If you use your imagination, you may be able [o visualile the thoughts I had when told of the "barrow pit" - we only had ditches in the East. A cattle guard must be a person standing at the gates!! What a boring job' We pioceeded West to California where we remained for 13 years, returning to Colorado in 19?0; this time in a station wagon loaded down with our belongings plus two children and another due anY moment. At this time, I beceme a full-time farm wife (and this is someone who would not even date an Ag School student in college). I lel:ned some more new expressions, such as "How could you have let all those pigs get ayay, I TOLD :you to hold them there" (exit for the i'You drive the pickup across the house); river and the"aocows WILL follow you' no problem" (as they take off on a run in the opposite direction); "ANYONE can drive a tiactor, could you disc the corn field?" (so how did I get caught in the fence row with the disc implanted in the back tire); "Could you take the jeep and check on the cows, there's NO WAY to get stuck in the river" (Help! The jeep is stuck, the tractor I got to pull it out is iuried and I a- running out of options); "Willyou take a load of hogs to the salelan:r" (he diin'ttell me I would have to BACK UP); and the most dreaded of all requests "Would you run to town for some repairs" (for some reason I can have every number in itt" U*t and the part WITH me and still come home with the wrong thing). Perhaps the most traumatic of all my experienies has been dressing-chickens' Ttre ottiy t*y I had ever seen a chicken was under saran wrap in the market. I can now pick feathers in less than three hours, but what as I to do when my mother-in-law can no longer pull off the heids! To this day it is a familv eame to trv and decide what part of the ihi"k"tt they are eating since my skills in this endeavor leave much to be desired. After being a "Westerner" for over 30 years, -*d I can now say that I love the country the horse collar was responsible for the phenomenal glowth of America during the 18th and t9th centuries. This unhearled implement harnessed the horsepower and fed, built and transported our youog nation. Although it was invented by the Chinese in 300 A.D., the horse collar was not widely used until European settlers brought it to America in the late 1600's. Tlie ox cart was the most common form of labor in Europe. But American settlers soon learned that the slow and dumb ox is no match for horse power. A horse can pull five times more weight than an ox. A collared horse can be easily managed through the use of a bit in his mouth, something an ox cannot wear. A horse's feet can be protected and his footing improved by iron shoes. The ox's split hooves make shoes imPractical. Finally an ox cannot wear a collar because of the formation of his neck- A collar chokes him. Instead, he must be harnessed by a large and cumbersome yoke fastened to the top of his neck and shoulder. The building of America can truly be said to be the horse collar age. Every industry and distribution system depended on the horse's collar for production and transportation. The tree in ihe forest couldn't become the building or bridge or boat until the horse in his collar, traniported it. The ore in the mine wag weless until the horse hauled it out' It was the horse with his collar that plowed the field and cultivated the grain. The horse collar enabled horses and mules to harvest the crop and carry it to market or storage. The great wagon roads and railroads that united our growing nation were graded and filled by collared horses. And who can think of the Old West without remembering the stage coach - powered by collared horses. The horse collar played an important role in the CivilWar because the armymoved in sections where there were no railroads or waterways to transport soldiers and equipment, -dug trenches, built embankments, and carried the wounded to safetY. One might say that the horse collar won the West. After carrying thousands of settlers to the new western territories, horses and mules provided the vital link between East and West. Roads leading west were streaming with freight wagons creaking and groaning, piled high with food and supplies, and being pulled by 10- or 20-mule teams slowly across h"u" even changed mY mind about Kansas - that "wast€land" is really an lhe desert or mountains. A whole years lf6, but in a different way -- You - will triins returned loaded with hides, to be expanse of growing corn and wheat! Regardini the "Indians", they still play a part in my frequently find me walkingthe rocks with my head down looking for artifacts. I have never recretted my trek "West" and would advise *"yott" whoasked that "Love" IS worth it! bY BeverlY McArthur supply of sugar, salt, coffee and other gtoceries-, clbthing and tools were delivered to the big western ranches by wagon- The waggn processed and made into clothing, harnesses, and other suPPlies. The 19th century was the age of animal power. Better plows, combines, tillage tools, drills, planters and harvesting equipment were designed to be drawn by collared horses and mules. Horse power remained important until after World War I. THE UNHEARLED HORSE COLLAR T491 The greatest invention since the wheel, the horse collar was written about in the Farrn' land News, 1972, by Ben Millikan, of Parnell, Mo. Perhaps more than any other invention, by Jin llasart �the _K.C.C. carousel. It took nine months for the Hasarts to complete th" _-tlui, ancl hours of delicate work over """o"."t a workbench and palette. "We hid in the basem""i-Ju-r-iin HASART'S MINIATURE CAROUSEL T492 While attending a showing of the Kit ^ uarson_ County Carousel Bob McClelland asked Jim what he was carving o" mentioned that he was thinkinlg of makinel ";;:;; miniature carousel and Bob ."ltiea ;,i;;; would like to see that". Jim went t o-" start€d on what is now a very rare piece"rrJ of artistry. in August of 19g8, Jim and - -Beginning Marlyn started working on their fascimile of most of the winter working on the as thq! winter was very coid and had-f,ot^s ""iou.j ; snow," said Marlvn. .. {hat began as a fascimile evolved into their own interpretation of the ;i;; only two rows of animals on "*";J the H;;;;;; carousel compared to the origin"t .""o,r."i'. thrge.- no chariots (the origiial ilA;;t: and the paintings on the center piece of the sl:uclur9. were changed by Marlyn, in an enort to "do her own thing.', But for the most parJ, the Hasart reproduition ,esembles the K.U-L;. prototype. There's actual horsehair used as the tails on certain to..". i"1i"ii ] common in both carousels) and the brieht colors used were mixed to imitate the;;ii; carousels color schemes. Throughout the winter, asJim would finish carving each animal, Marlyn *o"fJ o"i"t using oils as her medium p"vi"e ,J""i"l attention to detail in the smali ;f ""]_ir. had a lot of trouble painting tfr" said, in reference to the shar*p black ""Ur".r;.fr" arrd stripes-.J-im _agrees that detail i., wliite or"tJii" more difficult things to consider when car_ vrng. 'l'o nelp highlight details, he uses basswood fbr all of his cawings. Taken the Linde_n tree, basswood i. t[" roft".t hardwoods according to Jim. from of ifiu M*ly"-!"gan painting with the help of ^ urace Uorliss and studied under Daryl Elliot in the 1920's and she."o" b"g* t"i"t-iie"; fcw kids on her ovm. Jim l"i* .*"i"e"ii 1972.when Mgl1. bought t id ,o." supplies as a Christmas present. "*ing As.you walk through the Hasart household you'ct sweru the ducks, pheasants and prairie chicken scattered through the liri;;;;;; genuine. "We,ve had a lot of peopleiell us our prairie chicken looks real," ^."ia ff,f""-iv" ;if, the detail that makes tt Jiff"i*"".; 'jl-qnting on wooden decoys "i, ;;;h-;;;" painting a picture,,, .h;;;d. {ifficult.than rrecrse details in the carving and painting of a {e_coy are necessary to mike ii;;i-rtii.* MaryJo,Downey, it"i.-"" oi ir," iild.c. ^ uarousel Association supplied them with beautiful colored photographs ofth; apmaf from which patterns were drawn """ou"ej to stz,e whtch proved to be a difficult task. It took the Hasarts nine months to inish - their carousel, from the first stagls oi;;r_ out animal forms from t""S-e Uto"kr;? basswood, to the final screw"f"t;;th" stand on which the carousel ,"r't* Wh;;;; p.rojec-t was finished, a private .t o*irrs-*", neighbors and friend. oI th" 9lageo t'or flasarts. 'l'hese few were able to witness the unv_eiling of the second mostfamous;;; in Kit Carson County. They were t".* f,ne mtnrature carousel spin into action, "li" with The Hasart'e carousel from a different view. the help from a rotisserie moto. fo""l"Ji"ifru base of the stand which also h;;;;h;;;; reco-rder which plays recorded -"Uai". fi"'the, Monster Millitary Band Organ, a music matrtng machine located at the original carousel. The miniature carousel has been displaved at the National Carousel Co"u""tio" ti"ii ii S""p5+lgt of 1984, Stratton D"y ild;;l;; or ryu4, the preview showing ofthe television p.logram of the National Geographic Society "Treasuree From the pagt"" f"-"t*irs'thi p.T.c. No. o,lr,L sii?tt {.p,_c._cgrousel, Public Library in the spring is8i,. ;Ji-; " "r Just been shown at the reception center of Coor's- Brewery, Golden, Cotor"ao--i"oil December L2, lg87 through January 6, lggg 1fo-ng with other carousel a"ti"t"s i"ilfi; ih; H-;*t,; Miniature carousel in the ;;;J carved from wood ""ly C_olorado Carousel Society. in the stat€ and one of five in the nation "i CJ"i"a. by Marlyn Haeart The miniature carousel hand made by Jim and Marlyn Hasart, winter of rggg-g4. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Kit Carson County Description An account of the resource Brief historical stories and elements from the founding and recent history of Kit Carson County, Colorado. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Memories Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1988 Subject The topic of the resource History Description An account of the resource Various memories from citizens about important events or places in Kit Carson County as recorded in the book History of Kit Carson County Type The nature or genre of the resource text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Salmons, Janice Hasart, Marlyn Smith, Dorothy Language A language of the resource English Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. History of Kit Carson County Volume 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource text/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Curtis Media Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a>