19 F 594.M82 Life of a rover, 1865-1926, 3 =1153 00531^73 M & s Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from LYRASIS members and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/lifeofrover1865100mood THE LIFE OF A ROVER -^ 1865 to 1926 By D. W. MOODY, Author and Publisher Known in Early Western Life as DAN MOODY, The INDIAN SCOUT A Revelation COVER A NEW BOOK OF THRILLS FROM TO COVER The Author <#«WW^ r THE LIFE OF A ROVER IT WAS not dreamed of by those who knew me in early life on the western plains that I was making history which might some day be entitled to a place in the library of the humblest and greatest homes for the years to come. I permitted a few learned writers to read ten pages of my crudely written copy. They each and every one advised me to publish this book, not only my early experiences while employed as an Indian scout, but also to publish the history of my life, at least since the early spring of 1865, including my experiences while employed as a roustabout with a surveying outfit surveying the lands granted to the U. P. Railroad, granted or given to the builders of that road .through Utah. I have written my very thrilling, revelating experiences while dealing with the Mormon people, which you will read in another part of this book, and I believe some of you will wish you had been the roustabout with that outfit. I do not know much about my family at this time as most of them have had very little use for me the last thirty-five years or more because I suppose they thought I was too much of a Rover, and I will admit they are right, but it is not a real family who does not have at least one bad kid in the bunch. My people say I have been endowed with more talent than any other member of the family, yet they say I will never make any money because I am roving from place to place, and, while I think of it, I will say that I have been married four times while none of my other brothers have ever been able to get but one wife, and I tell them that the ladies know them too well. My younger brother's wife died some twenty-five years ago, and he is still single, and he has lived by his lonesome in one place and I suppose he in some way has allowed the word to get out that he is a little cranky and hasn't even as much as a bad cough. I have been told by travelers who say they have met my youngest brother that he once owned large herds' of cattle on the plains of Texas, but since he has retired he tells nothing about himself to friends or foes. Since I have traveled over many countries and over most of the seas, it is now a pleasure to recall many of the things I have seen and done myself while roving the world over. I have never before writing this book been able to cash in on my past experiences and I surely would have lost this chance if I had not been bullet-proof, because I really have been in danger many times. Even one who said she was my best friend took a shot at me and on two other occasions I was taken for another man and had my hat shot off. The Indians quite a few times sent me into camp with arrows hanging to my clothing and holes shot through my hat, but the closest they ever came to getting me was sending a bullet through one side of my boot, which made a red spot and cut a little hair off my horses lower fore shoulder. [2] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The Indians we must concede, owned all the lands of the western plains and they also owned the water and the timber, the wild game which was in evidence on every hand, and while they did not cultivate the land they wanted it, because on the land grew food for their wild cattle and horses, and also for the wild game. The Indians did not care much for the fishes, which were in abun- dance in all the streams, the valuable timber was of no use so far as the Indian knew, except as a shade in the summer, and a winter shelter for their wild game and animals. The Indians were always at war — that is to say, one tribe would declare war against the other on the slightest pretense of insult to a squaw or their chief. What did the Indians live on? — a question I have been asked many times, and what did they do for clothing? The Indians lived mostly on wild meat, they killed deer, antelope, elk and buffalo, and they sometimes picked the wild berries and dried them — they also dried the meat of the wild animals. They set traps and caught the beaver, the mink, the foxes, the muskrat and otters, and dressed their hides, then made clothing and bedding. The large fine buffalo robe was very popular as a bed cover, then too, they tanned both sides of the buffalo skins and built houses out of them. They made the moccasin or shoes out of hides which they tanned themselves. Sometimes for winter wear they lined their moccasins with fur. The Indians had a way of tanning hides so they would turn water and also hold water, for example: they often, when moving, would make a sack, we would call it, which would hold twenty- five gallons of water and not leak a drop. Their bed was most always made on the ground, while in some cases they drove posts in the ground, tied a few willow poles to the posts, then some strips of rawhide across the poles which we would call a bed spring. Indian men were called bucks. They never worked except to kill the game, the squaws did all the work. Of course the bucks put in a lot of time studying war and how they could destroy the enemy be- cause there was no such thing as contentment among them until the white man came into their midst and commenced building homes and stealing their lands, as they called it, and as a matter of fact it was stealing because the white man who was taking up a homestead did not consult the Indian who really owned the land but he made a contract with the United States Government to buy the land on such terms as they agreed on and when these early homesteaders settled on a tract of land it most always controlled valuable springs or water of some kind which the In- dians wanted for their own use so when this state of affairs went on for a while the many Tribes of Indians became friendly with each other and all joined together and declared war under no flag. It was to be war for revenge and against all white men and their families. Most all the homesteaders were fairly well armed so far as the armament went in those [3] THE LIFE OF A ROVER days but as the early settlements were in bunches here and there generally a half dozen families in a group and sometimes only one and in every settlement the homesteaders exchanged work with one and the other because they had no money to hire help, and there was none to hire. Any man who wanted to live in such a locality would of course take up a homestead for himself because there was plenty of the most fertile land one could find anywhere in the world. The Indians often pretended to be friendly with the homesteaders that they might learn when would be their best chance to find the home- steader away from home so that they or another band of Indians might swoop down on his family and kill the elder women and carry away the grown-up girls or if the wife was under forty they often took her also and sometimes the Indians would kill the children and of course they stole all the cattle and horses and carried away every ounce of provisions, yes, they generally burned the house and the outbuildings. The Govern- ment did establish many small forts or posts, as they were sometimes called, but these Forts were as a rule, many miles from the settlements; then too, there were only a few small companies of soldiers at each Fort and before a report reached the Fort the Indians were many miles away. I will give you a full report concerning at least one case where the mother was killed and the two oldest girls were carried away with their hair tied to ponies tails. I have quite often been requested, when visiting at homes where there were several grown-up boys, to relate some Indian stories, and if these boys got me started telling Indian stories they and their parents would never tire listening to me, and that is one of the reasons why I am writing this book because I want the young lads to read and then they will not want to fight Indians but to simply hear a short story. The lad generally says, "I wish I had been big in the early settlement of the West, I would have been an Indian scout," but when he reads this book through, the lad will say he would rather stay home with mamma, papa and his brothers and sisters. Listen boys, the duty of an Indian scout is one of great danger, because the Indians know he is generally the cause of their many de- feats and they soon learn that the scout may be near them when they are preparing to make a dash to stampede a herd of cattle or mules because they or some of them have seen the scout on the high hill tops and that he might have seen them with his powerful eyes as they call field glasses. The Indians are always trying to draw the scout into a trap so they can get him with arrows and I have heard of a few scouts who allowed themselves to be led into their traps and I, myself, have come [4] THE LIFE OF A ROVER close to getting caught but my wonderful endurance and my well-trained horse, who loved me as a mother loves her baby, carried me through the danger, and also considering the fact that I was rated by the Indians as being a sure shot, whether my foe was ten yards away or a half-mile, and a few times I have fired at Indians a mile away with my Henry rifle and dropped the redskins. My horse could smell an Indian and when they were hidden close in front of us he would stop and did on more than one occasion refuse to go forward until the Indians were in sight and I believe he knew that they would scatter and give us a chance to get through as soon as my Henry rifle started action. If my horse was standing still when I was under fire, he hardly drew a breath and if he was on the dead run and I was firing my rifle or pistol he seemed to be extra careful not to wabble his body as horses often do when running at full speed; then, too, when we came to ditch or gulley if I was busy, he would increase his speed a few jumps before he reached the ditch, just as I had trained him when I was not in action. My horse always said, "Good Morning," when we met early in the morning. Boys, if you ever own a horse, be kind and rub him plenty, and he will soon learn to love you, but you must never lose your temper and scold him or use the whip. If you do, he will lose confidence in you and will never forget that you are not a true friend. You can't do that with a woman, because she has a right, so she claims, to change her mind; to love you one day and to hell with you the next day. You don't find a horse that way, once a friend always a friend until you abuse or neglect him and cause him to lose respect for you. Those who live close to God and attend church regularly and see that their children attend Sunday School, not now and then, but every Sunday, all the whipping and scolding a parent can give a child is worth- less, unless you see to it that they associate with the class who never use the Lord's name in vain. I believe in the curfew law, it should be enforced to the letter, and if there are no curfew laws, the parent should say to their children, "You must retire not later than 9:00 P. M.," and when such an order is made by a parent, it should be enforced. In another part of this book you will read about, one year I was in Utah where the word of a parent was without demurr, and I believe this state of affairs was brought about because every child attended Sunday School and the church also. We often hear people say they have so many children that they cannot watch them all, but the Mormon men, or most of them, had many wives and several houses full of children. I remember asking one bishop how many wives he had and he said he had only twelve then, that some of his wives had died; he also stated his living children numbered over thirty and they were all obedient to their parents. 5 1 THE LIFE OF A ROVER MY EARLY BOYHOOD EXPERIENCE In the spring of 1857 my father moved from Missouri to Kansas and settled near the then small village of DeSota and I believe it is still only a small village; however, the country was wild, homesteaders were miles apart. Father settled on the bank of a small stream of water called Deer Creek, there was timber along the bank of the creek and there were some small fish to be caught by one willing to sit on the bank an hour or so to catch a perch three or four inches long, and being willing to take such a chance I went fishing and did catch two small perch but after I had made them fast to a string and dropped them back in the water I dis- covered a large deer looking at me. He was only about fifty yards away and of course I wanted to get him but I had no gun and I said, "Johnnie get your gun." I dropped my fish-pole and started for home to get a gun. I soon returned and the deer was not in sight but I noticed my two small fish seemed to have grown to be several times the size they were when I put them in the water. I pulled them out of the water and found a mud cat fish had swallowed them. This is what a fisherman would call luck. The catfish was over a foot long and I got him and my two small perch but the deer was gone, so I went home and my dad said, "Go back and find that deer, we are out of meat," but, I said, "He has gone and I know not where to find him." Dad said, "You must find him, we are out of meat, and you must 'bring home the bacon'," we would call it now-a-days. I picked up dad's old long Tom rifle and started for the deer. I knew there were other deer there about and thought I might find the one which I had seen or another one. I walked and walked and finally made up my mind to return home without a deer, but when I got back near the spot where I had seen this big, fine deer standing, I sat down on a log wonder- ing why I had met with such bad luck. I had only to wait a few moments before I noticed- the brush moving a hundred yards away, so I dropped down behind the log I was sitting on and in a moment a big, fine deer walked out of the brush and turned around broadsided. I slipped long Tom over the top of the log, and after looking through the sight I touched the trigger and my big deer dropped down on his knees. I ran home and dad said, "Have you got the meat?" "No, but I have it where you can get it." We soon brought my big deer in and there was plenty of meat for a week, because he weighed over 140 pounds, dressed. [6] THE LIFE OF A ROVER WOLVES BY THE THOUSAND A week or so later dad said to me that I should go with him to a neighbor who was killing a beef and dad was to get a quarter of the meat. I was told to put two shotguns in the wagon and other fire arms, and also two axes. Dad said it might be dark before we returned, and that the wolves were very bad. He said, if the wind came up the wolves would smell the fresh meat and follow us in droves and it was getting dark when we were about three miles away from home on our return. The wolves commenced howling and soon they were in evidence on every side of us. Dad stopped the team and looked the ground over, he then said to me that we had better drive at full speed for another mile and then turn our guns on them. But we were only permitted to travel a half-mile until we could see many big and little wolves in front of us. We stopped the team and shot a dozen or more of them and as soon as a wolf would fall, killed, or wounded, the others would devour him and in this way we traveled until we were within a half mile of our home. The wolves then were about us not by the dozens but by the hundred, and they were so determined to get our fresh meat that they climbed into our wagon and ran in front of our horse. I believe we killed more than fifty with axes as they were climbing into the wagon. We finally reached home but we had to keep on shooting them until a late hour and only for the fact that our fence was several feet high they might have killed our entire family and every head of stock about the place. My dad soon got discouraged trying to farm or raise stock, because the wolves would keep up such a howling most all night and if a calf or a colt got out of sight they were torn to pieces. WE MOVED BACK TO CARROLTON, MISSOURI On the 24th day of December, 1860, father died and was buried on Christmas Day. The great 'war of the rebellion was in sight, the fire was burning, and the people were talking about which side each would be on and as there were many slaveholders thereabout and John Brown or his gang were stealing slaves and carrying them over the line into Kansas and it was said by many that slaves were stolen from one master and carried a hundred miles away and sold to another master. SPRING OF 1861 Armed men were to be seen at every turn and it was hard to tell which side they were representing and as the war went on these conditions went on from bad to worse and the negroes of course wanted to be free and their owners wanted to keep them. My mother was a hard worker and generally called a good manager, but it was hard for her to make both ends meet, because all our stock, like cattle, horses, chickens, pigs and the like, were taken by one side or the other. When a band of armed men came to our place they took anything and everything in sight, and if one demurred with them they would touch a match to the house and in some cases they would stand by until everything was burned to the ground while in a few cases they did allow occupants to put out the fire. [7] THE LIFE OF A ROVER OUR HOME WAS FINALLY BURNED Mother moved to Nebraska City, Neb. I hired out as a bullwhacker to drive a freight team. WHAT IS A BULLWHACKER OR A MULE SKINNER? A bullwhacker is a man who can drive an ox team and a mule skinner is a man who can drive a mule team. A black snake is a whip which is generally used by a wagon master or any man who rides a horse when he is driving a team or driving loose cattle or mules. OUR FAMILY WAS BADLY BROKEN UP At the close of the War of the Rebellion, two of my brothers lost their lives in the war and another had made his way into Colorado. There were myself, a younger brother and two sisters. Mother was nearly worn out but she recovered her health and lived to a good old age. My younger brother finally drifted into western Texas and married and later went into the cattle business and I am told that he became quite wealthy. None of my family, of late years, have cared much about me, because of my roving about from place to place which I know has been a great mistake but I do not believe we can all be born wise. There must be at least one bad kid in every family, of any size, and I sometimes think if the wise members of a family would speak to the wayward brother or sister, using kind words instead of harsh words, that it might be a better plan. I, for one, know that kind words have great influence over me while a charge by a supposed friend that I was doing this or that and unless I got busy and settled down that I would soon have no friends. I have never been charged with stealing or robbing or anything like that, but simply moving about from place to place which I know is the wrong thing to do. Most everybody knows a rover, and at the .same time if he should ever need money and wanted to borrow a few hundred dollars, I believe he would soon find that nobody knew him no matter how honest he had been throughout his life, while the man who was born in one of our small villages, or in a large city, and lived there until grown up could borrow more money without security than a rover could borrow with Government bonds as security, because there is no one who will step up and say a good word for a stranger. IF I COULD LIVE MY LIFE OVER It would be on a farm because I know now that since I have traveled over many seas and through most of the foreign countries that all I have ever learned, seen or heard about, would not buy me a meal in a fifteen- cent restaurant. [8] THE LIFE OF A ROVER ITS WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF US THAT COUNTS Remember this, it's true. We can all see the other fellows faults, but we have none. We often hear people say if they had a chance they could do things better than other people and while you are thinking about it we have the same chance, but we do not have the talent, and many of us have talent, yet we stand around telling what a darned chump some other fellow is until the chump makes a fortune and we have nothing but experience which the chump turned aside but he did grab the opportunity and put his shoulder to the wheel and pushed it to success. My friend, I do not say all men who make a big fortune are honest — No, not by a long ways, nor do I believe there are but few men who have made large fortunes believe themselves that they own an honest dollar. The great concentration of money must stop soon or we will have no circulating currency. I am writing a book now on the Concentration of Money, and if Ilive a few months longer, I believe I will make quite a few of them sit up and wonder what will happen next, and it might be that by reading between the lines they will see the answer. I stated above that I hired out as a Bullwhacker, and now comes what happened to me as a Bullwhacker on my second trip. I got my first real experience as an Indian fighter, which came about in this way. Our outfit had advanced me to the job of extra hand and it was my duty, among other things, to ride ahead of the outfit and select a camping place. We knew the Indians were on the war path, and that we were near their stomping ground, and we also believed we were near a small settlement of homesteaders. The wagon master told me to ride down the road a few miles and if I got into the white settlement I should select a camping place where We would rest our cattle a day or so. 91 THE LIFE OF A ROVER THE MOTHER LYING IN THE DOORWAY, HER BODY FULL OF ARROWS I soon reached the valley, and when I had rode up close to a small house there, I saw lying in the door the body of a woman, I believe a dozen arrows had been fired into her body. Our wagon master was some distance in front of the outfit, as he rode over the top of a high hill I signaled him to come forward at once. He soon arrived and the outfit was not far behind, by the time the wagon master reached me. I had found two children who made their escape when the Indians came upon them. These children said their father was exchanging work with another homesteader. They also said that some twenty Indians rushed down on them and captured their two grown-up sisters and after tying their hair to horses' tails, they made the girls travel very fast over the rocks bare- footed. They said the Indians then killed their mother. About this time, the father and several other homesteaders arrived, they having heard that the Indians were expected to make a j-aid and as this house would probably be the first one they would attack, the father had returned home to prepare for an Indian attack. .THE LIFE OF A ROVER A FEW MINUTES LATER WE WERE ON THE TRAIL OF THE INDIANS We followed them several miles, and as I was considered to be the Captain of our men, and the fact that I was riding my swift steed, I kept several hundred yards ahead of the other men. I believe there were twelve of us. I finally discovered I was approaching the top of a high hill and from the lay of the country, I had reason to believe that there must be a valley on the other side of this hill, so I dismounted and crawled to the top of the hill, and sure enough there was a valley in sight. I at once signaled the other men to halt -a moment, when I raised my field glasses I discovered the Indians just going into camp more than a mile ahead of us, I then looked the country over and discovered a deep canyon which we could follow and arrive at a place only a short distance from where the Indians were camped. I also discovered that the Indians had discarded their arms about fifty yards from where the girls were sitting on the ground and that the Indians were running around the girls in a sort of a war dance. I COULD NOT SEE ANY SIGNS OF PICKET The Indian ponies, or most of them, were more than a hundred yards away. The Indians seemed to be joining a circle and running around the girls. I rushed back to where the other men were and told them to follow me and to keep in readiness for a surprise attack, as there might be a few Indians hidden in the canyon We rode at full speed over rocks and through brush as if there was nothing in our path, and in about thirty minutes I calculated we were near our objective, so we all dismounted. We could then hear the Indians singing and whooping. We left two men in" charge of our horses and ten of us started on up the canyon at full speed and when we had arrived at the place where I decided to make the attack, we rushed to the top of the bank and fired on them. We had previously agreed that the men in front should pick off the Indians closest to the girls and as soon as our guns cracked, the girls started to- ward us and we rushed over the top and finished the job, leaving, so far as we know, the Indians to enjoy a good long rest. We burned everv piece of their equipment which we found, and I believe some of our men clipped off a few Indian scalps. The girls ran to their father's arms. They had not been harmed more than to have their clothing torn very badly and their feet cut and worn almost to the bone, their whole body was covered with blood, they had tried to relieve their feet with their hands and of course, had distributed the blood all over their body. They were sure a sad sight to look on, but we covered them up the best we could and were soon on our way back to camp. We shot a Jot of their ponies and drove a few of them back to our camp. I had mounted my horse awaiting a decision as to who would carry the girls back to camp and at the same time I had unfolded a blanket which I carried folded and tied fast to the back of my saddle. The oldest and largest one of the girls said "Dad, help me up behind the young man riding the brown horse," and I quickly turned about in my saddle nil THE LIFE OF A ROVER First discovery I/W///M of the gir/5 by WW% DaT),the Indian Scoot. [12] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The Indians were dcmcm<) around the girb before fired on bu, the rescuers. Hote the girl* sitting on the ground with arms about each other- [13J THE LIFE OF A ROVER 14 THE LIP E OI : A ROVER and spread the blanket over my horse, leaving enough in front to cover my saddle so my weight would keep the blanket in place. The moment this beautiful young lady was seated, I leaned forward and said, "Charlie, take us to camp with all the speed you have in you," and I then said to the young lady to hold fast and I will give you the fastest ride you ever experienced on the back of a horse. We started, Charlie seemed to know that it was a race for life or death. There was no brush or large, rock, the ground was mostly level but rolling, and generally sprinkled on top with decomposed rock, which, while not hard like granite, it would cut a bare foot. I do not remember the time required to make that ride, but we reached the homestead about one mile in the lead of the other men. All our men at the camp were on the lookout for us to return, and when we came in sight, the first thought was that I was the only survivor, but they soon were all pleased to see I was returning with one of the girls, and every man was at the door of the homesteader ready to offer a help- ing hand and several farmers were there. We charged up to the front door, the young lady fell from my horse into the arms of a farmer who carried her into the house and gave her a glass of fresh water. I at once dispatched a Bullwhacker to the outfit with instructions to return with a large bottle of liniment and some bandages^, which we carried along for first aid treatment. The little sister and brother were there to help out. The girls we had saved did not know their mother had been killed be- cause the Indians had grabbed them first and started them over the hills, their hair tied to the tails of their horses. The rest of the posse soon arrived and many tender hands were waiting to render aid. The mo\her had been laid out and the body covered before we returned. [15| THE LIFE OF A ROVER THE YOUNG LADY I RETURNED, SENT FOR ME There were other women folks living nearby, but there was so much excitement that they did not arrive until both girls had received first aid and covered up with request to rest, and, if they could, to go to sleep. Say friends, if ever a horse found himself in a bunch of friends it was my brown Charlie, there were at least a half a dozen men rubbing him in» a minute after I dismounted and they continued rubbing him for about one hour, now and then giving him a sup or so of water and a handful of grass or grain. I laid down for a short rest, it was only for one hour, when I woke up I went to see my horse and there was not a moist hair to be seen on his body, he was always glad to see me, because we were chums, and while I gave him many a hard ride he never seemed to be unwilling to go through whatever the burden was. She and her sister were eating the first bite of food they had eaten since early morning. I inquired as to how they felt and while they were sad on account of the killing of their mother, they each told me they were suffering very little pain and when I inquired as to how their feet felt, the one I had brought back requested me to remove the bandages, that she thought they were too tight. Now wasn't that a swell job for me? I had never seen a girl's leg in my life above her shoe tops, because boys in those days did not known anything about girls' legs as they do now days. I got busy removing the bandages and when I had them removed I won- dered what next would be her request. The younger sister was asked to bring in a pan of warm water, which she sat on the floor, and while I was praying on the quiet that I might be given the job of bathing the feet of the girl I had saved, the little sister brought in a towel and some soap and handed it to me. The older sister then looked me straight in the eye and requested me to bathe her feet and replace the bandages. I jumped at the chance and you can depend I was nervous and a little shy at first, but I managed to make a long job of it. I rubbed her feet and her ankles and then rubbed them some more. I suppose the young lady en- joyed my rubbing but she never said a word when I had finished the job. It was getting late. I inquired as to whether the bandages were too tight, and it made me regret that I had not stretched them a little more so she would say they were too tight, but they were just right, she said. We remained in camp for several days waiting for other outfits to come up so our number in men would be stronger, because our wagon master had been informed that several hundred Indians were camped not far ahead of us. I, myself, had become somewhat of an expert dressing my friends' feet and I liked the job so well, that I inquired of the wagon master if he would be willing to cancel my contract, so I could continue dressing the young lady's feet but he said there was nothing doing but that he would raise my wages and put me on exclusive scout duty. I assure you my dear reader, I wanted to continue washing those dear little feet and only for that horrid old wagon master I might be holding that same job yet. We were finally getting ready to go forward the |16 THE LIFE OF A ROVER following morning when I was offered a sum of money by the father, which he said was all the money he had at that time. I did not count the money, but it was not enough to choke a mule, yet it was quite a roll at that. I said to the father, "I do not want money," and his reply was that I should name what I wanted, so I said, a kiss or so from the lips of the girl I returned to his home, and do you know that he did not answer me, but left the room, say, the kisses were then given me thick, and from every angle, the two grownup girls were first and last, they really forgot their feet were sore, then came the younger sister and the brother, and finally the dad and a*few neighbors and they all kissed me. When I was about leaving the house, I noticed I was alone, except the girl whose feet I had been washing for several days, I turned about to say "good-bye" again, and she said, ,f tlon't say it, I want you to stay here forever, and to prove it my dad and all the family would be pleased to have you stay with us." They sent for the wagon master and begged him for more than an hour but there was nothing doing and we all parted. I, no doubt, lost the opportunity of my life to get a good wife and five as a real hero among true and loving friends until called by death to my final resting place. Never since have I heard a word from that lovely family. I know but little about love, but I suppose I really loved that girl and I believe she and her whole family loved me. While I have been married four times and am now in the market for the fifth wife, I do not believe any of the women I married loved me, be- cause it gave them great pleasure to find fault and quarrel with me. I call such love vindictiveness, or hellishness. I really should look it up, but I will not take up space trying to tell you something I do not understand. I have been told by many good people that they know all about hell and the devil but I sometimes think a lot of these wise people would get along just as well if they did a little more hard manual labor, than by funding fault with other people as to their chances to meet their Heavenly Father when we are through with this wicked world. Just a few days ago a minister of the Gospel called on me Sunday morning, as he had done several other times and asked me for a dime, to help out the Sunday School and when he got the dime he bought a cigar with it, as much as to say, "To hell with the Sunday School." This same minister will call again and I shall not turn him down, but he will be offered a pipe of tobacco instead of money. I once gave a man a new suit of clothes which cost me $37.50 and he pawned it for $3.00 and spent the $3.00 for dago red and of course got drunk, lost his job which the new suit got for him. Be charitable to the limit of your ability to give is my motto, but if you can't find a person whom you believe will be benefitted by your gift, hold fast to what you have until you find the right one. [17] THE LIFE OF A ROVER I DID NOT RETURN WITH THIS OUTFIT After I had gone on with this outfit to the end of the journey they told us that half of the men could take the outfit back and the otners could get a job with a surveying outfit. I did not go back, but went to work with the surveying outfit. We first laid out Julesburg on the U. P. Railroad and then we laid out Cheyenne, and did other jobs along the U. P. Road until the call came for bullwhackers to go with an expedition to Fort C. F. Smith, which they said was located on the Little Bighorn River. You see it was very late in the fall and it was considered very risky to make that trip on account of the danger of getting the outfit snowed under on the top of a mountain. Then, too, the Indians were on the war path and had declared that any outfit which would undertake to deliver supplies to Fort Reno, Fort Philkarney or Fort C. F. Smith, would be destroyed before they went ten miles beyond old Fort Laramie, which was located on the north branch of the North Piatt River. When* I speak of Bullwhackers, I mean one who can drive an ox team and when I speak of mule skinners, I mean one who can drive a mule team and a black snake is a whip. LATE IN THE FALL OF 1865 Late in the fall of 1865 it was reported that unless fresh supplies of ammunition and every other item needed at the Forts, namely: Fort Reno, Fort Philkarney and Fort C. F. Smith could be brought in that each of these Forts would be exterminated by the warring Indians. These Forts were then being attacked by the .Indians, and while it was so late in the fall there was nothing to do, only try to reach them by ox teams, which were then called bull teams, because mules cannot live on wild grass. And it would take two mules to haul feed for one, the call was sent out for Bullwhackers and the writer thought there was a chance to do a litttle more roving, and also because there might be a chance to get in as assistant wagonmaster which was preferred because of the fact that he owned a very fine, well trained horse. [18] THE LIFE O.F A ROVER THE BOSS SAID, "YOUNG MAN, THAT'S *A FINE HORSE" When the writer applied for a job as a bullwhacker the boss said "young man, that is a fine looking horse you are riding." "Yes," I said, "I believe he is the best horse in this part of the country, and I think he is as good a horse as any man owns anywhere." The gentleman then said he wanted to buy a good horse and that he was willing to pay a good price for such a one as I was riding, I promptly told him my horse was not for - sale. I told him I would prefer a job as extra hand or as- sistant wagonmaster. Then I told the gentleman that there was a couple of ditches near his tent, and that if he wanted to see what a good horse could do, to come outside. When he stepped outside, I leaned forward, and my horse started on the dead run and jumped the ditches or gullies one after the other and then I wheeled him about and he repeated the jumps and at no time did I have my hands on the bridle reins. When I had returned to the tent I was told there was no vacancy for a job as as- sistant wagonmaster, but that if I would ride my horse on the trip, he would be glad to start me out as an extra hand and if there was a chance later he would raise me to assistant wagonmaster, providing I made good. And he then said, when we reached Fort Laramie that all the different outfits would consilidate and there would be one wagonmaster-in-chief and one assistant wagonmaster-in-chief and in case his wagonmaster should be chosen as the chief wagonmaster, there might be a chance for me to go higher up. He also said there would be several scouts wanted from Fort Laramie clear through to Fort C. F. Smith, on account of the Indians being set on exterminating the outfit before we reached Fort Reno, which he said was about 60 or 70 miles beyond Fort Laramie. Of course the way he talked about the danger of coming in contact with savage Indians would scare me out nowadays, but I had seen Indians be- fore, and for some reason or other I did not fear them as much as I should. Then, too, I was told that we would have a strong escort of soldiers and three cannons to protect the outfit after we left Fort Laramie. However, I was employed as extra hand and there were only 26 bull teams in our outfit. Twenty-five of them loaded with Government freight and one with grub and ammunition for our men. When we finally reached Fort Laramie we camped five miles from the Fort which I believe was as close as we were allowed to camp unless our freight was for that Fort. 191 THE LIFE OF A ROVER THE DISCHARGE OF OUR WAGONMASTER While we were waiting for the other units to come up and go through the form of re-organizing, one of our bullwhackers got in trouble with the wagonmaster, who by the way, was said to be one of the meanest men who ever swung a blacksnake over an oxen's back, and he was also a noted gunman, and often he had said he would kill a half dozen of our bullwhackers before we got back to the U. P. Railroad. The Bull- whackers were watching him and they intended to grab him the first time he attempted to carry out any of his threats, on this occasion he struck the Bullwhacker he was quarreling with, and at that moment a rope was thrown over his head and made fast about his throat and his six shooter removed from the scabbard, and a wagon tongue raised. As he was about being pulled up in the air he got on his knees and said if they would spare his life he would leave the outfit at once and return to the U. P. R. R.. which I believe was some 200 miles. It was agreed that his pistols and rifle should be placed on the road one-fourth mile from the camp and that if he would pick them up and keep on going they would spare his life, and to be sure he did not attempt to come back several men were stationed where they could fill him full of lead should he attempt to re- turn. He was soon out of sight and never seen again until we returned. As to his ending I will tell you later. NEW WAGONMASTER ELECTED However, we had no wagonmaster and a meeting was called to elect a new one. Our assistant who was a fine fellow was elected to fill the vacancy, and I was elected assistant wagonmaster of our unit. That same day the other wagonmasters of the different units held a meeting and elected our wagonmaster in chief and when that job was finished the wagonmaster in chief appointed me chief of scouts so I had three jobs. We, however, were being told every day that the Indians were gathering in great numbers and that we would be attacked before we had gone ten miles beyond Fort Laramie. ONLY A SMALL GARRISON AT FORT LARAMIE There being only a small garrison at the Fort, the officer in command only gave us two companies of soldiers as an escort and three Howitzers or small cannon, and I believe 1 7 men to man them. We pulled out early in the morning and as there was over 200 Bullwhackers including wagon- masters, assistants and extra hands, it took some time to get under way the first day. But our cattle had rested several days feeding on good bunch grass and plenty of good water. Our next camping place was said to be about 12 or 15 miles travel and while ten or twelve miles was a good day's travel for heavily loaded bull teams, we had to throw the whip into the oxen to make our camp before dark. The wagonmaster in chief gave orders that every bullwhacker should keep his team close up to the rear end of the wagon in front of him and the extra hands were instructed to ride up and down the line and use their blacksnakes to help keep up speed and to prevent the lazy bullwhackers from shirking their duty. [201 THE LIFE OF A ROVER CROW INDIANS REPORT GREAT DANGER AHEAD Just about the time the outfit got strung out a half dozen Crow Indians were seen coming over the hill a half mile away. The wagon- master sent me ahead to meet them and when they came within three or four hundred yards of me they held up a white rag and as they came closer they showed me they were unarmed. I signaled for the wagon- master to come forward, which he did with the officer in command of the escort and several soldiers, so when we had rode up to wliere I had signaled the Crow Indians to stop, the leader of the Indians told us that we had better go back because the Chief of the Indians, which was on the war path had sent him to tell us that we would all be killed before we went ten miles because he said the chief told him to tell us he had several thousand well-armed brave warriors who would come down on us in a bunch and that he did not want to kill the bullwhackers, but that he would not allow us to relieve the then starving Forts which we were carrying supplies for. o-vw -1211 THE LIFE OF A ROVER THE WAGONMASTER DECIDED TO GO AHEAD REGARDLESS OF DANGER After we had received this awful news the wagonmasters got their heads togther and sent out scouts over the hills to look for Indians and they also gave orders to throw the whip into the oxen and make all the speed possible. The wagonmaster then called me to his side and we rode down the line to the rear end of the outfit, warning every man to keep one finger on the trigger of his rifle and use his blacksnake with the other hand to keep his team close up to the one in front. This was done to prevent an Indian from making a dash through the outfit with a red blanket which he would throw on the oxen's back to try to stampede them. INDIAN FOUND BURIED IN A CEDAR TREE The wagonmaster then told me to ride to the high points and search the country over with my field glasses for Indians, and to keep on the tops of the highest hills I could find, for an hour or so, unless I discovered hostile Indians. After riding over the hills for perhaps two hours I had made up my mind to report that I could see no trace of Indians. I, how- ever, had discovered something which looked like an Indian in a large cedar tree which was on a direct line between me and the center of our outfit. I again raised my field glasses and while I could see the small limbs move about, the thing I was looking at did not move. I rode down closer and again looked it over with my field glasses and I was convinced that there was something in that cedar tree besides limbs. I rode closer and discovered there was an Indian in the tree, but he was buried there and when I made up my mind it was a dead Indian and that his body was not more than ten feet above the ground, I rode under the tree and said to my trusty horse, if he would be good I would stand up on the saddle and find out what there was wrapped up in those Buffalo robes. When I was standing up on the saddle I discovered I was looking in the bare face of a dead Indian and you can depend it started a chill down my back, because he looked as if he had not been there more than a day or so. There he was, wrapped in many robes and strapped and tied with strips of rawhide to the limbs of the tree and also to the main body of the tree. There was also a dish carved out of stone, full of boiled beans and some dried meat and many dried roots, sometimes called Indian chewing gum. There was also his bows and many arrows and a long muzzle-loading rifle, a tomahawk and a large knife and a lot of flints which the Indians use to start a fire. Yes, there was a pipe cut out of stone and a beautiful beaded buckskin sack full of Indian Tobacco and a lot of other trinkets, a box of gun caps, a lot of bullets and a horn full of powder. [221 THE LIFE OF A ROVER [23] THE LIFE OF A ROVER FIFTY INDIANS ATTACK THE WRITER When I had settled down in my saddle I thought what a fool I was to stand up there a mile from the outfit and the country full of Indians on the warpath, — how easy would it have been for them to have filled me full of arrows, and before I had gone more than 100 yards my horse commenced throwing his head to one side and acting so funny, I turned about and to my great surprise there were fully fifty Indians coming as fast as their ponies could carry them. They were one-fourth of a mile away, I fired several shots at them with my Henry rifle and started for the outfit and when I had reached the top of a high point I could see the bullwhackers and soldiers coming to my aid and when we had met I rode up to another point and discovered there were about fifteen Indians at the cedar tree where the Indian was buried, and the others were scattered. It was decided to send five men up a canyon, which looked to be the way they would come if they followed me any further. It wasn't but a few minutes until we heard the five rifles start a rapid fire. We went to their aid but when we had gotten within a few hundred yards of them they were coming towards us as quietly as if nothing had happened. When we met them, we asked what they were firing at and they said we could find out if we went up the canyon a few hundred yards, then they told us that they had hidden behind the rocks and the Indians, about twenty or thirty, rode down within fifty yards of them before they could see them coming and that one Indian fired a shot in the direction of where I was, about the time they fired on the Indians. They said the moment they fired the first shot, the Indians wheeled and started in all directions, except toward them, but they did not all go back, some of them were resting peacefully, up the canyon, or on the hillside. We were not interested in looking after peaceful Indians, so we then returned to the outfit and found the bullwhackers and soldiers scattered, out here and there ready for whatever might come, and in a few moments the outfit was going forward at full speed and we got into camp before dark. T241 THE LIFE OF A ROVER FIRST DAYS EXPERIENCE BEYOND FORT LARAMIE The first day out of Fort Laramie we had lots of fun as the bull- whackers called it, and I believe it did them much good, because they knew there were real Indians in the hills thereabouts, and before we reached Fort Reno we had several little scraps, but of no importance, until we were near the Fort. The Indians really meant to get us but every time they tried it they met their Waterloo, because we were expecting them and our scouts were scouring the hills with powerful field glasses watching for fresh trails, at night time our cattle were guarded so that there was little chance for a surprise. Of course, the Indians made many attempts to stampede the herd but they never got more than a few head, which had gotten beyond the protection of the guards, and before they could get them out of range they were shelled by the artillery and we recovered the cattle. We were now within twenty miles of Fort Reno, our first objec- tive, and had decided to rest our tired cattle two days because we had again been warned that before we travel forward ten miles we would have to go from there into Fort Reno, through lowlands and heavy timber and very bad roads; also that the Indians were attacking Fort Reno to keep them from sending us reinforcements and that we would meet the largest band of Indians on the war path as soon as we reached the low timber- lands. 25 THE LIFE OF A ROVER 26 THE LIFE OF A ROVER OUR HENRY RIFLES SAVED US The chief wagonmaster finally made up his mind to go forward and take our medicine. We knew we would not be attacked before we reached 'he lowlands, because there were no hills or rocks for the Indians to hide ;>ehind. They knew if they came out in the open we would annihilate hem with over 150 Henry rifles besides the armament of our escort. No Indian force up to 2,000 would have a chance, because they would not rush on after our fire started. We were determined to make an Indian stop every bullet we sent forward — then you see a Henry rifle is one of the most powerful guns ever made, and when fired by men who know, they will stop the enmey. There are few men who will go out in the open against such weapons in the hands of determined white men who know they must make every shot count. WE ARE NOW CAMPED AT THE "EDGE OF THE LOWLANDS We are now camped at the edge of the low timberland and can hear gunfire which is coming from the direction of Fort Reno. The wagon- master has ordered the outfit to go forward, and I have been ordered to make a dash for the Fort to get reinforcements. After going at full speed about one mile my horse began to shake his head and rather refused to go further, and when I had stopped him and looked through by field glasses, I discovered more than fifty Indians in the top of trees, and most of them were only a few feet from the road. The timber was cotton- wood. There were many fallen trees which made great protection for the Indians. Just a moment before I started back to the outfit I noticed ten or twelve Indians run out from behind a big log; to lead me on they ran back into the brush as if they were scared and other Indians came down out of the trees but I knew there were more left behind. You see an Indian is trained to lead people into a trap. If there is only one or two white men coming toward hidden hostile Indians, they most all run like scared deer, and if the white men follow them they won't go far until they run up against a hail of arrows fired by hidden Indians who were left behind to pick off the one or two men who allowed themselves to be led into an Indian trap. So I knew if I didn't turn back I would not go much farther until I would be full of arrows. I returned to the outfit. While making my report a young lad only seventeen years old mounted a horse and said he was going to the Fort for reinforcements. He was told he would be full of arrows before he had gone half a mile, he went ahead and we soon found his body on the road full of arrows and his scalp gone. We buried him the next dav at Fort Reno. 271 THE LIFE OF A ROVER OUR ARTILLERY SHELLED THE WOODS When this young lad started for the Fort the Artillery commenced throwing shells ahead of him in the woods thinking they might drive the Indians out, but they got him. The bullwhackers were instructed to keep up as much speed as they could and also to keep up a running fire through the woods in front of the outfit and on both sides of the road whether they saw Indians or not. With every man pounding the oxen on the back we soon were in sight of the Fort which was on a high point on the opposite side of the river and when we had reached the bank of the river opposite the Fort we were then only about 500 yards from the Fort. As the water was not more than two feet deep the wagonmasters gave orders to rush the outfit across the river and told me to search the hillsides for Indians. I could locate only a few small bunches along the bank of the river and on both sides and they were perhaps over a mile away. FORT RENO OUT OF AMMUNITION AND SUPPLIES We were greatly surprised that the soldiers at the Fort did not come out to meet us but when we had gotten about one half the outfit up on the bank in front of the Fort the gates were thrown open and the almost starved soldiers rushed out, climbing into the wagons and dragging out sides of bacon and boxes of crackers and eating as if they were almost starved, and I suppose they were, too, because the commanding officer told us that they were entirely out of everything and that the Indians had been attacking them for several days and that we had saved their lives, — that they could not have held out much longer. He also told us that Fort Philkarney and Fort C. F. Smith were entirely out of supplies. He said the Indians would do their best to prevent us from reaching either of these Forts. We were told it was about sixty miles to Fort Philkarney. We were also told that it was about thirty miles to Crazy Woman's Fork, and that the road was very good,. but there was not a drop of water or even a sprig of grass until we reached Crazy Woman's Fork, where we would find plenty of fine feed and a beautiful stream of water. After resting our tired cattle two or three days we filled our kegs and canteens full of water and at 4:00 o'clock in the morning we started forward and on both sides of the road we found thousands of Moss Agates and many petrified bones, some of them were human skulls. There was no brush nor rocks for Indians to hide themselves behind and we knew they would not come out in the open to meet such a dangerous fire as we would give them. That afternoon we did see many Buffalo and a large herd which was four or five miles away, were coming toward us. At about 4:00 o'clock we were compelled to stop the outfit for half an hour until the Buffalo had passed on across the road. The artillery threw many shells into the front line of them, but those in the rear were pushing forward, so finally the Artillery men changed their fire and after throwing a few shells back to- wards the rear the Buffalo commenced to scatter and we went forward. r 28 i THE LIFE OF A ROVER LOST 12 HEAD OF CATTLE CROSSING THE 30-MILE DESERT I believe we lost twelve head of cattle crossing this desert, — they died from thirst. We reached Crazy Woman's Fork about seven p. m., after a hard day's drive and found plenty of good water, wood and feed for our almost worn out cattle. It commenced raining just before six p. m., but it was not a hard rain. It did much good, however, because it laid the dust and sent a little moist air into the throats of our animals which gave them new courage. Our men fared much better because they all had two or more canteens of water and we spared a small amount to our horses. I pushed a wet rag in my horse's mouth several times and he seemed to like it. INDIANS ATTEMPT TO STAMPEDE OUR CATTLE There were fresh signs where Indians had been camped and some of the fires had not yet gone out. At 12 o'clock that night a small band of Indians made a dash for our herd and as most of the cattle were lying down and our pickets were keeping a sharp lookout, the Indians run into a gunfire before they reached the herd. They did not do us any damage. The Moon soon came up and the danger of Indians was over. We rested two days and went forward towards Fort Philkarney. We traveled for three miles over a very bad road, as well as a dangerous one, because there was much brush, hills and rocks, and while the Indians did not come on us in force we could see them scattered out in the hills trying to draw us out. INDIANS HIDDEN IN THE BRUSH We knew if we saw one Indian a half mile away that there were others between us and the one we could see. We finally reached a point some ten miles from Fort Philkarney and waited for reinforcements to come out and escort us into the Fort but after waiting one day and no aid came to meet us we started forward and as we came nearer to the fort we could hear gunfire and we knew the Indians were attacking the Fort. So we received orders from the wagonmaster to throw the whip into the oxen and that every bullwhacker should keep his leader close up to the rear end of the wagon in front of him. [29] THE LIFE OF A ROVER INDIANS ATTACKING FORT PHILKARNEY WHEN WE CAME IN SIGHT When we were within two miles of the Fort I could see many Indians firing from a high point beyond the Fort, but there were none between us and the Fort. I made my report to the wagonmaster and he told me to run the spurs deep into my horse and make a dash for reinforcements. I started, and after going I believe, about a mile and a half, I stopped my horse and looked the country over. Yes, I could see Indians all around the Fort and while it looked to be a dangerous ride, I finally made another dash and when I had traveled about a half mile, I saw a white man come out of the ground on top of a high hill to my left, he yelled in a loud voice for me to come to him. I went as fast as my horse could travel. When I reached this soldier, he opened a door and led my horse into a tunnel, then he told be to go forward at full speed, that the tunnel ran into the Fort. I was soon before the commanding officer who grabbed me as a mother would her baby and said "You have saved us from exter- mination." The pickets about this time reported the Indians were fleeing in all directions and when the gates of the Fort were thrown open we could see the front end of our outfit coming over the hills. The soldiers threw their hats high in the air and commenced singing and dancing to beat the band. There weren't many soldiers at the Fort, but the few who were there could have held out against ten thousand Indians, if they had not run out of supplies, but without grub or ammunition, no matter how well fortified you are, the enemy will get you sooner or later. ANOTHER FORT SAVED However, we had saved another Fort and yet had one more to save before we could start on our homeward journey. After resting three days the commanding officer told us he was expecting three regiments coming over another road from the one we had traveled and that as soon as they arrived he would give us a strong escort. The weather was very threatening and the wagonmaster decided to go forward so we started. We were told that when we had meandered around the side of the mountain for fifteen miles we would be at the top of a mountain but we would not be more than four or five miles from the Fort, and that the Indians would be almost sure to attack us at the top of the mountain. -[301 THE LIFE OF A ROVER 0* or O [31] THE LIFE OF A ROVER He increased our escort as much as he could but he said they could only go to the top of the mountain and when we had reached the top and had not yet seen an Indian, but had seen pony tracks in the road, the com- manding officer of the extra escort said he thought the Indians had de- cided not to attack us and that he would return. Our wagonmaster told me to ride over to the high point and search the country over for Indians. When I first put my glasses before my eyes, I thought we were out of danger, but I saw the whole country except a beautiful valley some two miles ahead was covered with scrub oaks and much brush and large rocks, and trails where the Indians' ponies could travel so I made another search and saw several small bands of Indians not more than a half mile away. Soon I discovered more than 200 over a mile away, but they were all moving in one direction, which I thought would make a junction two to three miles ahead of us. I megaphoned the wagonmaster to hold on until I come in, and when I had told him what I had seen and the other scouts came in with a similar report, I was given ten cavalrymen and told to go forward and select a place to camp. We rode down to the valley and the whip was thrown into the oxen so we could get in camp before dark, when we had selected a place to camp we noticed a half dozen Indians come over a hill with a white cloth on a pole. We got our rifles in posi- tion for quick action and as they came closer they showed us they had no arms and when they were in speaking distance I spoke out aloud in English for them to dismount and for one to come forward. CROW INDIANS WARNED US TO TURN BACK OR WE WOULD BE MASSACRED They obeyed the command instantly because there were ten rifles pointed at them and when the leader came forward he said "Me good Crow Indian, me no fight white man," and he pointed back to the other Indians and said, "All good Crow Indians, no fight white man". I then told him he was a white man and he said "No, me no white man, me good Crow Indian", but I believe now he was a white man. However, the outfit was close by. I invited these Indians to come into camp and eat supper with us. They came and ate as if they were putting in a winter supply. BULL WHACKERS TRADE SUGAR FOR FURS In the meantime the bullwhackers were moving about with their fingers on the trigger so that if we were attacked, that they could put the light out of the spies, as we would have no time to watch them when defending an attack by hostile Indians. However, the moon came up and it was almost as light as day and all at once these Indians commenced pulling furs from under their blankets, there were many of them. The bullwhackers traded them sugar and other knicknacks and got most of their furs. We -were then only nine miles from Red Mountain, which I had seen when searching the country over on the top of the mountain. We had just come over and as these Crow Indians had told us that the [321 THE LIFE OF A ROVER warring Indians would kill all of us and burn our outfit before we got past Red Mountain, we decided to wait two days for reinforcements but at the end of the two days we had received no reinforcements. The wagonmaster in chief said, "Boys, you hired to go to Fort C. F. Smith and we must go forward." The bull whackers said, "We are bound for Fort C. F. Smith or bust." VERY BAD ROADS AHEAD AND MANY INDIANS We started and were compelled to move very slowly because we had to travel along the foot of a mountain which was also covered with scrub oak, underbrush and rocks. The artillery was throwing shells over the mountainside and the escort was firing scattering shots at anything they saw moving in the brush. We found a spot which was a half mile from the foot of the mountain and went into camp until 4:00 o'clock the next afternoon. The wagonmaster told me to go ahead and inspect the road. I reported soon that it was very bad and he then sent men ahead with picks and shovels to make repairs. We went into camp again but the weather was very threatening and it was then snowing and about 12:00 o'clock that night the moon came up and the wagonmaster ordered the outfit to go forward and as the road was in bad condition we moved slowly having many repairs to make. About 4:00 a. m. the officer in command of the escort and the wagonmaster in chief, sent out scouts on foot to scour the side of Red Mountain for Indians and at daylight the officer in command of the escort sent two pickets to the top of Red Mountain with instructions to fire severals shots if they discovered any Indians. INDIANS KILL PICKETS WITH ARROWS I was sent ahead to examine the road at the place where we would turn down into a beautiful valley. I soon returned with the information that there was about 300 feet of the road which we could not get over without holding the wagons with ropes. At about 6:00 o'clock we were moving the wagons around the danger points by holding them with ropes to prevent them turning over and rolling down to the bottom, a distance of over 100 feet, which would have killed our oxen, and we would have also lost the entire load of supplies. INDIANS CAPTURED SEVEN WAGONS AT RED MOUNTAIN The first two wagons to pass the danger point were two Govern- ment ambulances, each drawn by four mules, which were loaded with supplies for our escort, and after we had safely passed most of our oxen teams around to safety the three cannon and the 17 men who were man- ning the artillery went forward around- the paint and they were then stationed close by so as to protect the men who were holding the wagons while they were going around the danger point, and as every one of the escort was doing their best to assist, the same as if they were hired bull- whackers, in fact. It was a very busy time as we had received no news from the pickets, who were sent to the top of the mountain with instruc- tions to fire several shots if they saw hostile Indians, the wagonmaster thought we were quite safe. [33] THE LIFE OF A ROVER INDIANS COULD HAVE MASSACRED US The two government ambulances had gone down the valley fully one fourth of a mile, and as the ground beyond the danger points was level and extended back nearly a half mile, which ground was covered with fine grass, that is, it was what they called bunch grass, the ox teams helped around the danger point, were stopped within about two hundred yards of the mule teams as other ox teams were helped around, they too Were driven down near the mule teams, so our outfit was in bad shape for one to form into a corrall quickly. However, it was now past 10:00 a. m., and no news from the pickets who were sent to the top of the mountain early in the morning with instructions to fire several shots if they discovered Indians, Our wagonmaster and the officer in command of the escort were apparently very much annoyed because the pickets had not come in, the job of holding the wagons was most over, there being only eight or ten more to assist around the danger point, the wagonmaster- in-chief told the writer to go forward and corrall the outfit, so I yelled out as loud as I could to go ahead. All the bullwhackers sent the order down the line, and as I rode on to the front of the outfit the bullwhackers were swinging and popping their whips in a joyous mood. THE INDIANS LOST THEIR HEADS I rushed the job, corralling the train, tongues inside as was our custom and when I was about half through corralling the outfit, I heard a rapid gunfire back in the rear and the arrows were falling close to us and several hundred mounted Indians came .down a canyon only a short distance from where the mule teams were and they killed the drivers, and the whole band started after the two-mule teams. There were five wagons loaded with settlers' goods which were yet to be brought around the danger point, they were also captured by the Indians. Our pickets had been killed with arrows, is why we received no report from them. The wagon road ran close up to the foot of the mountain, which was almost perpendicular and covered with scrub oaks and large rocks. An Indian on top of the mountain could fire an arrow, which he fired in the air, so it would fall in the valley and those who were close to the danger point had no chance of escape. There must have been over 1,000 Indians who had crawled down close to the road because there was hardly a foot of ground which was missed. In fact, it was a hail of arrows but they did not reach the bullwhackers who were corralling the train. They did, however, kill the 17 artillery men and all told 52 of our escort was killed. The men driving the artillery had hitched up their mules and were ready to go forward when the arrows commenced falling. The mules started on the run toward the cprrall, and they got close to the corrall before they commenced to fall. I really believe some of them were hit fifty times with arrows, and not an Indian had been seen except those who captured the supply teams which were in front of the outfit. [34] THE LIFE OF A ROVE R THE INDIANS WERE BADLY OFFICERED Had the Indians not been fools they could have killed every man in the outfit. But in place of running down on us in force they came out of the brush and ran to the five wagons they had cut off and captured which gave me and the bullwhackers time to corrall the outfit and unload the shelled sacked corn which we piled under the wagons for breastworks. It was about an hour after the first attack before the Indians made the slightest attempt to attack the outfit and as we had corralled the train nearly one-fourth mile from the foot of the mounain and that the Indians must come out in the open if they wanted to make an effective attack they were so yellow that they couid not face the 150 Henry rifles and other good firearm's which were in the tfands of as brave men as ever protected a Fort, and every man was cool and determined to hit the object he was firing at, then too, we were protected by our wagons and the corn we had piled under them. The wagonmaster in chief was busy keeping the men encouraged. I was standing behind the end of the last wagon with my field glasses watching the Indians unload the five settler wagons and carrying away the freight. I could see the Indians piling dry brush under the wagons and soon it commenced to burn and a great Indian yell was heard which sounded as though there were thousands of them yelling and as the wagons burned the Indians seemed to be coming down to the very foot of the mountain, so we were expecting they would soon make a dash to capture us. WE FOOLED THE INDIANS BY FIRING OUR FIRST SHOT WITHOUT EFFECT When they started out of the brush as if they were coming on us \k did not fire a shot until quite a few of them were fully fifty to a hundr: yards from the, brush and as they were crawling on the ground and the most of them had a shield in front of them our first two or thee shots did not hit an Indian! We then ceased firing, thinking those in front would get up and run toward us and that they would draw several hun- dred more out in the open. We wanted to see them fall because \7hen you shoot an Indian he will jump xip in the air and give a loud yell. This, they say, is done so another Indian will drop down on his hands and feet and still another Indian will put the body on the back of the Indian on his hands and feet and back for the brush he goes r ith his comrade. My dear reader, you may wonder why we wasted more than 100 bullets when we could have killed every Indian who was out in the open but had you been an eye witness for five minutes more you would have said we were well officered, because we drew five hundred of them out of the brush and they did fall thick and fast without hardly firing a shot because the very first volley we fired seemed to scare the life out of them but not all, of course. A lot of them did not need scaring, they were do'fan and out. [35 THE LIFE OF A ROVER Note figure on Cut No. 1 where wagons were held with ropes to prevent them turning over while going around danger point. No. 2 — Bend in river. No. 3 — Location of pickets killed with arrows. No. 4 — Two-mule teams captured by Indians. No. 5 — Corral. No. 6 — Location of three cannons before Indians attack outfit. No. 7 — Five freight wagons captured by Indians. No. 8^Condition of outfit when Indians make first attack. No. 9 — Canyon where over 700 Indians rush out at first attack. No. 10 — Road. No. 11 — Canyon alive with Indians who fire thousands of arrows upwards so they will fall on our men killing over 50 first volley. [36] THE LIFE OF A ROVER OUR COOKS MADE COFFEE WHILE FIGHT WAS ON After this scrap the cooks built a fire and made a lot of coffee and we in turn ate and drank coffee and waited for developments, but not another attack was attempted until about 8:00 p. m., when it had gotten very dark and it looked much like rain or snow. However, now and then the clouds would roll off the biggest moon you ever saw and you bet we were* glad no matter if it was only for a moment at a time but we could hear the squaws beating many Indian drums and we knew trouble was near at hand, we were all ready, I think it was just about 8:30 p. m. when the moon was uncovered for only a moment. In that moment we dis- covered the ground covered with Indians crawling toward us, it would be hard to say how many there were, but we commenced preparing for a hand to hand fight and just as the Indians gave the first yell the blessed loon came out as bright as any daylight I ever saw, and as the Indians rose to their feet they went down and the most deadly fire ever caused by the pulling of a trigger was then on, and while seven Indians had \ often inside the corrall and they did not return, there were many of the front line within twenty yards of us. Not an Indian came out of the brush after we fired the first shot but they beat it back out of sight. One of the seven mentioned above was crawling over the top of a wagon and as he started to look down toward the ground one of the bullwhackers placed an old fashioned army musket against his ne<-K and pulled the trigger. Say, boy, Mr. Indian rolled down inside the coral without even saying you got me. The other six were found under the wagons. ONLY ONE BULL WHACKER LOST HIS NERVE There was only one man so far as I heard who gave up hopes that we would win out in the end and when he kneeled down and commenced praying aloud a bullwhacker hit him over the head with a six shooter and told him to go to shooting Indians or he would be full of holes in a minute. From that time on he gave a good account of himself. The moon shined and the skies remained clear until after 10:00 o'clock. $500.00 FOR A MAN TO GO FOR REINFORCEMENTS The wagonmaster in "chief thought it was his duty to send a man back to Fort Philkarney for reinforcements. He offered $500.00 to any man willing to take a chance. A man came to me and said "I will go if you let me ride your horse." I said, "Take him," and in a moment he dashed out of the corral, six shooter in each hand, and bridle reins in his mouth, we poured a rapid fire in front of him until he got around the point of Red Mountain and by this time one of the bullwhackers had learned to fire the cannon and had also trained other men and they nearly burned up the barrels of the cannon throwing shells in front and over the man's head until he was half a mile away, and we felt he had a chance because he was riding one of the best horses ever a man mounted. To travel the short cut he would arrive by 11:30 o'clock, because it would only be about sixteen or eighteen miles. However, he reached the Fort just 1^38] THE LIFE OF A ROVER before 12:00 o'clock and three regiments of reinforcements had arrived that afternoon. The commanding officer ordered a regiment of cavalry and one of the infantry to go forward at once to our aid. Every time the clouds would cover up the moon all during the night the Indians would come down to the edge of the brush but they were afraid to take a chance on the clouds uncovering the moon at the critical moment, be- cause they knew they could not get near us when the moon was un- covered. NEAR DAYLIGHT, INDIANS BY THE THOUSANDS IN SIGHT Just before daylight I believe they were getting ready to make a final dash but at that moment we heard many shots fired and heard the sound of horses running and we knew th'ey were not Indian ponies because they are not shod and make no noise when running. In a few moments we could see the Cavalry coming and when the officer in com- mand charged up to the rear end of the outfit I was one of the first to meet them, because I wanted to see my horse. REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVED AT DAYLIGHT When the officer had dismounted the first word he uttered was "Who sent that false report to the Fort," and when we had led him around to where many of the dead soldiers lay be yelled out aloud, "My sister's boy," referring to the dead officer who was killed with arrows, the first volley the Indians fired from the mountain side. This officer then turned to the second officer in command and told him to take 500 men and follow the Indians and exterminate them. They started out but after a few hours they returned saying the Indians were going into camp. He said there were so many of them that with 1,500 men he would not attack them. We remained in camp at the foot of Red Mountain for three more days, when we started forward toward Fort C. F. Smith with an increased escort. Friendly Indians came into our camp several times with a message from the Indians on the War path and told us that the Indian chiefs said they did not want to kill our bullwhackers, but if we did not turn back that we would all be killed before we reached Fort C. F. Smith. Our wagonmaster-in-chief said he was going to deliver the freight at Fort C. F. Smith if we had to kill all the Indians in the country and he made good so far as delivering the freight was concerned. [39] THE LIFE OF A ROVER HERE'S WHERE I KILL MY FIRST BEAR AND CAPTURE • TWO CUBS Just as we were going into camp the first evening after leaving Red Mountain our front picket came in and told me that an old bear and two smaller ones had crossed the road a few minutes ago and that they were headed up the canyon. As I had long wanted to kill a bear, I asked the wagonmaster-in-chief to give me two men for a little while, saying I wanted to kill a bear, which he did, and he also said that we would stand a good chance of being filled with arrows. However, there was a small stream of water coming down the canyon and a trail running along the edge of the bank which was about fifty feet above the water, and as a light snow was falling, the bear tracks were quite easily followed. After we had traveled a fourth of a mile the tracks were quite fresh, they separated from the old bear going up the hill and the small ones going down toward the water. So, we decided to separate and one of the other men went down toward the water and the other to the top of the hill while I followed the trial on up the canyon. When I had walked one hundred yards I discovered two small bears playing in the edge of the water and on the opposite side of the creek. Of course, I wanted to catch the little ones alive. I fired a shot intending the ball to pass just over their heads and strike the bank behind them, which I thought would cause them to hide in the grass, but just as I pulled the trigger, one of the baby bears ran his little foot up over his head and the ball cut the end of one toe and when he slapped his foot in the water, I could see it was bloodstained. He started crying similar to a human baby. The other small bear squatted down in the grass just as little pigs do when they are scared. At this moment I heard the chaparal brush cracking up near the top of the hill and at first I thought it was one of my partners but soon I saw it was the old bear rolling over and over and about 100 yards away she would run along the side of the hill which was very steep for a few yards and then she would roll over again, all the time coming nearer to me. I watched my chance for a broadside shot and fired a ball which I thought would strike her behind the left shoulder, and it did hit her there but she only came with greater speed toward me. I fired again and again but she kept coming and when she was only thirty feet away I fired again, and the ball struck her between the eyes. She dropped dead. I had often heard that mother bears were very hard to kill dead when they were coming to aid their young. And when this one had been skinned it was found that every shot I fired hit her and that the first ball went clear through the body and should have caused instant death. I then jumped over the bank and picked up the two young ones while the other two men were planning as to how they could best get the old bear back to camp. They remained on guard while I returned and sent back a large Government mule, upon who's back they brought in the game and we had a feast of fresh meat. [40] THE LIFE OF A ROVER There was plenty of wild game along the road, that is, near the road, but the darned Indians were hidden behind rocks and in the brush so thick that it was not safe to take a chance looking for anything but Indians. The two young bear I gave to the commanding officers at Fort Philkarney on our way back to the U. P. R. R. I heard afterwards that one of them died and that the other one was sent to Chicago. The entire road from Red Mountain to Fort C. F. Smith was better than any road we had before encountered and as there were no scrub oaks, rocks or brush near the road for Indians to hide behind we had very little trouble with them except that every now and then we woul/i see bands numbering up to several hundred which would necessitate cor- ralling the outfit and the loss of from a half hour to two days. No doubt, the Indians planned to attack us several times but there was too much open ground, between us and their nearest hiding place. IN SIGHT OF FORT C. F. SMITH However, after several days travel we came in sight of Fort C. F. Smith, and went into camp because we dare not attempt to pass through the lowlands, which were close to us, untildaylight. We believed there was but little ammunition at the Fort or they would have sent an escort to meet us. The following morning at daylight we started and as we went down the hill into the lowlands I-sat on my horse searching the country over for Indians and could see them leaving the lowlands in bunches. They had given up the job and the wagonmaster gave orders for the outfit to go forward with all possible speed because we knew that the Indians might at any moment make a dash for the rear end of the outfit. When we were in about one and one-^half miles of the Fort the wagonmaster told me to make a dash to the Fort, that they might expect us soon to arrive and as the outfit would have to come around a high hill we could not be seen until we were almost at the entrance of the Fort. When the soldiers saw me coming on the dead run they said they thought the rest of the outfit had been massacred, and I alone had es- caped, because they said the whole country was alive with warring In- dians, but when I had reached the commanding officer and told him the outfit was safe and would be in sight very soon he and all the men gave three cheers for the expedition and then gave three cheers for me. They unsaddled my horse and threw blankets over him and petted him as a mother would her baby. They gave him water and rubbed his legs with dry cloths. Soon the outfit was coming around the hill and another yell went up and the band commenced to play. The tears rolled down the checks of the officers when they were telling me how short they were of everything that even their horses were almost starved. When the front of the outfit was near the entrance the gates opened and the almost starved soldiers rushed out to get a bite to eat, the only question they asked was, where is the bacon and crackers? We were all entertained that night to the fullest extent of a soldier's ability. 141] THE LIFE OF A ROVER r^vn Indians attacking a fort. [42] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The Fort was near the bank of a beautiful stream of water which I believe they called the North Branch of Little Big Horn River. There was plenty of good grass for our tired cattle. We rested about three days and were glad to start back to the U. P. R. R. Our wagons were not loaded and we made much better time going back, but on account of snow falling more or less day and night, it was hard for our oxen to find the grass. The Indians were often seen in small bands but the only thing they tried to do was to stampede the herd, which they failed in doing — only once did it look like they might cut off about one hundred head, but we beat them to it. The cattle were grazing a half mile or more from camp. It was then about noon and the sun was shining bright. The wagonmaster said we would not pull out until early in the morning. THREE OF US KILL AN INDIAN CHIEF AND WHIP 30 MORE I was instructed to take two men and go to a high hill beyond the herd and search, with my field glasses, for Indians. While We were look- ing the country over we saw an Indian ride up on top of a high hill. He was fully one and one-half miles away and he had a very bright saber in his hand and was pointing it in many directions. We knew there were more Indians close by us, so we motioned the herders to start the cattle for camp at once, but there was about a hundred head which were to one side and they did not seem to move as fast as the rest of the herd. We gave another order to rush them in and the three of us went to a big tree, near the bank of a creek, where a coarse tall grass had grown up and as this Indian would ride down closer, sometimes on the dead run, and then wave his saber as before, we, of course, thought there were Indians hidden in the tall grass. So, we left our horses and started crawling directly toward this lone Indian who was then one-fourth mile away. When we found a buffalo wallow with the tall grass grown up all around the edge, we stopped and made ready, with our three Henry rifles, to get this lone Indian when he had come a little closer. Soon we saw several more Indians, on top of a divide not far from where the lone Indian was sit- ting on his pony, and I could then see his eyes with my field glasses. We were about ready to fire on him when thirty Indians charged over the divide and they all started straight for the spot where we were hidden. When the leader was within one hundred yards of us he stopped and straightened up as if to have his picture taken. The three Henry rifles cracked and the second shot dropped his horse and the third went into the bunch, which was seventy-five to a hundred yards behind their leader. If ever a bunch of cowards ran, it was the few left of that band of about thirty Indians. *Of course, our rapid fire brought out the. best men in the outfit. I rushed back and mounted my horse and helped the herders drive in the cattle. The other two men scalped the dead In- dian and got his bow and arrows, saber knife and his beautiful beaded tobacco sack, full of. Indian tobacco, which they gave to me. 1 kept it over forty years. It was finally stolen from me by a beautiful lady who said she loved me because of my beautiful, big blue eyes, and many other reasons. [43] THE LIFE OF A ROVER ldl>f A brave Indian chief. [44] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The above was our last scrap worth mentioning. We saw but very few hostile bands. As we passed the Forts, our expedition had saved, the soldiers came out with bands of music and shook hands with us, wishing us a safe re- turn, and thanking us many times for the risk we had taken to save them from annihilation by Indians or starvation. The snow was falling heavily the morning we drove into Cheyenne, as it had been for several days before and the night before. We had traveled all night, making the best time we could. Soon after we arrived at Cheyenne, the paymaster came into camp and paid us off, and after thanking the expedition to the fullest extent of his ability, he said, "I am more than proud to see you return in such ex- cellent health, and I assure you that your names will go down in history for the excellent service you have rendered; the fact that you lost but two bullwhackers, killed by the Indians, proves to my mind that your leaders and scouts were worthy of their job, and I now desire to ofler an extra word in favor of the young man called DAN, THE INDIAN SCOUT, and whom I am informed, through reading the chief wagonmaster's re- port, was your chief-of-scouts, and I further understand that he is the one who corralled the outfit and directed the bullwhackers throughout the desperate battle at Red Mountain, and I am further informed through said report that your chief-of-scouts, on several occasions, with great dan- ger of losing his life, protected the cattle while grazing on the plains. The discharge, or driving away of Charlie Martin, your first wagon- master, stands out as showing every one was on his job, and that you did not propose to take the chance of a leader who was quite as dangerous as the savage Indians, who banded themselves together and threatened to massacre every man in the entire expedition. Charlie Martin has proven, since his return to Cheyenne, that you were warranted in hang- ing him at Fort Laramie, since it is a fact that he has killed several men within the past week or so. You were fully warranted in believing him to be a very dangerous man, one who might join the warring Indians at a most critical moment, and thereby assist them in exterminating every man in your outfit. I, myself, had intended to go with the outfit from Fort Laramie to Fort Reno, if not clear on through to Fort C. F. Smith, but at the time you were getting ready to pull out I received orders call- ing me back to Cheyenne, and I now assure you that I welcomed the order, because the commanding officer at the Fort had told me that the outfit had a very slim chance of reaching even the first objective, which was Fort Reno." We were honorably discharged. [45] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The commanding officer at Fort Laramie informed me, that is he in- formed the speaker, meaning the paymaster, that he had a very small garrison and that while our outfit should have an escort of at least one thousands of them and that if we got in there before it became generally cannon, he could not give the outfit an escort of but two small companies and three small cannon, and that he would not allow the outfit to go forward if it were not for the fact that the Forts, naming Fort Reno, Fort Philkarney, and Fort C. F. Smith, would only be able to hold out a short time, unless our outfit could relieve them. Their supplies of every kind was almost exhausted, and he went on to say that the outfit was well armed and with 150 Henry rifles, and the other armament, like six shooters and their short repeating rifles, for the use of their scouts and short-range fighting. There would be many dead Indians left on the ground before they captured the outfit. DURING OUR FIRST DAY AT CHEYENNE After we had been paid off and honorably discharged, several of us met a so-called wise man, who said he had just come in from the Black Hills, which, he said, were about thirty miles west of Cheyenne, and near the U. P. R. R., and that on account of the severe cold the elk and deer were coming into the pine timberlands for shelter and that there were thousands of them and that if we got in there before it became generally known, with our Henry rifles, we could easily kill a thousand or so, al- most as fast as we could pull the trigger, and after inquiring as to the value of the hides and the meat, we were led to believe we could get rich quick, and the following morning, at an early hour, we mounted our horses and started for the place this wise man had said we could build a cabin, and with two large pack mules, loaded with supplies and ammuni- tion, we started on our journey, expecting to be in camp early that after- noon. It was showing, there was no severe wind blowing, but before ten a. m. there came up one of the worst snow storms I have ever ex- perienced, and I have been in many bad ones. The snow was coming from the west, square in our faces, and the wind blowing at not less than fifty miles an hour. Our horses and pack mules were hard to -control. They wanted to turn back. Time and again they seeme>d determined to return to Cheyenne. We were trying to follow the U. P. R. R., which we knew ran almost directly west from Cheyenne. At about one o'clock in the afternoon we came to the place where we were directed t© leave the railroad track and go into the timberlands, but we were not sure as to where we were, because of the blinding snow. However, we were not willing to take the advice of our horses, each of them including our wise pack mules, were determined to turn back, and as we reached the timber- land we run on to many fallen trees. 46 THE LIFE O F A ROY I R WE WERE SOON COMPELLED TO ABANDON OUR HORSES On account of having become snowbound, in drifts of unknown depth, and in a moment our horses and pack mules were out of sight, and we did not know in what direction they had gone, unless they had .started back towards Cheyenne. We all managed to keep together, that is, when some of us stuck in a snow bank, the others pulled them out, and in this way we were climbing over dead, fallen pine timber, and with my com- pass we were trying to get further back into where we expected to find heavier timber, and hoped to find better protection from the severe wind and blinding snow. We had nothing left with us but our rifles and six shooters, and such ammunition as was in our belts. Our pack mules were carrying our blankets, extra ammunition, and all our food. If we had not been accustomed to the cold we would have frozen to death in half an hour, but because of the fact that we all wore our fur caps, fur coats, and fur overshoes, owr the top of our heavy boots, the cold did not seem to effect us. We meandered about as best we coedd, now and then bunching up together to exchange opinions as to what to do next, because we did not know where we were. When we had about made up our minds to try and start a fire, we, by chance, ran up against a deserted log cabin, and to our great surprise there was a fireplace in it, and lot of pitch pine wood. I suppose there must have been two cords of wood. Another surprise soon was our luck, when the fire had lighted up the room, we discovered there were several bunks and upon each one of them we found one to two pairs of heavy blankets. We were not hungry, because we had nothing to eat. Low and behold, one of the boys discovered a sack of flour in one corner, covered up with wood, and with it was several punds of coffee, a large side of bacon, several pounds of dried apples, a sack of some fifteen pounds of beans, and we looked at it — a regular grocery store. We could not figure out who or why one or more men '.ad left such a supply in a lonely cabin and while it did not belong to us we devoured it as if it were our own, being willing to defend ourselves as best we could in case the owners should come in. We sometimes came to the con- clusion that the occupants had gone out and frozen to death and many other reasons why we should have the luck to find such a rich gold mine as we often called our find. 147 THE LIFE OF A ROVER DAY BY DAY THE STORM RAGES For about one week, and we find ourselves almost out of food. One morning it was decided we should draw straws to see who should go out and find one of those thousands of elk or deer, which we were told were thereabout, and the two men who lost started out in the storm, and soon, perhaps half an hour, came into the cabin saying there was a large elk standing beside a large pine tree near the cabin, and the other members and myself grabbed our rifles to see who would be the first to fire the fatal shot or as some might call it, the lucky shot, and as I was the first to step outside, I thought I saw a monster elk standing some fifty yards away, and as his head was toward me, I quickly raised my rifle and fired the ball, and as I expected, struck him square between the horns and he dropped to his knees with a ball in his brain. I went inside the cabin, to set my rifle down, and the other men soon brought in several chunks of as fine looking meat as one would find in a meat market, catering only to a liberal buying clientele of customers. We cut the meat up in smaller pieces and commenced cooking it before the fire; soon, however, we dis- covered we were eating the meat of a real tame oxen, and after some delay, the two men admitted they had found a large sawmill but -a few hundred yards from our stolen cabin and that they found this steer some distance from the other cattle and because they were afraid to shoot him, they had run the risk of driving him down near the cabin, knowing that I would get him the first shot, while they might miss him on account of fear of being caught. I knew I was in great danger of the gang putting all the blame on me, in case the sawmill owners caught us in this deserted cabin, and in case the occupants of it had been caught in the storm and frozen to death, we might be charged with having driven them out of their shelter. It was then about nine o'clock, and after cooking some more of the meat, I put on my overshoes and overcoat, picked up my rifle, and said to the crowd that I was starting for Cheyenne, and it seemed to me that every one of the four men I was leaving behind me believed I would freeze to death, and they would put all the blame on me. They would thereby escape any criminal responsibility It really looked as if I had a slim chance to reach Cheyenne that day. I was willing to take the risk, and after I had traveled a hundred yards or so, I found myself tangled up in the limbs of a large pine tree, and while I could see but a slight chance of going forward, I looked at my compass, and I believed I was traveling toward the U. P. R. R. track, Finally, however, I got out of the tangled limbs of this pine tree and be- lieved I was nearer the edge of the timber, and by pushing ahead I reached the U. P. tracks and I knew to travel downhill, I was going to- ward Cheyenne. 481 THE LIFE OF A ROVER The wind was still coming from the west and when I had turned my back to the wind, it blowed so hard that I was often blown off my feet. Of course, when I found shallow snow, I could travel very fast, but the drifts were so numerous that I was compelled to go around the large banks; some of them were several hundred yards around and twenty feet deep. My greatest trouble was to make my way back to the railroad tracks each time I was compelled to go around one of the high snowbanks. When I was almost exhausted, I could have dropped in the snow and gone to sleep, but I knew it would be my long sleep into the unknown, so I would put a piece of that frozen beef in my mouth and while it was hard chewing, it seemed to remove some of the worry from my mind and I would press forward, hoping every moment that I might see the glim- mer of a light in a window, because I knew I had traveled fully fifty miles, but that was on account of having to go around so many snow drifts. However, I thought I could see a dim light, and while it appeared to be near, I must have traveled fully one hour before I arrived at the front door of the house where the light was shining, and as this house was only a small tent house and there were several other larger lights then shining, only a short distance ahead of me, I pushed forward until I found myself at the door of a large dance hall and gambling house, and after going inside, I discovered they were serving meals back in the rear of the dance hall There was a long bar in the front and at the end of each dance, men led their partners to the bar and paid one dollar for two drinks. The women were, of course, of the underworld, but they were not of the lowest, because they would slap a man in the face, if he got fresh, and they all wore dresses which reached the top of their shoes. After standing several feet from the big stove for a few moments, I meandered back to the dining room. When I was seated, a waitress came to my table and asked for my order, and, as I was very hungry, I asked her to bring me a first-class meal and, considering the fact that Cheyenne was then admitted to be the wildest and toughest town in all the west, I was served with what I considered a first-class meal for the small sum of three dollars, and not a word said about a tip for the pretty young woman who so attentively served my supper. While nowadays one is expected to tip the waitress liberally when his meal sums up to three dollars, and as a matter of further entertainment, while I was eating, there were several fights started and one small shooting match, which was caused by some men getting fresh with one of the dancing girls. After eating to my heart's content, this beautiful waitress inquired whether I wished a bed for the night and, as I was very much in need of rest, I gladly welcomed the opportunity of retiring where I might at least get a little rest, and after paying her three dollars more, she escorted me to a tent, far back in the rear of the dance hall. I was shown a [49; THE LIFE OF A ROVER pretty snow covered cot, which consisted of two posts driven in the ground, at either end, and a narrow board nailed to the posts as a head and footboard, and two long boards running from the head to the foot. These boards were the springs. Then there was one army blanket thrown over the boards and a pillow made out of sagebrush, the pillow- slip was an old grain sack and the, carpet on the floor was made of sage- brush broken up into more than a dozen pieces. There were quite a number of these so-called beds in the same room and as the gambling tables never closed there were not many of the beds occupied until about daylight at which time I got up and started out. HUNTING AN INSIDE JOB FOR THE WINTER There was only one hotel and one dinkey newspaper in Cheyenne at that time. I went to the hotel and asked for employment, only to be in- formed that there was no vacancy, and few jobs in town — except in dance halls or saloons, and then I informed the gentleman that I did not care to work in either of those places. The editor of the newspaper stepped up and said he wanted to hire a devil to work at his printing office, and as I did not quite understand him, he invited me to go with him to his place of business, and when we had reached his print shop and seated ourselves near his table he said again that he wanted to hire a printer's devil and when I inquired as to the duty of a printer's devil, he said it was his duty to wash the ink rollers, make fires, and keep everything clean about the place, and, of course, I told him I could do that work as good as any man, and then I was asked why I was carrying that Henry rifle with me, and when I told him I had come in with a freight outfit the day before, he seemed satis- fied and put me to work. There was nothing said about wages, just so I bad a place and bed to sleep on, and something to eat for the winter. The weather was very cold. [50] THE LIFE OF A ROVER MY FINE HORSE WAS ON MY MIND I was all this time wondering what had become of him and at the same time, I thought he might hiave returned to Cheyenne. To cover up my tracks for the past few days, after being shown a very good place to sleep, I went to work cleaning up the printer's rollers and the shop throughout. I noticed it was getting late in the day, and I asked per- mission to go after my blankets and clothing, and when I had reached the corral, where we had camped before going to the Black Hills on that wild goose chase for elk and deer, there I found my horse, the two pack mules, and all the other horses. My horse seemed to be glad to see me. I did not claim to know anything about the other horses or the mules to the man who owned the corral and when L-had claimed my horse he said he was a stray and that he came into the corral the same day that four other horses and two pack mules came in. I, however, paid the charges against my horse and, after putting the saddle on him, I mounted and rode away to another corral, a half mile or more distance, and moved him about, from place to place, until spring when I got another job with a surveying outfit. Of course, I was wondering about the fate of my companions, whom I had left in that deserted cabin that cold and stormy morning, but I never once inquired about them. Some two months later I met one of them and of course I inquired as to how they got out of the hills. He said one of the sawmill men was a deputy United States marshal, and that when the dead ox was found, the deputy marshal arrested the whole bunch and brought them to Cheyenne, where they had been in jail for over two months, and that they were turned loose but a few hours be- fore with instructions to leave Cheyenne at once and that the rest of the gang went out on the morning train, and he was going as soon as he could raise a few dollars eating money, that it had taken his last dollar to buy his ticket, and I then inquired what had been said by any or all of them about me, and he said not a word, that the officer thought he had captured the whole gang and they thought it would not help them to say anything about me, that they paid one hundred and fifty dollars to the deputy, which was said to be the value of the steer I had killed. I then inquired as to the amount of money he needed for meals, while on the train, and when he said four or five dollars, I promptly handed him twenty dollars, which he said he would send back. I never heard of him again. I 5 1 THE LIFE OF A ROVER I MEET CHARLIE MARTIN ON THE STREET A day or so after I went to work as a printer's devil, and as he did not see me, and the fact that I was thinking all the time that when we met there might be trouble, because he was sure a real gunman and had killed many a man just to see him fall. There were but few, if any, gunmen, who would anger him when Charlie Martin walked up to a gambling table, and told a gambler to give him his seat. The gambler obeyed the command at once, because he knew, or at least expected, Martin's next move would be pulling the trigger of his trusty six shooter. Charlie Martin was a small slender man, one of the last men you would believe to be such a heartless desperado, notwithstanding the fact that he claimed to have killed more than a dozen men, just to see them fall, and it was said he had killed at least six men in Cheyenne within the past month. The editor said to me that there was a very bad gunman in town by the name of Charlie Martin. I then told him I believed I knew the man he had described. The editor then said to me that I should run over to the dance hall, and if Charlie Martin was there, I should come back and let him know at once. A few minutes after I had entered the dance hall I was standing near the stove, when Charlie Martin came in. He walked up to me, reaching out his hand, saying he was glad to see me, and while I was keeping my eyes on him and keeping very close to his side, so I could grab his hand if he attempted to draw a six shooter, as if I was glad to see him, notwithstanding the fact it would have been my preference to have been a mile away talking through a megaphone. I knew he was very quick on drawing a six shooter, and that he usually pulled the trigger without uttering a word. I noticed a sudden change in his face and his eyes were snapping as if he was wondering what would happen next, when he apparently got over his nervous spell, and said, "Do you see that man standing at the end of the bar?" "Yes," I said, and Martin then looked me straight in the eye and said, "That man will be dead in less tran one minute." He then drew his big six shooter and fired a ball into the man's brain and then fired two more balls into his body, while he lay dead on the floor. Martin then threw several bills on the bar, and said, "Give every person in the house a drink or a cigar." I did not go to the bar and when Martin turned around and noticed I was still beside the big stove, where he had left me, he said, "Stay where you are," and then instructed a man to close the front door and not to allow anyone to come in or go out until he left the room. Of course, I wanted to get out, but I did not know how to make my escape, and, I, as most others then in the room, supposed there was at least one more man in the dance hall, whom Martin was intending to kill before he left the room. None could name the man and I knew he was a deadly enemy of mine, and I was unarmed, and absolutely helpless, unless I was by his side where I could grab his arm, should he reach for his gun. The dancing was still going on, and the gambling games never stopped for a moment. [52] THE LIFE OF A ROVER Charlie Martin and Thompson hanging. [53] THi: LIFE OF A ROVER I noticed the man at the door put his hand on the knob, and I made a dash toward him and when I was near the door, he opened it and out I went. My legs were taxed to their full capacity moving m, scared body toward the printing office. I met the editor near the door. He said he was wondering if I had got into trouble and when we had gone into his office, I told him what I had seen. He then called one of his men to his side, handed him a paper, upon which was written several names. He told this man to request those gentlemen to meet him at the hotel at once. The editor then gaVe me a twenty-dollar bill, saying it was extra pay for the information I had brought him. I was then in- structed to remain in the office until his return at about 8:15. He instructed me to go to the dance hall, and if Charlie Martin was there, to return at once. I found Martin dancing on the floor in his shirt sleeves, and two large six shooters hanging in his belt. I made my report to the editor. The editor then handed me ten dollars, and told me to return to the dance hall and if Martin left the place, to follow him, and when he stopped, I should return and let him know where Martin stopped. I had only been in the dance hall a few moments, when a "very drunken man came in and told Martin that there was a lady at the door who wished to speak to him. Martin then drew his six shooter, and started for the door, saying he would kill every damn son of a vigilante in front of that door. When he was near the door he commanded a man to open it wide. Martin then raised his hands, pointing both six shooters toward the open space in the door and made one jump, as if he was to land outside the door and at this moment he was hit over the head with an iron bar, his pistols falling from his hands, a rope was thrown over his head, and drawn tight about his neck. He was then dragged to a vacant lot and the other end of the rope tide around three two-by-fours, (which were, I believe, about sixteen feet long) . They were then raised and the lower ends spread out, leaving Martin there to kick out his own life. THE VIGILANTES ALSO HANG AN INNOCENT MAN The same night they hanged Charlie Martin, while Martin's body was not cut down for several days, the body of a man by the name of Thompson, who was hanged beside that of Martin, and from informa- tion I obtained later, Thompson was an innocent man and as evidence of that fact, his body was cut down early the following morning and given a first-class burial. Several days after the hanging of Martin and Thompson, I looked out of the window and there before my eyes were hanging the bodies of seven men. I tried to find out whether the editor was really a member of the vigilantes. I called him to the window and when I had shown him the bodies, he said, "One got away the night before on a plea that he would leave town at once," and when we had returned to the editor's desk, I inquired of him concerning the hanging of Thompson, whom [54] THE LIFE OF A ROVER every person in Cheyenne claimed was innocent of any wrong doing. The editor, after a moment's study, said that there was a bad gunman in town by the name of Thompson, that a mistake had been made, which was much regretted. He said that the man who was hung answered the description of the man wanted, and the vigilantes thought they had the right man, and as they did things with such great speed, they threw the rope around the man's neck and there was no time for investigation. I then inquired concerning the man who hanged himself, and he said that he should have been strung up the night before but for the fact that several vigilantes pleaded so hard to give him another chance, and he went on to say that the vigilantes found from experience to turn a gunman loose was a mis- take, and it had proven so in the case of the man who climbed the tele- graph pole and hung himself. Then he went on to say that when a man did things as cool and deliberate as did that man, he was a most dangerous person to live in any community; for example, he said, the man climbed a telegraph pole with a rope around his neck and when his feet were but a short distance above the ground he requested a member of the vigilantes to remove his boots, because he did not care to commit suicide with his boots on, then, too, when such a man as he starts out on the street, firing pistol shots right and left, not caring who the balls may strike, and the fact that one innocent man was fatally wounded, makes it our duty to put an end to his desperations. The writer was present and saw this man climb the telegraph pole, tie the rope around the top of the pole and drop as if it were an accident, and, when the weight of the body tightened the rope about his neck, his tongue shot out some three inches, and his eyeballs bulged out so they appeared to be as large as hens' eggs, and after throwing out his chest raising first one foot and then the other, and pitching out in the air for a few moments, his body hung down beside the pole as would a rag and once more a dead shot gunman had ceased to be a menace to the com- munity in which he might have been a shining light, had he turned his thought and actions to the good of his fellowmen, in place of destruction of any and everything before him, while an influence for good among his fellow-beings might have been his. The outside world knew little about the things which happened in Cheyenne, the winter I was there, because the editor never printed any- thing about law violators. He often told me that to print such news would do the town great harm. I AM RE-EMPLOYED BY THE SURVEYING OUTFIT On account of the fact that the severe weather was disappearing day by day, and the surveying outfit had offered me an outside job, I left Cheyenne to join them for the summer. We laid out several townsites beyond Cheyenne that summer and when winter started again, I found an inside job and when spring came, I got my job back with the survey- ing outfit, helping to lay out mushroom towns along the U. P. R. R. [55] THE LIFE OF A ROVER AGAIN I FIND MYSELF OUT OF A JOB We had finished laying out the then wild-and-woolly, town, which I believe they called Wasach, which was not far east of the next town west, called Echo Canyon, and I might explain here that most of these so- called towns were started before they were surveyed; for example, they were supported by the men employed building the U. P. R. R., and the surveyors simply came along, set stake, established street corners as directed. There were no graded streets because a town might blow up over night in case the railroad construction contractors decided to move their main camp. The town of Wasach was located at or near the eastern end of the many tunnels they were cutting through Echo Canyon, and the town called Echo Canyon was located at the western end. On account of the winter setting in and heavy snow storms, the contractors abandoned the eastern end of the tunnels and moved their main camp to Echo Canyon, due to the fact that a large hotel was nearing completion, which was built by a man named Jenks, and called The Jenks Hotel, or the Jenks House. It was generally understood to be the largest and best hotel in the city of Echo Canyon. I believe it was the only hotel nearer than Salt Lake City, which was said to be 150 miles inland from the U. P. R. R. At that point, however, I was employed as night watchman at the Jenks House, all winter and I never heard the landlord's claim disputed. Echo Canyon, as I understood, was located in the midst of a large Mormon settlement. The very severe cold weather and deep snow stopped the stages and in place of several stages arriving every twenty-four hours, there was only one stage come in and one went out, now and then, as they were able to get through the heavy snow, so we did not know whether the rest of the world was blowed up or not. The railroad contractors had brought large supplies of provisions, expecting to continue work in the tunnels all winter and that they might not run short before May first, the following spring. The extreme cold weather compelled all construction work to shut down, which threw several thousand men out of employment the entire winter. All of these men seemed to have plenty of greenbacks, which was the only money in circulation. Its gold value, I understand, was thirty-nine cents on the dollar; however, a dollar was a dollar, and as gambling and drinking was about the only way there was offered for getting rid of one's, surplus change, and the fact these several thousand men were unable to get out of the place, they were in evidence on every turn. Mormons, who knew the country, were coming into town most every day, bringing with them vegetables, wrapped up in fine furs, buffalo robes and deel skins. These skins and furs they offered for sale at low prices. The Mormon women [56] THE LIFE OF A ROVER also came to Echo Canyon, when the town first started and many of them were employed at the Jenks House, as dining room waitresses, kit- chen helpers, and in the laundry, also as general house cleaners. I was only a kid in those days, but I soon learned these Mormon girls were scared at the sight of a gentile. I, like all the other gentiles, liked the looks of these beautiful Mormon girls, so I watched them when they were dash- ing around from place to place, doing their work and I also noticed that now and then a gambler who had made a winning and had a big roll of greenbacks, if he got fresh with one of the Mormon girls, that they would slap him in the face, or break a large dish over his head. I made up my mind to make friends with all of them, if I could, so I waited for my opportunity and told one of them who had become a little tamer than any of the others that I would like to join the Mormon Church and that I wished she would tell me more about how I might become a member, but the most I could get her to say was that she might spare me a Mormon Bible to read. This beautiful girl was one of seven sisters, all of whom were employed at the Jenks House, and when I met her next she was in the laundry. I wondered how I could interest her so she would talk. I brought in several loads of wood and offered to help her otherwise. Finally she said I would not make a good Mormon, because the Mormon men were not supposed to do such chores as I was willing to do, and when I inquired why, she told me that her husband had twelve wives, and she and her six sisters were seven of his wives, and that the other five wives were then living at Coalville, which was only about four miles from Echo Canyon. The youngest of the seven sisters was, as I understood, only seventeen years old, and the oldest, I believe, was about thirty years of age. She also said that they all had only one father, but different mothers. The Mormon woman, she said, did all the work, like housekeeping, farming, preparing the winter wood, tanning the hides, making them into fur garments, and also shearing the sheep and spinning the wool and weaving it into cloth, then making it into gar- ments. What employment have the Mormon men-? "They have plenty,' she said. Most of them have more than three wives, and when they have three wives, or more, they are made elders of the church, and when they have, I believe she said, twelve wives, they become bishops of the church. / said if I thought I could be a bishop. I sure would join the Mormon Church, but she said if I wanted to join the Mormon Church just to get twelve wives, I had better forget it. She did not tell me all of these things at one time, but she did say one day I had beautiful big blue eyes, and I thought I had her tamed at that moment, but when I tried to make her say something more about my beauty, she gave me a slap in the jaw, [57] THE LIFE OF A ROVER which was not very hard, and to tell me she was not mad. She did say she was not angry. I met several of these beautiful Mormon girls in the laundry, and one of them said, "I believe you are trying to make love to all of us girls." So I said, "No." I was only laying a founda- tion to become a member of the Mormon Church, and another spoke up and said, "If you could see our husband, you might change your mind." Why? Her reply was that he could not stand up straight as I. I said why, again, and I sure drew a hearty laugh out of the bunch. That evening, after I went on watch, several gamblers who had plenty of money came into the hotel office. They said I was getting quite popular with the Mormon girls, so I told them I was thinking of join- ing the Mormon Church, and when I had told them that seven of the most beautiful girls employed in the hotel were daughters of one man and that they had told me they were all married to one man, and that he had five other wives living at a small village called Coalville, which was only about four miles from Echo Canyon, the gamblers said I should make a date and we would take a bunch of them to Coalville, and look the ground over, and more of us might wish to join the Mormon Church. // was absolutely useless to otter the girls money. They knew noth- ing about its value, which fact the gamblers well knew, because they had parted with many a five-dollar greenback, as a tip, when leaving the table, without receiving as much as "Thank you.',' One of the gamblers said there was a sled in the town which they could hire, and by having a few" alterations made, like side seats and a raised seat for the driver. "Yes," another gambler spoke up, and said he knew the man to get as a driver, and that this driver was a man of long experience, driving six big mules, hauling mountain stages and that he also owned six of the best mules in that part of the country. / got busy, trying to induce those beautiful girls to take a chance, riding with a bunch of gentiles, and because of the fact that Mr. Jenks, the owner of the hotel, had told us that he was building a new hotel at Green River, which was to be the next big railroad camp, and the fact that the big contractors were getting ready to resume work, which would al- most depopulate Echo Canyon, most of the Mormon girls had been as- sured of employment if they went with the Jenks to Green River, and it was quite a distance from Coalville to Green River. I finally induced I believe, about fifteen or sixteen of the girls to join us in a sled ride to Coalville, and back to Echo Canyon, but with the understanding that they did not wish to be introduced or even become acquainted with the gentiles who might go along, and as they did not know my name, ex- cept that my first name was Dan, we were to start about seven a. m., and while it was not very cold that morning, we started the sled being well provided with buffalo robes and bear skins. The road was through the mountains, and as it had not been traveled since the last heavy snow, the driver was instructed to try and reach Coalville by eight a.m., so that the 158] THE LIFE OF A ROVER girls might have a long visit. The driver said the only thing we would encounter on the road to Coalville would be snow and jack rabbits, and that the jack rabbits would not be in evidence unless he lost the road. WE SURE* SAW MANY JACK RABBITS We finally arrived at Coalville. Our first stop was in front of a large log house, which looked as if it might cover one-fourth of an acre, and there were in evidence many other smaller log houses and narrow trails cut through the snow, running from one to the other of the many cabins. The first one to meet us was a man whom, I believe, must have been over six feet tall, when he was married, but at this time I do not believe he could have raised his head five feet above the ground, if there had been a rope around his neck and six mules pulling" on the other end. This much-married, double and twisted, Reverend Bishop of the Mormon Church, .we were informed, was the husband of those seven beautiful sisters, which we had been trying all winter to get acquainted with. They were soon greeting their husband, whom, we were informed, they had not seen for some time. There was no kissing. We were soon invited into the house and as a matter of politeness one of the gentiles took this Reverend Mormon Bishop by the arm, as if to assist him back into the house, but he was promptly informed that his aid was not necessary. One of the gentiles inquired of the stoop-shouldered and doubled-up bishop, what misfortune he had met with and without hardly batting an eye, the bishop referred the gentile to his wives for any further information de- sired. One of the gentiles inquired of the eldest wife as to when and where she and her husband were married. She said she was his first wife, that they were married in Denmark, some thirty-five years ago, and that the bishop had married eleven other Mormon girls after they settled in Utah. Not one of these many wives ever said a word about their hus- band, they called him Bishop. The gentiles were all trying to find out what caused this Reverend Bishop to become so doubled up, and but one of the wives ever gave a reply. All she said was that he had twelve wives. I got one of the bishop's wives off to one side and told her I had about made up my mind to join the Mormon Church before leaving Echo Can- yon, but since meeting the bishop, I had made up my mind I could not stand the hardship of a Mormon husband, and she answered me in a low voice, that the wives did all the laboring work, which gentile husbands had to do. She then returned a very delicate smile, saying no Mormon husband was expected to do manual labor in the field. After enjoying ourselves for an hour or so, visiting with the family, we were told the bishop was the father of some thirty children, that most of them were the sons and daughters born to his first five or six wives. Our mule skinner got tired trying to control his six big mules, and yelled out, "All aboard," and it seemed as though our Mormon passen- gers, or guests, were about the first to climb into the scats, which consisted of'one Ion, seat running full length of the sled on either side. The girls occupied 01 side of the sled on our way to Coalville and the gentiles the f591 THE LIFE OF A ROVER other. After we had left our first objective, the driver meandered around, stopping at several other large houses, and at each one of them we met an elder, or bishop, as they called them. They were all doubled up and twisted, stoop shouldered, having, also, very dark shadows under their eyes, as if they had lost much sleep and yet their cheeks and general makeup looked as if they were much happier than the average man and wife are today. They did not owe a penny to any man, nor did any man owe them a penny. They had a system of exchange, that if one wanted something another owned, they conjured up and exchanged, each one making the deal come out even. They kept no books, they all gave Brigham Young and the church ten per cent of .all they earned or in any way came into their possessions. I inquired of one Reverend Elder if he would give Brigham Young his tenth wife, if he should call for her, and he said he would, but he said such a call was not likely, because Brigham Young had over sixty wives of his own and could marry as many more as he wished. WE ARE NOW ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE HOTEL Our driver swung his long whip over his big mules and they were soon on a dead run and if the wind had not raised and blown the snow into the road, our sled and mules would have arrived at the hotel in 'a half hour, but when we were not more than half a mile on our journey, the sled bumped up against a stump or rock, and turned over, rolling the bunch of us down a steep hill, and of course, we gentiles were much inter- ested in picking up the girls, sometimes using both arms, while the driver was busy trying to get the mules and sled right side up. After a half hour we were all set for a forward movement, as our Morman girls had become much tamer, so much so, that we gentiles were protecting the girls by mingling with those eight girls on one side of the sled, and I believe, seven on the other side. We felt that if the driver could turn us over once more, at least some of our lady friends might believe in gentile religion. We, however, returned all the girls safely and, while none of them would admit they believed any more in the gentiles than they had previously, when we all started to Coalville, we soon noticed there was a great change in most of them. We were all much interested in converting the girls, and when we least expected they commenced to denounce the Mormons, and became friendly with the gentiles. They said if they married a gentile they were no more Mormons, and that a divorce was not necessary and, after they had made these statements to us, the wedding bells began to ring in Echo Canyon, and it was but a short time until most of these beautiful girls left Echo Canyon, arm in arm with a gentile husband. So you see, the bronco woman can be tamed, if one goes at it right. [60] THE LIFE OF A ROVER There is much more that I could write about the things I saw and learned, while I was in the company of the Mormons. However, I be- lieve they were a happy and loving people, until the gentiles came into their midst and later grasping the first opportunity to turn them against the saintly Brigham Young, whom the Mormons believed to be a real saint. There were few, if any, Mormons who did not believe that every utterance of Brigham Young was received by him direct from God, and I believe there are a good number of them who still believe as strongly in Brigham Young, as they did sixty years ago, while others are on the fence, and a number have fallen off on the gentile side. ARRIVING AT GREEN RIVER It was coming spring and, while I was idle for a few days, I had great sport fishing in Green River. Real speckled mountain trout were so thick in the water they often jumped several inches above the water to catch the hook. It only required half an hour to catch a string of the finest tasting fish, weighing over forty pounds, that ever swam in water. I soon moved to Promontory, which was but a small railroad camp. Both roads were working day and night to finish small gaps, which were not yet completed, as per contract, notwithstanding a makeshift track had been laid and construction trains were hauling supplies. I found plenty of employment, at good wages, and remained around Promontory until the two roads were finally connected. During my stay at Promon- tory, I went many miles into the interior of the country, where I was sent to buy supplies for the railroad contractors, and if I were to relate the many things which came before my eyes, while I was skirmishing around among the Mormon settlers, who were the only white people liv- ing in that part of the world, I believe you would doubt my word. / was present when the gold and silver spikes were driven. There, were many trainloads, of both men and women, who came from the east and west to see the two tracks joined together, and there were many bands of music and also many carloads of provisions, and thousands of cases of champagne; also good old bourbon and rye, for those who cared for it, and it was as free as water. Many sidetracks were put in to accom- modate the hundreds of freight and dining cars. These dining cars were well supplied with the finest of good things to eat that money could buy. All we were required to do was to call for what we wanted and it was handed out as willingly as if we had paid a big price for it. [61] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The 5,000, or more, working men who were in evidence, could be seen everywhere, some with fried chicken, turkey, cakes, and a bottle of champagne. I do not believe I have seen a happier crowd in all my life than I saw at Promontory the day the two great tracks were spiked to- gether. Most all of the men. working on the road up to that time, were white men, but the C. P. road had decided to discharge the white men employed on the section, and replace them with Chinamen. Not a mom- ent's warning had the white men been given that they were to be dis- charged. Everything went on fine until late in the day, when word started the rounds that all white men working on C. P. sections, and as common laborers, were to be replaced with Chinamen. Most of the big trains from the east were bound for Sacramento, California, and as they were fast trains, they commenced to go forward a moment after the gold and silver spikes had been removed and iron spikes set in their stead. As soon as the last passenger train was out of sight, the big freight trains commenced moving in on the sidetracks. The officers of the road were searching about for sober men to run trains through to Sacramento, and as I was the first one employed, they gave me the first train to pull out and a pass for five hundred men, with instructions to stop the train every fifth section, and pick up all the men there. I was given this job because I had become acquainted with many officers of the C. P. road, and they knew I did not drink. 162 THE LIFE OF A ROVER WE SOON MET A SURPRISE I believe it was our second stop, when we noticed a long train of flat cars, standing on a sidetrack, loaded with several hundred Chinamen, and as the white men were climbing aboard our train they noticed some fifty Chinamen leaving the other train, and after we had pulled out the men on our train got their heads together and decided that if they met another trainload of Chinamen, they would fire every empty bottle or anything they could get their hands on, into the Chinamen, whom they had made up their minds, were being employed to take their place and when we stopped to take on more white men, those already on the train would jump to the ground and grab as many rocks as they could carry. And when we met the next trainload of Chinamen, the white men fired rocks into the Chinamen, which knocked many of them off the train, while others tumbled over as if they were dead. I suppose quite a few China- men were killed, because we traveled night and day, and when we passed a load of Chinamen at night, the white men fired hundreds of pistol shots into them, and often the Chinamen were seen to fall as if they had stopped a ball. The white men continued their fight until we were un- loaded at Sacramento. Young Jenks had gone ahead of us on a passenger train, and when our train stopped he was there to hand me hotel accom- modations for five hundred men. The hotel men were also in evidence at every turn, and the first one to speak to me was William Land, proprietor of the Western Hotel, and when I inquired as to how many men he could accommodate, he said several hundred. Can you handle five hun- dred? "Yes," he said, so I sent the word down the line for every man to follow me to the Western Hotel, and to my great surprise we were soon given what one would consider first-class accommodations. Our meals at the Western Hotel were our big surprise. The dining room was quite large, and would seat over five hundred at one time. The tables were loaded with the finest of everything money could buy, and a hundred beautiful dining room girls, who were dressed in pure white, served us. My job was ended when those five hundred had registered at the hotel. A great many of the C. P. sectionmen, who were discharged, were Irishmen. They were generally very powerful men and when a China- men came along the street, bingo, they knocked him out with a right hander which put him to sleep sometimes for hours and as most of the Sacramento police were Irish, when they found a Chinaman down and out, on the street, they simply went on as if it was permitted by law. [63J THE LIFE OF A ROVER I SOON WENT ON TO SAN FRANCISCO Which was then a wide-open gambling city, but I was not quite sat- isfied there so I took a steamer for San Diego, California, only to soon become dissatisfied. The then, little burg, as we would call such a place nowadays, had no inducements to offer a stranger, as I looked at it, but fish, sand, or cheap town lots. Lots were offered at the low price of $5.00 to $25.00, one could take his pick for $25.00. Many of them have sold since for over $1,000,000. From San Diego, I went to Los Angeles, where their choicest city lots sold as high as $25.00. This was in the fall of 1869. I, however, settled at Anaheim, which was about thirty miles south of Los Angeles, and, at that time nearly as large as Los Angeles. There were no town lots for sale at Anaheim, because they could not figure close enough, in those days, to find out the value of any- thing so small as a town lot. The best land was being offered at a bit to two bits an acre. You may wonder how much they called a bit and to help out I will say that four bits was fifty cents and two bits was twenty- five. A silver ten-cent piece would buy as much as fifteen cents. For THE LIFE OF A ROVER example: there was no money in circulation smaller than a bit, so if you called for a bit's worth of anything and gave the merchant a ten-cent piece, he accepted it as payment. While, if you handed him twenty-five cents, he would hand you ten cents change and, if you gave him fifty cents in silver, he might hand you one twenty-five-cent piece and one dime as your change, and he might hand you only three dimes and if you wanted small change for fifty cents, you would receive four dimes for your fifty cent piece. This system was in vogue for several years after I went to California. I believe five-cent pieces were considered worthless until 1875, when they began to have a general circulation. Early in the spring of 1875 I went back to San Francisco, and after meandering around for a while I went to Eureka, Humboldt County, California, which I believe, is one of the most northern counties of Cali- fornia. I had all these years been hunting something and I did not know what it was. / found what I thought was my objective, or in other words, the kind of business I was looking for. By chance, I found a boarding house, where there was a dressmaker, and as I was out of employment, I, of course, was rubbering around the house, butting in many times when I was warned by other boarders as overstepping my place as a boarder. However, one afternoon, I was watching the dressmaker cut a dress and when she had finished the job, I said, "Pardon me lady, I have dis- covered you make many mistakes while cutting that dress," and as she was rather good natured, she said, "If you know so much about cutting dresses, I will introduce you to my next customer and you can try your hand, but if you spoil the dress you must pay for the goods." And, as I was quite confident I would not spoil the goods, I accepted and soon a lady came in and after Mrs. Dressmaker had chatted with her for a few moments they told me to get busy and when I had taken the measure- ments I cut the dress and sewed up all the waist seams, the dress was fitted, and as there were no alterations to be made they of course pro- nounced the job an accident and Mrs. Dressmaker and the customer both agreed that I could not cut another dress which would fit without alterations. Mrs. Dressmaker informed me, that evening, that if I would prove to her that I could cut another dress to fit without alterations that she would give me a month's board and room for teaching her and when I accepted her offer she sent for a customer and I cut her dress and stitched it up on the sewing machine. The result was the same, not a single al- teration was required, and before the month's board and room terminated I had more than a dozen lady students, each of them paid me $20.00 for teaching them to cut and make their own dresses and also children's garments. [65] THE LIFE OF A ROVER I APPLIED FOR A PATENT AND SOON IT WAS GRANTED After my first class was finished I started out traveling from place to place teaching the ladies to cut and make their own garments and those of their children. I traveled over many states, some of them several times. I also started out many agents teaching my method which I believe was the first dress-cutting system to become popular in the United States, if not in the world. I WAS MUCH IN NEED OF A WIFE I believe I had several chances to marry as fine girls as any young man but I was doomed to make a mistake and finally I fell for the one I should have passed up as I had others. It came about in this way. I came into a strange city of several thousand population and sent out my circulars as was my custom and the ladies came in with a rush to take lessons and after I had made up a large class, a very nice -lady came in and said she wished to join my class, but she had a young baby at her house and could not come to my school room to take lessons, but if I would give her the lessons at her home she would gladly pay well for my extra trouble and when I said I would have to charge, I believe it was $2.00 for each lesson of one hour and that any time I lost coming and going would be counted as well as any time lost waiting for her to get ready after I arrived at her home, she agreed to pay the price. The next two customers waiting were a well-dressed lady of about fifty years of age and a daughter of twenty summers. These two ladies wished to take lessons at their home, also, and because I did not care to give lessons in that way, I made a price double what I agreed to teach the other for, and they also agreed to pay the price and paid me a liberal deposit in advance. When I called at the first house she was always ready to commence her lesson while the other two were not quite ready. The mother always met me at the door to inform me her daughter would be ready in a few moments, that they had for- gotten about the time I was to call or that the stovepipe had fallen down or some other darned thing had happened. Finally the daughter would come in and when she was through telling about the many things I was not interested in the mother would excuse herself saying she would return in a moment but she never returned until my time was up, and then some. However, she always paid me in full, so after they had paid me three times as much as the other lady who had finished her lessons, this slick- tongued old lady invited me to take dinner with them the following Sunday and the daughter said it would be nice if I would drop around [66] THE LIFE OF A ROVER Sunday morning and go to church with her and as Sunday was generally a lonesome day for me I fell for her invitation and as we returned from church, my lady said several times, how much it would please her if she could travel and see the country as I was doing and to make a long story short I fell for a pair of the slickest tongues that ever trapped a hard- working young man. We were soon married and to hell with much of the rest we were to leave for San Francisco at 4:00 p. m. the day we were married. While many things had transpired since the minister said the last word which led me to believe hell would soon be popping and no pitch hot as we hear people say when trouble is expected, so this slick- tongued mother-in-law informed me, that my wife could not leave home that day, that it would kill her to lose her daughter on such short notice but when the carriages arrived to take us to the station, I said to my wife, "I am going and you can go or stay with your mother," and when the bus door opened my wife got aboard and we were off on our journey, but I knew the storm was not over and at Omaha we received a telegram stating my wife's mother was dying, and I tore it up after my wife had read it and told the conductor to say that she had my consent to die, and I believe I said, ''Pity she had not died over twenty years earlier." This ended the telegrams, but soon after we registered at the Winchester Hotel on Third Street, San Francisco, we began receiving from one to three letters a day, written by my wife's mother, telling us that we would soon hear of her death unless my wife returned at once and during the year we were at San Francisco we received the same kind of letters daily, many of which I destroyed before they were opened. The middle of the tenth month we were blessed with the birth of a beautiful blue-eyed baby girl and when she was six week's old we returned to the home of this notorious and many times reported dying mother-in- law, with our lovely baby girl, who of course was tired out by the long journey we had traveled and as I was on my way to New York where I expected to establish headquarters, I requested that the baby be allowed to rest at least ten days before family friends be permitted to handle her, but instead of complying with my instructions they gave in and went to entertainments and every one tossed the dear little innocent baby up in the air and from one to the other until they killed it. [67; THE LIFE OF A ROVER I RECEIVED A WIRE INFORMING ME MY BABY WAS DEAD I returned at once and after burying our baby we started traveling from place to place teaching my dress-cutting system and finally we settled at Cincinnati, Ohio, where I soon built up a large business and I believe I was soon rated as the largest mail order house in the United States. I had thousands of agents working and I was publishing the only large Fashion Journal at that time published in the United States, if not in the world. / had under my employ a young man as an advertising solicitor. I was making money by leaps and bounds and on that account I allowed my wife to call on my bookkeeper for money at any and all times, and in such amounts as she desired. I, of course, required my bookkeeper to render a report now and then, and when I noticed that my wife had drawn within the past month, several times the amount she had pre- viously been drawing, she showed me several medals she had taken as a champion roller skater, and she went on to say that she and the man I had employed as an advertising man were friends and that he always went with her to the roller skating rinks and that they had to spend a lot of money to keep their end up with other people. I fired the adver- tising man, but my wife went with him to the rink just the same, and a few days later she and the advertising man were skating on the floor and ran into an old man, knocking him down to the floor, so when he got up on his feet again he entered a complaint at the office against them and the following day the advertising man and my wife went to the old man's office. The advertising man held the old man while my wife cowhided him until he was supposed to be dead. My wife and the advertising man left for parts unknown to me, and in due time a divorce was granted and I, of course, sold out my business and started roving again, traveling over many seas and foreign lands. I finally returned and went into the Real Estate business in Chicago, 111., and as I knew nothing about the game I met many so-called friends who were willing to give me free advice as to safe and get-rich-quick investments. I made many expensive mistakes by heeding to the advice of my newly-made friends and soon found I neither had money nor friends and again I started roving, and to change my luck I had perfected a new kind of play wagon for the entertainment of children so I sold most of my real estate holdings and after an expenditure of more than $4,000.00, my play wagon still refused to work, and as I was determined to perfect that darned wagon, regardless of what the cost might be, I knew the thousands of dollars I had paid so-called experts, was lost. I rented a shop and went to work myself and now have more than a dozen of the latest and newest designs in the way of play-wagons, scooters, baby-walkers, and many new designs in small play-carts, kittycars, my last and most wonderful of all play-wagons, I call Moody's Blue Racer, which you will find illustrated on the back cover of this book. Please do me the favor of looking it over. [68] THE LIFE OF A ROVER MISCELLANEOUS COPY I was informed that most of the older Mormon men were married to their first wife before they left the old country and I believe they all brought a family of from one to half a dozen children with them, then, too, there were quite a few of them who had been born in the United States and had lived in the Mormon Church many years before moving to Utah. I believe that if Brigham Young had called the Mormon people to war against the United States and told them that they needed no guns, but simply use rocks, that each Mormon would have filled his arms with rocks and started out killing gentiles. With all the teachings of Brigham Young being against the laws of the United States he controlled his people so far as obedience to his laws as well, if I dare say it, or better than we are now doing with tens of thousands of police and other law-enforcing officers. In conclusion I believe I should tell about my experience of some two weeks when I was left alone in charge of our camp. The entire crew except myself went to Salt Lake City on a vacation. There was a young Mormon man and his three young wives who lived a short distance from our camp and as I had met the young man a few times and I believe I had met all of his wives, when I called at their house to buy milk or butter. This young man called to see me one afternoon and said he would be pleased to have me join them that evening at supper, which I accepted, and while I had never before been inside of their house, I knew they had a good clean home and that I would enjoy such a visit immensely. When I called, about 5:30 p. m., the young husband met me at the door and after inviting me to a seat the three young wives came forward and shook hands with me. The one I afterwards learned was his first wife told me that they were pleased to meet me and also pleased to have me join them at supper and very happy that I should spend the evening with them. The dining room table was then covered with a good variety of food, including a large dish of fried chicken and big bowl of chicken gravy. There was enough for a family of ten hearty eaters. After we were seated at the table the young husband read a chapter from his Mormon Bible, then went through a long prayer, asking God's blessing for the Mormon Church, Brigham Young, and all the bishops and elders, and lastly, the young gentile who was present, with the hope that he might become a member of the Mormon Church. I had noticed that there was no bread on the table and as I expected to be served with hot corn bread or home-made salt-rising bread, I could hardly wait until the bread [69] THE LIFE OF A ROVER was on the table; however, while the young husband was serving my plate with a liberal portion of fried chicken, one of the young wives asked to be excused, she then rushed through an open door to the kitchen and in a few moments she returned with a dish of as fine biscuits as ever adorned a dining room table. I ventured to inquire as to where she found those fine biscuits and she quickly informed me there were plenty more in the oven and as I knew they had no stove in the house I was surprised at the evtra flavor of the biscuits and when I asked how they were made she gave me the receipt which I believe was as follows: One portion of flour, salt, fresh sweet butter, baking soda, and well beated rich sour cream, and one well-beated egg, which she used as a wash over the biscuits, just before they were put in the oven, then bake them ten minutes in a Dutch oven. If you do not know what is meant by a Dutch oven the editor will take pleasure in publishing the answer in his next issue. I have never since been better entertained when visiting a simple home, than I was on this occasion. After supper was over the young husband read a chapter in his Mormon bible and offered up a Jengthy prayer. We then put in an hour or so talking over the good and harm that the U. P. Railroad would do the Mormon people. I being only a young lad, I did not dare enter into a pro and con argument with them, because I really did not know much about business matters because I never had a chance to read-up on any of the important issues of the day. I was what you would call a good listener and when they spoke of Brigham Young, the bishops and the elders of the church, I generally managed to make them believe that I had never heard a word against either one of those reverend gentlemen and that I should be very proud of being a member of a church which had done so much for its members. Of course, I butted in several times, like asking these young wives if they were contented with one husband for the three of them and was promptly informed that if their husband wanted another wife she too would be welcome to come into their home. Once I inquired as to what would be the result provided their husband favored one of them more than he did the other and they said that was his privilege, but up to that time they thought he had" shown no great preference. Do you know that I would have gladly joined the Mormon Church that same evening if I knew I could become [70] THE LIFE OF A ROVER the nusband of even one Mormon girl so beautiful as either one of the three then entertaining me and before bidding the family good-night, I was assured that when I had been baptized in the Mormon faith and be- come a member of the Church that they would assist me in getting one or more wives of my own choice and that I would be given a tract of land and help in making improvements such as a house and a yoke of oxen, cows, pigs, chickens and all the things needed to start me on the road to permanent happiness. It was not my luck to remain in that neighborhood long enough to become a member of the Mormon Church because of the fact that the big man of the outfit returned the following day and moved our camp over twenty miles away and so it went on in that way and I never got a chance ^to join their church, as I was compelled to move before I could comply with the apparent wishes of the many good people I met while employed as a roustabout, as the higher up of the outfit often called me. [71] THE LIFE OF A ROVER THE LIFE OF A ROVER HELLEN AND DAN, THE INDIAN SCOUT Hellen and Dan lived in a small village of Southern California many years ago and there was but one House-of-Worship for miles thereabout, the only Public School Building being used for church purposes. The teacher was a fine-looking and well-groomed young chap, of not more than twenty years old, and while he did not have a bad cough, his breath was almost unbearable and Hellen was his oldest student, the young school teacher often would ask Hellen to hear a few of his classes when he was going out for a walk, and because of this fact Hellen's mother believed Hellen, herself, was interested in this young man and she knew that the teacher was in love with Hellen because he had often told her that Hellen was not only the most beautiful girl in all the wide world and that she was endowed with intelligence greater than all the other girls he had ever known. Hellen's daddy was a man of great learning and thought he knew a man worthy of Hellen's hand and heart better than her mother did; however, daddy always said Hellen should pick her own husband and that all he would do for her and her husband after marriage would be moral aid, that he would give them no money or property until after his death. [73] THE LIFE OF A ROVER It came to pass, however, that Hellen's birthday was announced and when she was writing a few invitations to the young people of the village she addressed one of the envelopes to Dan, and by chance her mother grabbed the envelope and tore it into small pieces, then into the stove, when the mother returned to where Hellen was addressing envelopes she picked up the bunch and after selecting the one addressed to the young school teacher, ,she picked all those addressed to other young men and also burned them and handed Hellen the one directed to the young school teacher and said in a determined angry voice "That's the only young man I will allow to attend your party." Helen was of course a very obedi- ent daughter but did not even care to have her school teacher come near her on account of his most offensive breath and as a matter of fact there was not a girl in the village who did not have the same feeling towards the young teacher; while Hellen's mother said that his bad breath was not his fault, that it had been with him since a young lad. The mother then went on to say that Dan was not a bad fellow, in a way, but that he dressed so much finer than did the young teacher because Dan was the owner of more than one hundred of the best town lots in the village and that he also owned Frank and Bill, the finest span of horses thereabout, and a fine new buggy and several residences and stores, which he rented out, one of his stores was rented to a saloonkeeper, no such a man could ever come into her house, nor would he be permitted to meet her daughter elsewhere, except that when they were all at church and when church was over he would not be permitted to grasp the hand of any member of her family. Hellen then said, "Mother, Dan is a prize, and if I grant all you have said about him to be true, I want him any way, if I can get him, and think I have a chance." And now comes in daddy and before the mother could get started again he said, "Good for you Hellen, I borrowed $200.00 from Dan the other day to pay my taxes." Hellen said, "Daddy don't you think Dan a good fellow." "Yes," he said, "Get him if you can." Hellen's mother then said, "I will talk no more, but will show that scamp that I am boss of this home." 741 THE LIFE OF A ROVER The following Sunday evening we were all at church and Hellen's mother did not stop to shake hands with even the minister, but grabbed Hellen by the arm and started home, as she passed out through the door, Dan raised his hat and said, "Good-evening" to Hellen and her mother. The mother made no reply, but doubled her speed, Dan said, "Hellen, if your mamma is in a hurry, I will escort you home" and took Hellen's arm. Mother made a dash for home and while it was only three blocks away Hellen and Dan were somewhat tired, they walked slowly, talking of course about the splendid sermon they had heard, when they reached the front gate, Hellen, not dreaming of what was about to happen, because Dan had not yet been informed of the fact that Hellen's mother would not admit him to visit Hellen, but Hellen thought her mother had re- pented because she did not get angry at the church, Hellen and Dan, as stated above, had walked slowly until they reached the front door and Hellen opened it and turned to invite Dan inside for a short visit, at this moment a voice rang out from a convenient window above to Hellen, "Get inside and shut the door," and before the sound above had barely reached the ear of the two lovers the mother of Hellen had poured three large pails of water on Dan's head and fired the empty pails at his head but only one was really effective and that same with such force as to stun Dan for a moment, giving Hellen's mother time to get down stairs with a large club in her hand, she being so excited that her first blow landed on Hellen's head, and mother and Hellen both fell sprawling outside the door, the excitement had brought daddy to the front door and he, too, tumbled out falling on top of Hellen as she was helping her mother up, of course the three of them went to the ground again -and while Dan was not of an excitable nature he was slow getting into the mix-up, of course the first one he picked up was Hellen and she slipped him a kiss, but the mother heard the smack and when Dan offered the mother assistance, she smacked him square in the mouth and she did it so quickly that Dan had no chance to escape. Hellen's mother then and there declared war to the death against Dan, but she still continued her friendship with Dan's mother and sister, who's garden fence adjoined that of Hellen's mother. I 75 | THE LIFE OF A ROVER Dan and Hellen had a system of telegraphing to each other, so a few afternoons later, Dan heard that Hellen's mother and his mother were visiting at the home of Dan's mother and that they were then chat- ting on the front porch, so Dan rushed to the livery stable where Frank and Bill boarded and sang out aloud to rush Frank and Bill out and hitch them to his light buggy and in the shortest space of time possible, Dan was seated in the buggy and his big, fine bobbed tailed steeds were charging down the road toward Hellen's home, she was expecting that Dan would at least pass by and raise his hat. Dan turned his horses in near the gate and after bringing them to a full stop he turned them slightly and reached out one hand and said, "Get in Hellen and we will go for a drive," without taking the second thought, Hellen was seated beside the man of all men to her liking, she could not help but fear the rath of her mother, should she learn of the incident and she so expressed her feeling to Dan, and went on to say she would be willing to take the beating for the pleasure of riding beside her first and only lover. Frank and Bill had been well fed and groomed by men who were paid a good price for their care and they had not been called on to draw such a precious load before, they were willing to go the limit in front of the two lovers who were exchanging smacks at every turn and the turns were quite frequent. After driving half a mile or so out of town, Dan stopped his panting chargers and after resting them a moment he said, "Hellen, I believe it would be safe to drive back through town," and Hellen said, "I am by your side and you are the driver," Dan said, "Back we go, we will pass every house but mother's. It is only 3:00 p. m. and those two old cronies will not give up their visit before 4:30 p. m., and as they came back charging through the village, Hellen noticed one of her young lady chums standing at the gate, she said, "Dan stop a moment," he turned in near the gate and stopped his chargers for a moment's chat with (he young lady, who was also Dan's friend, and then she said, "Hellen, haven't you room for me also," "Sure," said Hellen, "if you don't mind sitting on our laps." [76] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The third one was soon seated on the laps of Hellen and Dan, and Frank and Bill were going at full speed up and down one street and cross streets after another and by some hook or crook Hellen's mother got her ever watchful eyes on the joy riders, but they did not know she had discovered them until another young lady was noticed standing at the gate and to speak a word to her, Frank and Bill were again brought to a stop close to the gate, only for a moment until the young lady at the gate sang out aloud "Lookout, there Hellen, there's your mother coming with an uplifted club," and before a command could be given to Frank and Bill to go forward, Hellen's mother had smashed Dan over the head and had a hold of Hellen's arm, but the great chargers were on their hind feet and could not be stopped until Hellen's mother had been jerked off her feet and quicker than you could say "scat" she was up and a coming, but the best she could do was to run second. Frank and Bill were too swift for her, she returned to the home of Dan's mother to get her knitting arid then and there again declared war to the death against Dan, saying to his mother that she still hoped to retain her friendship and at this juncture Hellen's daddy, who was repairing his back fence, heard his wife's loud voice and rushed over to where she and Dan's mother were about to part. Daddy said, "mother what is troubling you, are you sick?" "No, not sick, but that scamp Dan has my Hellen and another gill in his buggy behind Frank and Bill charging around town making a great splurge, as if they were all drunk." Daddy bursted out laughing and said, "Mother, every one knows" Dan never drinks a drop of liquor, wine or beer, and that is more than they can say for you because you always have wine and beer in the house and also a quart or so of good whisky," but Hellen's mother said, "I drink it for medicine and not to make me go joy riding. Now wait a minute, Mother, don't you remember that when we were young we were never so bold and happy as we were when out driving, don't you remember that our first kiss was when our lines had fallen from my hands and we both came near getting turned over into a ditch, before I could gather up the reins and turn oujr speeding horses? And while Hellen's mother was dumfounded for an answer which she could give daddy she finally said, "Dan wouldn't be so bad if he only loved Hellen, but you see, daddy, he loves all th6 girls in town, and they all love him, and that's my chief reason for selecting the school teacher for Hellen, because the other girls hate him, and he loves Hellen, and we would have fco fear of other girls making eyes at him or wanting to dance with him." "But mother," daddy said, "it's only a joy ride, they are having lots of fun and when Hellen comes home lets pat her on. the back and tell her we are pleased that she had such a pleasant afternoon." So Hellen's mother agreed not to give Hellen the beating she had planned to give her, but, she said, "If I hear of Dan rolling those big laughing blue eyes at any other girls but Hellen, I sure will make him regret it," and all went well again, but Hellen and Dan could not meet at Hellen's home. [77] THE LIFE OF A ROVER Howevetr they did meet again, and quite often Hellen s mother either did not know about when and where they met until one of the wealthy gentleman of the village who had just married the belle of all the beauties so far as his eyes could see and as he had just finished a beautiful residence and had invited every grown-up to a house opening, which was called house-warming, and to show our appreciation of the young couple, we were all supposed to bring along a present for the bride and groom, no matter how large or small the present, if only a potato, it was the same. At the hour or time agreed on, after the party had all assembled, a man and woman was to be selected to hand out the presents; the man was to deliver to the bride and the lady to the groom and those selected could not refuse to serve, so to make the evening more interesting, Dan was selected to serve the bride while Hellen's mother was to serve the groom and as Dan knew the groom was a lover of good cigars he brought a box of the best there was to be had, all went well until Hellen's mother picked up the big square box and started to say, "Dan," to the groom, but when she had said, "Dan," every one gave a yell and bang went the box at D^n's head and it was near being a good hit but Hellen was expecting trouble when her mother was handed the box which, Hellen had pushed back out of the way until about the last to be called and when Hellen's mother raised her hand to fire the box at Dan's head Hellen accidently fell against her mother which prevented the box making a bulls-eye hit; however, it was a wicked glancing blow and broke up that part of the evening's sport until daddy and Dan's mother got into the fracas. 78| THE LIFE OF A ROVER Hellen's mother was about dragging Hellen out of the house when daddy said, "Wait a minute, mother," but she was stubborn and said, "You want my Hellen to marry a man that will squander his money buying such big boxes of cigars as that, I bet it cost ten dollars, if it cost a cent." "Why," she said, "and he stands there before me all dressed up in a new suit of clothes and Hellen, me and you, too daddy haven't paid out the price of such a suit in years for our clothing. Dan's mother tried to get in a word but Hellen's mother out talked the whole crowd and they also believed she might yet change her mind and say, "We'll all go home together." However, daddy and Dan's mother and his sister finally agreed to leave it to a vote of the house, whether Hellen should remain at the party until it was over and Hellen should be escorted home by Dan, and while Hellen's mother was not as dumb as she sometimes made people believe she was, quickly said, "I will consent," and she called daddy to come let's go home and we all thought she had raised the white flag and dropped her fighting arms and a yell of joy went up from every tongue but Hellen's mother, including daddy. The moment the door had closed behind Hellen's mother and daddy, Dan's mother and a few others went home and the young people started dancing and romping as but few such gatherings ever did before or since, and at 4:00 a. m. they were all tired out and started for home with Hellen and Dan walking arm in arm, and as the moment arrived for Hellen and Dan to disappear in the darkness they were again wished a safe journey home but none expected to hear the next day that Dan was being led into a trap, not by Hellen, because her heart was ready to stop if it could save Dan. However, Hellen and Dan walked slowly and did stop and lean up against a fence now and then to rest and do a little planning and when they were near Hellen's home they of course counted on at least another short rest before parting, when they had reached the gate and Hellen stepped inside, intending to turn about and finish their visit and perhaps a parting kiss, Hellen gave a yell of warning to Dan as if she had been attacked by a robber. Hellen's mother rose up from behind the large gatepost and in her two hands she held a large club which she fully in- tended would drop Dan to the ground, but Hellen's warning had caused him to move back quickly and prepare for action and when the big club came down, it in a way did not make a good hit, the big gate-post got 179] THE LIFE OF A ROVER part of the blow, but it knocked Dan's hat off and when he stepped back another step or so, Hellen's mother swung the gate wide open and grabbed Dan's hat and tore it to pieces and then she said, "Dan, if I did not know your strength, I would tear you to pieces," and as daddy had heard the loud and naughty words of Hellen's mother he rushed out of the house dressed in his night clothing and persuaded the then almost crazy wife and mother to retire. There was more trouble ahead for Dan, because his sister informed him the following morning that she was to be married at 4:00 p. m. that day and would leave that same afternoon for the home of her husband and Dan's mother then said, "Since Nanna is leaving home, I will leave also for a visit to your sister Julia, and I am also leaving because you are having so much trouble with Hellen's mother, I fear she will kill you sooner or later, and I do not wish to be here when any more trouble comes up," that left Hellen and Dan to fight it out alone. Soon after Dan's mother ment away she wrote him that she had received a letter from her brother, who she said lived at Eureka, California, and that her brother was rich and wanted Dan to come at once and take full charge of his large estate to please a mother and an old rich uncle Dan started at once for Eureka, California, taking a steamer at San Francisco for Eureka, a distance of over five hundred miles and upon arrival at Eureka, Dan was informed his uncle lived over thirty miles back in the mountains and that there was no road only a pack-mule tril. The only thing for Dan to do was buy a horse r hit the trail to make the journey in one day which was said to be a hard ride, they said there were many bear and wild animals like California lions and bobbed-tailed cats and that the cats would jump from their hiding places high up in the treesand tear one to pieces. Dan decided to buy a Winchester rifle, which he did, and also a good supply of ammunition and at 4:00 a. m. the fol- lowing morning Dan was on the trail, which trail ran through as heavy a Redwood timber, most of the way, as ever grew, and while there was much game along the road, or trail, it was not really wild because the bear and deer would hardly stop eating grass when they were often only a few yards from the trail, a few wolves and bobbed-tailed cats, which were seen on or near the trail, were shot before they had a chance to get busy, if they had desired to do so. Finally, about 4:30 p. m., Dan came up to his uncle's mountain home and found both uncle and aunt glad tosee him. They were both well and hearty and did own several sections of that now valuable Redwood timber, but it was absolutely worthless so far as Dan could see — and after a visit of some two weeks Dan returned to take up the fight again with Hellen's mother, and when he had walked into the hotel and registered, about the first word the clerk uttered was that we buried Hellen only yesterday. She died very suddenly, no one hardly knew she was sick. [80] THE LIFE OF A ROVER A MECHANICAL BEAVER And A REAL HOME BUILDER One who was not working for gold or other worldly things but to build permanent homes for his children and while the homes he built were wonderful in design he made them more beautiful by first building a foundation upon which to build a city of homes and there was no rent or water bills to pay because he and his family supplied all the building material used in the biulding of those many beautiful homes. The strong and most wonderful foundation, this great mechanical beaver built was, I believe, over two hundred feet long and about twenty-five to thirty feet wide and that his tenants might have free water and in a way free living he and his children were trained to live on fresh fish, which fish were known to be found swimming in the waters of a beautiful mountain stream, and as this most wonderful mechanic was one of great foresight and study he selected a location for his home and the home of his children far up in the mountains where the great forests of pine and other timber grew in abundance and as man had never found use for these great forests the mechanical beaver was of the opinion that if he built substantial homes, or, in other words, a city of homes near the mountains over the waters of that magnificant current of rippling water that to avoid the danger of fire he must first build a foundation from bank to bank, then, too, to sit in one home and see the finest fish man or beaver has ever known passing your very door at all hours of the day or night and the fact that these fish were the kind known as real mountain trout and that he and his family had agreed one to the other that they would eat no other food than the fishes of that beautiful stream of water known and described as Green River. This great, but not noted mechanic first built the regulation camp houses as we might say houses for working men while employed building a gigantic bridge across a stream of water which con- struction camp was built for working men was worthless after the bridge had been completed. This all wise home-builder was careful to build his temporary homes above the bridge or to let my reader in on the meat of this really true story, which I will prove to your own satisfaction I am going to call this great and wonderful bridge a dam, and the great mechanic I will call the big man, for he really was, or at least he appeared to me, as being much larger than his workingmen, as I will call them hereafter, because they were real workingmen just the same as real men work and follow the directions of a real man. But I do not want you to think for a moment that this big man was not a real boss unless you say I am a liar and if you do say I am a liar, I will prove you are mistaken because I was an eye witness to the reconstruction of this great dam which I am telling you about and saw with my own eyes every thing I claim to have seen and before you are through reading my story you cannot dispute a word of what I have written or may write. 1811 THE LIFE OF A ROVER OF COURSE I KNOW THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE READ ABOUT BEAVER DAMS The Beavers build their houses on water and while the writers you may have read about who say they have seen real beaver dams and houses built by beavers, I hardly believe any of these writers ever were an eye witness as I was and really have seen and watched the work done. My experience was one of the accidents of a man's life and because I have always been a rover and a curious person as I have often been called, I stumbled onto the opportunity which I am thankful for, and while it was over sixty years ago, I believe you will say as a man once said to me when I was visiting at his beautiful home, he being a man of more than seventy years and weighed more than three hundred pounds, while his wife was but eighteen and weighed less than one hundred pounds. I called this fine good natured gentleman who was considered the wealth- iest man thereabout and know as Uncle Davy Husher, but I called him Uncle Davey, and as I had been invited to take dinner with Uncle Davey and his lovely wife, I said to Uncle Davey, "Isn't it rather late for you to get married?" "Yes," he said, "but it is better late than never" he went on to say that if he had met his wife when he was a young man he would have waited for her to grow older and bigger before marrying her. The lovely young wife spoke up and said, "Dan, you see I loved Uncle Davey and he loved me, and I couldn't wait for him to grow older, so we got married and we are happy." Now my friend, I am writing this bit of history at this late day because I couldn't wait for it to grow older, and now it's up to me to prove to your entire satisfaction that you arereading history worth-while knowing, and I want you to believe it, because every word is true. It came about in this way, just a short time before I went from the town of Green River, to a boomerang raidroad town on the U. P. R. R. called Promontory, I met five gentlemen whom I had become acquainted with at Echo Canyon the winter before, and they said it was not quite the proper time to go to Promontory where the two railroads would meet, that they would like very much to have me join them in an outing of a week or so. That we would put in a supply of grub which is the early [82] THE LIFE OF A ROVER western name for eatables, that we would take with us also our rifles and sidearms as one of the gentleman had spoken up and said he was told that before we reached the head of Green River we might run into a band of Indians which were on the war path and because of my past experience as an Indian Scout* they very much wanted me to go with them and that I need not buy any part of the grub or any expense whatever, because none of them had been favored, as they called it, with the oppor- tunity of fighting or even dealing with Indians; however, I said, "boys let's get busy if we are going on a forty-mile jaunt up Green River, let's go." So we rolled up our blankets the following morning and while we knew there were fish in abundance and had reason to believe that deer and much other game was plentiful, we of course only needed to carry a liberal slab of fat bacon and a small sack of flour and the fixings like bak- ing powder, plenty of salt and pepper; also a few pounds of coffee, but no whiskey, except that which might be needed in case of snake bites. One member of our party said he had been bitten by a rattle snake and that only for the fact that he drank whiskey soon after being bitten by a rattle snake, that he surely would have died and another man said he had been told there were poison snakes up around the head waters of Green River and another one said that Snake River was one of the tribu- taries of Green River. "They finally bought most of the grub we were to take with us, a purse of $15.00 was made up and given to the man who had been bitten by a rattler, telling him to buy more grub and some whiskey,and when he returned with five gallons of whiskey and a small box of crackers, the boys inquired as to what he had done with the $15.00. "Well, you see after I had bought the whiskey, I had only $1.00 left, so I bought $14.00 worth of whiskey and a dollar's worth of crackers," and one of the crowd spoke up and said, "Why did you buy so many crackers." "I have always had a reputation for finding and killing rattlesnakes, and while I searched the hills over on that trip for snakes, I never even saw a single one," while the rest of the crowd would come limping into camp every little while and say they had been bitten by a monster rattle snake and of course they could help themselves to as much whiskey as they wanted, I never got a drop from the time we left the town of Green River until we returned. But I had never drank whiskey since my young boyhood days when my father often gave us children Whaho Bitters at meal time, so I got along as well without being bitten by a rattler as some of who claimed they were bitten several times, not- withstanding the fact that I was doubtful as to whether their snake stories were true or not. We had agreed before starting that any time a member of the party was bitten by a snake he was at liberty to help himself to all the whisky he thought was required to kill the snake poison; while those of the party who had not been bitten by a snake must not partake of even a morning's morning, as the saloonkeepers used to call the first drink in the morning. [83] THE LIFE OF A ROVER After two and one-half days travel up Green River, we were near the objective of our journey and we were looking for a camping place. I sauntered off toward the river while the other men were taking a shorter cut to where the trail would run nearer the river bank, and soon found myself also near the bank of the river and on account of the hazy weather and pine timber being so thick along the riverbank, I sat down for a short rest, and while I was admiring the scenery and the great forest of timber and the rapid downward flow of that beautiful mountain stream of water, which was so clear while the depth in many places was, I should say, not less than ten or fifteen feet, the beautiful speckled trout were dashing about and really jumping, it seemed to me three or four feet above the water to catch grasshoppers as they flew low over the water, it was very interesting to note every time a fish made a jump, he sure caught the grasshopper, butthe grasshopper is like flies and the more you catch or kill the faster they come, and so it was in this case, the grasshoppers kept coming and the fish kept jumping and since I was so well entertained by the fish catching grasshoppers, I found also total darkness had come on me before I had thought of going forward to find my comrades, I knew they had gone up the river and to be sure I would not get lost in the darkness, I traveled close to the water edge. I had not gone far until I noticed what looked to me as being a gigantic bridge built from one bank of the river to the other and there were many objects moving about on top of the bridge they all seemed to be working hard dragging something here and there, there was also in evidence one object which looked to be much larger than the others and this big man as I have named him above was sure bossing the work being done by the smaller men, as I have named them. I could see they were working like real beavers, as we often hear people say when speaking of men or women working fast. The darkness was preventing my getting more information so I started out to find where the boys had camped and after meandering around the bends of the river for a half mile or more, I discovered the camp, and doubled my speed, expecting to find the boys all well, but most of them had been bitten by rattlers, and while they all said they were out of danger, I noticed they were not sure of a permanent cure and were now and then taking another dose of medicine. I, however, ate my supper, the clouds commenced clearing up which permitted a big bright moon to shine so brightly that the wild birds really thought it was day time. I of course had not. said anything to the other boys about what I discovered, because they were busy telling one another about the many snakes they had run onto while gathering wood and catching a mess of speckled mountain trout for supper. I was, however, wondering if the big man would work a night shift, and if he did, I might get down close to where he and his crew, were working and learn more about that gigantic bridge I had seen but an hour or so ago. [84] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The moon seemed to be getting larger and brighter, so I said to the other boys-that I was going back down the river for awhile, that I might run onto a deer and bag him, they were all rather glad to have me go so that they might take more rattle snake medicine, I being younger than the other members of the party they said "Be careful, Dan, watchout for rattlers." "Yes," I said, "I will be careful," and buckled on my belt to which hung my two trusty six shooters, then picked up my rifle, and took the short cut to the big bridge. When I reached the spot where I thought one could get a good view of the big bridge and the big man, I sat down and waited for what might be going on, and. after waiting a few moments, I noticed the big man come out of the largest house there was in sight and he soon came out on the sand, almost in front of me, and ran up and down the edge of the water, when he seemed to have decided on the big pine tree which was not more than seventy-five feet from where I was hidden behind a cluster of rocks, It was so close I almost wished I were farther away least the big man might discover me and dismiss his night shift, but he was satisfied that all was well and made a squeaking noise and flapped his big tail on the sand a few times and another big surprise for me was quickly in evidence for more than thirty small men plunger into the water and swam to the edge of the bank, after another squeaking noise and a few slaps on the sand by the big man six of the small men came out of the water and rushed up to the big man standing near the large pine tree which stood directly in front of me. Three of the small men were stationed about seven or eight feet above the three, one on the upper side, and the other two facing each other on the lower side of the big tree, which was at least two feet thick, when the big man gave another shriek and a few strikes on the sand with his tail, the [85] THE LIFE OF A ROVER three small men commenced making the bark fly and with such fury that one could hardly believe his own eyes; the two small men on the lower side tore off the bark of a space fully two feet up and down and tapered the cut so that the other small man only had to cut out about a foot. When the bark was off the big man ran around the tree as if to inspect the job, and then made another shriek and a few slaps of his tail on the sand. The first three small men went down to the water edge and the other three which were stationed above the three rushed to the job and com- menced cutting around the edge of the bark at top and bottom, the big man all the time watching closely, in just a few minutes the big man made another shriek and a few more slaps with his tail and if ever the splinters flew fast, these small men sure were trying to excell, and it went on that way, one shift after the other until all the twenty-five or thirty small men had worked ? shift when the first three were recalled, and they seemed to be more experienced than some of the others because when the big tree began to wabble as if it was about to fall the workers moved about as if they knew just where to tear out a chip to swing the tree's course one way or the other. The big man, however, changed the shift and the watchers all went back in the water and disappeared under and about the big dam. The big man kept giving orders and the little men were working faster and faster until the big man finally stopped one of the lower side men and put the other to work on the upper side. The big tree was about conquered and was sure to make a big plunge over the bank into the water while the men working on the upper side were tearing out the chips so fast that one could hardly see them. The big man was changing them from place to place until the tree started to fall with a crash and of all the squeaking you ever heard and the rapid slaps that the big man, surely did send a warning to all his small men to get out of the way and when that big tree finally tumbled over the bank into the water and the great surprise to me that the butt end of he tree swung around and fell up stream and a hundred voices rang out as if it were a lot of real men rejoicing over something they had done which proved a great success. NOW THEY COME THICK AND FAST Now they come thick and fast. I will say more than one hundred small men came from everywhere and into the top of that monster tree and while some of them were cutting limbs, the others as it seemed to me, were pulling the tree farther out in the stream and while I was so pleased with my evening's entertainment and did not remain up later, I then returned to camp and found the boys were cured of their snake bites. [86] THE LIFE OF A ROVER A GOOD SCARE The following morning, however, we got a good scare while we were eating breakfast a big black bear came in sight a fourth of a mile up the can- yon, we of course supposed the Indians were on the war path and had driv- en the bear over the hill hoping we might get scattered out and in hopes of our getting the bear and tha they could dash on one at a time and get the bunch of us, but as they all looked to me for orders, in case of Indians, I gave a quick order for every man to scatter out on a direct line across the lower end of the canyon, so that we would all get in action at the same time if the Indians followed the bear and if there were no Indians that Jrhe bear could not get away, so Mr. Bear came trotting down the Canyon until near us and I yelled out "Fire," and fire it was, we of course all claimed to have fired first, but I do not believe there was little difference in the time the six triggers were touched because every ball hit its mark, and of course the poor bear had no chance whatever, he simply was dead before he fell, because he just dropped down on his knees dead with a ball in his brain and his heart also. We skinned the bear and only for the fact that a bunch of friendly Indians came in to the camp the day we were returning, we would have been compelled to throw over half his meat to the wolves, which were quite thick, but the Indians soon cut the meat in strips and made ropes of the bear's hide and hung the meat up on small limbs of trees to dry, saying they would return later for it. I returned several times to watch my big man and his crew work and did take the whole crowd with me, but they were not so much interested as I. The friendly Indians told me that the Big Beaver Dam was originally built years before it was discovered by me, but they said the beavers made it over every year, that is to say, when the heavy snow melted on the mountains, that the river got very high and would destroy a part of the dam just the same as the high waters destroy our bridges and sometimes destroy our houses also. We finally made our way back to Green River and soon lost sight of each other. I have never seen or heard of any of them since. Los Angeles, California, was only a small wild and wooly western village in 1871. I speak of 1871 because the story or incident hap- pened on the day after the great Chicago fire. In those days there were hone who believed Los Angeles would ever be considered a big city. There were few buildings more than one story high. The population was, I believe, all told, about 2,700 souls; that is, human beings. There were billions of flies, grasshoppers and other pests, but most people thought the Chinaman was the most undesirable pest, because he was willing to work for a wage as low as 25 cents a day and give half of whatever his wages might be to the Boss Chinaman, who, in turn, gave most of what he received to the syndicate who imported the Chinamen. T87] THE LIFE OF A ROVER BEGINNING THE YEAR 1865 At the close of the war there were many men who had by some hook or crook, become the possessors of a few thousand dollars and to make money without hard work was their only thought to get-rich-quick, without work. Some of these men had been in China and they knew of the tens of thousands of almost starving Chinamen. The thought came to them that it would be a big money-making scheme to send a rep- resentative to China and charter ships to bring those hungry Mongolians to America and hire them out as servants and to do all kinds of manual labor, not because there were no idle men in America, but because the idle men of America had made a living during the war without doing hard work and though, they, or most of them, had squandered nearly every dollar they had when discharged from the army. They seemed to think in the beginning, that it was nice to hire a Chinaman at two dollars a week, to do the things they should do themselves, and soon the house- wife learned that Chinamen could wash, iron, cleanup the kitchen, and later on the Chinaman was employed to do the family cooking, also act as maid for the wife and children. All things went on and on until the Chinaman commenced to get their freedom from the men who had brought them to America. The Chinamen who had worked out their bondage commenced importing Chinamen to knock out the American importers. The Chinese importers refused to supply competent interpreters and it soon came about that the Chinamen who had been imported by the Americans, could get no employment and the get-rich-quick Americans soon dropped out of the business, but not, however, until there had been two distinct factions of Chinese organized in and throughout the entire state of California. These Chinese factions were generally called Longshoremen and Hongkong Chinamen when they met there was a fight to the death. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SENDS 'DELEGATES The Chinese government sent delegates to California with instructions to try and make peace between these two factions. These delegates were also instructed to return the body of every dead Chinaman they could find in America. HERE'S WHERE THE CORONER OF LOS ANGELES MADE HIS FORTUNE The Coroner of Los Angeles made his^fortune under the laws of California. At that time a human body could not be moved out of the limits of the state without the consent of the coroner. THE TWO FACTIONS OF CHINESE The two factions of Chinese had become so determined to destroy each other that they had bought up every pistol and gun which money could buy. [88] THE LIFE OF A ROVER CHINESE GIRLS WERE VALUED AT ONE TO TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS Chinese girls were valued at one to two thousand dollars. Hong- kong girls were valued much higher than the Longshore girls. The leader of the Hongkong faction made an order that if a Longshore China- man bought a Hongkong girl, that both the man and girl should be burned alive, and, of course, this order made the Longshore Chinamen more determined to test the order and when the next Hongkong girl was offered for sale, a Longshore Chinaman bought her. The Hongkong chief issued an order at once that the two should be burned alive and when they heard of the order they started for the mountains and were finally overtaken and both were burned to death. THE AWFUL NEWS SOON REACHES LOS ANGELES The sheriff of Los Angeles issued a call for men to stand ready to help put the two Chinese armies out of business, but the sheriff had waited too long — the war was on. The population of Los Angeles was divided, there were more Spaniards and Mexicans than there were Americans. GAMBLING OF ALL KINDS WAS RUNNING WIDE OPEN Saloons where men and women were singing and dancing, to beat the band, were thick. THE WAR STARTED ABOUT 5 P. M. The Police Department consisted of fifteen mounted officers and a few rounders, they called them non-uniformed men. I believe the salary was about $60.00 a month. The mounted men were mostly Spaniards, each man was armed with a club and two big six shooters which they could use and did use them when there was anything doing. THE SHERIFF WAS A MAN NOT AFRAID TO GET INTO TROUBLE The sheriff was a man not afraid to get into trouble with gunmen but had rather encouraged the Chinamen, not caring how many they killed, or even burned to the stake. He often said there were too many China- men. The Chinamen were segregated into the old Mexican part of the city. The Hongkongs, or a great many of them, lived in one large build- ing, which at one time many years ago was the residence of a rich Spaniard. I believe this building was said to be about 250 feet square. It was a one-story adobe building, there was a large square court in the center of this building and it was called the Cornell Building. The south side of the building fronted a big square of some five or six acres of vacant land and at that time they called it Market Square. 89 J THE LIFE OF A ROVER THE LONGSHORE CHINAMEN LIVED IN THE ADOBE BUILDING The Longshore Chinamen lived in the adobe building fronting on three sides of the Cornell Building, and separated only by a very narrow street. One of these streets was called Chinese Alley, and it was this little narrow street where the two factions met in bunches and generally killed three or four of each side before the police could arrive. THERE WERE NONE TO CLAIM THE DEAD There were none to claim the dead. They were buried by the county and seldom any arrests were made because in those days all Chinamen looked alike; they were all about the same size and dressed the same, there was no use hunting for the gunmen. AT ABOUT 5:00 O'CLOCK A BATTLE STARTED IN CHINESE ALLEY About 5:00 p. m., a battle started in Chinese Alley. I was at that moment about one hundred yards from the end of the alley and as the Chinamen were lined up on both sides of the alley, firing at each other, I did not believe I would be in range of their bullets, so I walked toward them and when I was near the end of the alley I noticed a mounted police officer coming at full speed and before I could get out of his way, he turned his horse to avoid striking me; the horse almost fell. One of the officer's six shooters fell, he did not stop, but ran his horse into the thickest of the fray. He jumped from his saddle on top of two China- men and instructed me to, look after his horse. The other Chinamen ran into their forts and about this time a man by the name of Bob Thomp- son, a noted gambler, came to the policeman's aid. They both started to lead these two Chinamen to jail, but only walked a few steps until both Chinamen dropped to the sidewalk and in a second they were inside a door. Bob Thompson followed them and as he entered the door a a bullet was sent through his heart. The policeman also started to enter the door but as he entered his arm was grabbed by a dozen Chinamen, his pistol taken — he was pushed outside and a Chinaman dashed out the door and shot the policeman with his own pistol. The Chinamen then, on both sides, turned against the Americans and started firing at any man or woman they could see; many bullets passed close to me but I only found a few holes in my clothing and hat. I was the first eye witness to reach the sheriff's office with the news. He handed me two six shooters and sent me back as a deputy, with instructions to kill any Chinaman I saw on the street. [90] THE LIFE OF A ROVER ONLY A FEW MOMENTS Only a few moments until we could see and hear people coming from every direction. I do not believe it was half an hour until over five hun- dred were in front of that building, but it was considered dangerous tc get close because we knew it was full of armed Chinamen. Soon, how- ever, men climbed to the top of the building and with axes they cut holes through the roof and after firing many shots the men went through them and killed every Chinaman they found. I NOW CALL ATTENTION TO THE MOST REMARKABLE INCIDENT OF MY LIFE The most remarkable incident of my whole life and I am past eighty- four years of age. A Chinese woman walked out in front of five hundred or more men, with a candle in her hand which was burning and that great mass of armed men, not over fifty yards from her, fired at her. There was a real blaze of fire, some with pistols, others with rifles and shotguns. THE LIGHT WAS SHOT OUT AT LEAST THREE TIMES The light was shot out at least three times and she deliberately lighted it again. THE SHERIFF CHARGED DOWN THE LINE AND FIRING CEASED The sheriff finally charged down the line and the firing ceased, the woman never moved. The crowd rushed on her and it was said her clothing was full of holes and I know the door and wall all around her was full of bullets because I examined it myself. About this time the men on the roof and in the building were joined by hundreds of other men and they were dragging out Chinamen in bunches. There were several large, old-fashioned Santa Fe wagons near- by. They tied ropes around the necks of the Chinamen and then tied the other end to the wagonwheel and twisted their bodies until they chocked to death. I, myself, helped haul in the dead and we found ten tied to one wagonwheel. I believe, all told, we carried in about 250 dead, and there were many more followed into the back country, which, I understand, were killed and left for the wolves to devour. FORTY-NINE OF THE MOB WERE INDICTED Forty-nine of the mob were indicted, nine of them were convicted of manslaughter. The governor pardoned them. THE CORONER GETS HIS The Chinese delegates wanted to ship these dead bodies back to China. I was informed that the coroner charged $400 for each body and the whole sum was under the state law at that time. All money received for bodies to be moved outside the state belonged to the Coroner. [91] THE LIFE OF A ROVER MY FIRST VISIT AT SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA In 1873, the early spring I believe it was, I dropped off the train and put up at San Jose Hotel. After I had registered, I noticed the pro- prietor's name was also Moody, and when he turned the book around to jot down the number of my room, he said, -'Young man, are you a stranger here?'' and when I said I was, then he said, "You have many relatives hereabout. "May I ask you where you were born?" "Mis- souri," he said. "Where is your father buried?" "At Carrloton, Mis- souri." "Was your father's first name James Moody?" "Yes, sir." "My father's name was John Moody and he had two sisters, whose first names were Jennie and Polly. They both married men by the name of Haun." Then I said, "They are my father's brother and sisters." "Well, if I ever expected you to drop in and register." Then he went on to say, "Your first name is Dan?" "Yes," I said, "that's what mama called me, but I made a slight change in it when I started out as a Rover, and I now sign my name as you see on the register." "Yes," he said, "and that is why I inquired as to you being a stranger in these parts, because I know over two hundred Moodys and never before heard of D. W. Moody. Come with me, Cousin Dan, I want to introduce you to my wife and children," and a jolly crowd they were. I was given a seat in the parlor and soon the good-natured wife was introduced and as evi- dence of my welcome, she put her arms around me and gave me a big kiss. Then came the six children and they, too, were as glad to see me as if I were Santa Claus, and had just dumped a wheelbarrow-load of toys down the chimney. The wife had a reputation for excellent cook- ing and while the children were entertaining me, showing me hundreds of pictures of the Moodys and Hauns, the wife was busy preparing a dinner, fit for a king, and after eating and visiting for fully one hour at the table, my newly found cousin said, "Cousin Dan, I will hitch up a span of Patchon colts and drive you over to Santa Clara, and introduce you to my father, your Uncle John, and also Aunt Jennie Haun, and a lot of your cousins." When he drove up in front of the hotel, behind those two brown Patchon, fur-year-ids, they were both chewing on the bridle bits and stomping their feet as if begging to go at full speed. Finally the family were all seated on the back seats of a three-thousand- dollar carriage, and I, beside my cousin on the front seat, the lines were slackened slightly and those brown steeds started on a 240 gate, and pull- ing hard on the bit, as if they wanted to go faster. The road was in fine condition and the distance only about three miles. We first stopped at Uncle John Moody's, and to say he was glad to meet me hardly ex- pressed his joy, because he was then nearly one hundred years old. He really lifted me off the ground and led me into the house, where I met his good old, loving and kind wife who gave me many kisses and many times said, "We have often talked about Brother James' family and now we have with us one of his own sons, a big fine healthy boy." I inquired as to Aunt Jennie and Uncle John and Aunt Polly. Both spoke up and [92] THE LIFE OF A ROVER said, "She will soon be here, we have sent for her." And soon she drove up in front of the house, she, also, driving a big fine horse, and it was a great surprise to see how quickly she stepped out of that buggy and came rushing into the house. She did not wait for an introduction; she threw her ninety-five-year-old arms around my neck and said, "You do not know how glad I am to see you, I know you are Brither James' boy, be- cause you are the very picture of him, you were only a small boy when we saw you last, and now after all these years you come to visit and make us so happy that we feel many years younger and we hope you will settle nearby so we can see you, often." All this time Uncle John and Aunt Polly, my cousin, his wife, their children, and several other relation were standing nearby to put in a word of welcome as often as there was a chance. There I was, a big, long, bushy-headed, uncultivated, bull- whacker, and Indian scout, dressed in the latest fashion, because I had plenty of money, but no social education whatever. Of course, I had been roving around a few years since I had quit the wild and woolly west, but did not know anything about visiting with friends or relation. I had, up to that time, eaten very few meals, since 1865, except at camp or hotels, but they soon taught me the ropes. It was sure a great change for me to live, sleep and eat to my heart's content and not allowed to part with as much as a two-bit piece of silver. I strung my visit out for a whole month or more and was apparently more welcome each day. I cannot understand why I did not settle down and stay there, because I loved not only my relatives, but the whole community. The most of my relatives were considered wealthy and I believe they all owned their own homes and had plenty of other property. [93] THE LIFE OF A ROVER Five years later I dropped off again at Santa Clara and Uncle John was still living, but his wife had died and Aunt Jennie died the night I arrived, the children said she fell, getting out of the buggy and broke her collar bone. I was only present a few moments before Aunt Jennie died. When I came in the room, she raised her head so I could put my arm around her neck and when I stooped over and kissed her, she said, "Good bye," and the last breath left her. They were all like my mother and father, good Christian people. I never heard of a drunkard or thief in the family, the chief reason I believe was because they all were close friends and met at the church and Sunday school on the Sabbath Day and visited with one another Sundays and evenings, and if there was sickness in one family, there were many willing hands at their bedside to offer aid and open pocketbooks, ready to be emptied in the lap of the unfortunate. They lived as relation and friends should live, not for diamonds and gold, but to give and receive at times of need. My place of business is on a busy street, my office facing a large plate- glass window. I notice thousands of working girls passing day by day, dressed in the height of fashion, and I also see, every day, more than fifty well-dressed men running up and down the stairs with big bundles of bills to collect from people who have bought this or that on the in- stallment plan and when I stop to think how much it costs to collect these small amounts of fifty cents to two dollars a week, you can readily see that the working people are paying more than double the cash value of every item they buy and we often hear of some woman or young nian being arrested for non-payment of such accounts as I have describe^ above. They are arrested and put in jail if the garment or other item tjtiey pur- chased is not paid for as agreed to in the ironclad contract with^ ninety- nine out of every hundred sign without reading. I am often Requested to loan money to young men or women to help them meet the payments on things they should not have bought, because they could have purchased a substitute for the amount they paid as first payment on the same item, hey still have a year's payments to make on the article bought on the in- stallment plan. It's easy to get in debt and it's hard on a fellow when the collector comes around, because he is generally a hard-boiled rough, abusive scamp who would throw a sick woman out of a house, if in his power, when it cost his concern several times the amount of the bill then due. My motto is to buy for cash as I always have done and buy the grade of goods I can afford. I wish others would do the same. I am publishing my book in two grades of prices, the reading is the same in each of them, and while my profit is much larger on the higher priced book, I sure would not advise the workingman or woman to buy the high-priced book, but there are people who can well afford to pay the highest price because they have the money and no debts. I have given a great deal of advice to my readers in this book, because I had had lots of experience and many ups and downs. I believe there's a great deal in [94] THE LIFE OF A ROVER i one's luck and I believe also that there are times in our life when we can i hardly get by without committing a crime but it is generally our own fault, because we squander that which we should have saved when luck \, was with us. The only way I could ever get out of a financial embarrassment was [ to go to work at the job or kind of work offered and at any wages. I i am as proud as any man but I never tell my troubles to other people even I when I need money. I make some other excuse for wanting to make a little i money. There are few men or women, rich or poor, who care to listen to those who have hard-luck tales to lay before them, but if you go to a rich or poof person and try to show them how they can make ten to twenty dollars, while you make one, that's the story they will listen to every time, because most people are willing to sit up at night and burn their shirt to make a light while they figure out a scheme to get ten to the other fellow's one. Never tell the person you are trying to interest in anything, that your profit is big, but on the other hand show him where your profit is small and his at least ten times as great as yours. I HAVE PUT IN OVER FIFTY YEARS OF MY LIFE SHOWING OTHERS I have put in over fifty years of my life showing other people how to get rich quick and some of them have made fortunes by taking my ad- # vice but there are others who failed and at the time I put the deal over I believed in every word I told them concerning the deal. There are many changes and circumstances which come up to prevent profit from returning on our investments and for that reason it is much safer to keep on the selling side than the buying. If you can buy things under the market and sell quickly at a profit, no matter if the profit is small, keep selling, you can always buy, but it's often hard to sell, no matter how low you make the price. Keep both eyes on the dollar, they slip away easily and slip back hard. EARLY LIFE IN UTAH The Mormons were, I believe, the earlist homesteaders and tillers of the fertile soil of the western plains and to say they had many obstacles in their path is putting it mild. The country was full of wild beasts and some very savage ones. Most of those early settlers were brought to Utah by that noble and open-hearted man, Brigham Young, a man whom I believe thought he was inspired by God to lead the poor of Europe into a land where they could live in peace and happiness. It did appear to the writer that in the beginning Brigham Young was of the opinion that the United States had overlooked Utah and that it was so far away from the Capitol at Washington, that the domain of Brigham Young would never be considered worth disturbing and as time went on Brigham Young never stopped to think of the coming of such an enterprise as the Union Pacific Railroad, but it did come. [95] THE LIFE OF A ROVER THE WRITER WAS EMPLOYED TO GO WITH A SURVEYING OUTFIT The writer was employed to go with a surveying outfit laying out townsites and later the same outfit set the cornerstak.es to every other sec- tion of land for I believe twenty miles each side of the main line of the U. P. R. R. 1866 and most of 1867 the writer's duty was to hire Mor- mon labor as roadmakers and other jobs of labor and also to purchase supplies from the Mormons. We were not at all welcome nor did the Mormons care to work for us or even sell us milk, butter and vegetables, because they said we were gen- tiles and that we were there to steal their lands. However, they were something like most young ladies I have met during my lifetime. A little candy and a lot of petting soon tamed them so that we were permitted to put our hands on their garments and later we were allowed to attend the Mormon church, but at first the money we put in the hat was thrown out because it was gentile money. We did not pick it up and I hardly believe that the Mormons thought it had the slightest value, because we had nothing but greenbacks and before we could get along with those Mormons, we were compelled to bring into camp Brigham Young money. They would look at the picture on our money and say "that's not Brigham Young money," but when we showed them Brigham Young's money, trjey often kissed the picture. When we hired the Mormon men they never inquired concerning the amount of wages we were to pay them and in fact money was of little value to those people, because they did not trade in money. If Smith owned anything Mr. Hanson wanted, they conjured up an exchange and each got what he wanted. They had no jails or police officers in the in- terior of the country. I was informed that the bishop was God No. 2, and that Brigham Young was God N. 1 . Brigham Young was supposed to be inspired by the God of Heaven and he transferred the same power to the bishops and they told the elders and the people they must obey the rules of the church, as such rules and edicts had come direct from Brigham Young, and my reader, I wish to inform you that you could not have bought a crust of bread from those people with all the gold you could carry, if you had first denounced Brigham Young or even a bishop, but- if you first spoke well of the church, the elders, bishop and Brigham Young, you need no gold or other money to get what you wanted, ex- cept a wife, and if you wanted a wife or a half dozen of them, you must first be baptized and become a member of the Mormon church. I was called the boss of our outfit because I always paid out the money and while I think of it I want to say that many a Mormon girl looked good to me, but they were as wild as a scared deer. I got a few slaps in the face for getting fresh with those beautiful girls and it was a long time before one of them said she was not mad when she slapped me in the face. I bet you can guess my next move which was to steal a kiss and when she returned the compliment, I said, "We are moving camp to- morrow, and if you will marry me I will join the Mormon church. But [96] THE LIFE OF A ROVER she said, "I am now the wife of a bishop who has eleven more wives and if he will give me up, I will marry you after you join the church." We agreed that she should get the bishop to free her and that we would then go to the church and after I had become a member we would be married. Later we were about ready to go to the church when the bishop came along leading another beautiful young woman and the first word the bishop uttered was, "Young man, I hear you are going to take one of my wives with you. I brought along one more; you can have her also. As I have ten wives left, you can have another, if you wish." By this time my love had vanished and I said, "Excuse me, I am backing out," and ran like a scared wolf. I met and visited with other Mormon, ladies after that and they often told me most Mormon men had three or more wives and that the bishops and elders were favored with ten to fifteen wives. These ladies told me I had made a big mistake by not marrying at least the two which I was offered because they said I would have been given land and a house, a yoke of oxen, a cow and some pigs and chickens, and a lot more. I have traveled a great deal but have yet to find a more con- tented people than those Mormons were. Boys and girls were married young and if the young man wanted another wife there was one waiting his call. I was told that the women did most of the farming and other labor- ing work, the husband was more of an ornament, the wives all wor- shipped him, the children were most obedient of all children I have ever seen in my travels. It is a pity that the gentiles were permitted to come in and break up those happy homes, but they did that very thing. The gentiles taught those people that money was a better God than Brigham Young, and of course many a good Mormon woman lost her head and happy home when she allowed the gentiles to make her believe in pretty dresses and the evils of gentile men. I honestly believe that while the Mormon church does not preach or teach Brigham Young doctrines at this late day, there are those who would like to see the good old times back again. I know very little about the customs in Utah nowadays, and am not writing this to lead you to believe a young man can go to Utah and marry half a dozen young Mor- mon girls, because I know that he would soon be in jail, even if he took on the second wife, the same law now applies in Utah as we have in other states of the United States. My experience in Utah dates back to the time when Uncle Sam said, "Keep away from Brigham Young's domain." I shall write more later on, I have much news you have never read about the way the Mormons expressed themselves when they first learned the Great Union Pacific Rail- road was to be built through their country. Some of my experiences in Salt Lake City would be very interesting reading. [97] THE LIFE OF A ROVER A RICH MAN'S COMPENSATION FOR SAVING THE LIFE OF HIS TWO GROWN-UP DAUGHTERS I arrived by steamer at Eureka, California, about noontime and after locating, I went to my room to write a few letters. After supper that evening, I wrote a few more letters. They must reach the postoffice before 10:00 p. m., to go out on the steamer leaving for San Francisco early the following morning. I went out and mailed these letters, returned about 10:00 p. m., and was about to retire for the night when I noticed a large building two blocks away was on fire. Thinking I might be of some help in extinguishing the fire, I ran down the stairs and never stopped until I arrived in front of the burning building, which proved to be a two-story transient hotel. The Fire Department had not arrived, notwithstanding the fact that the whole building was on fire and about this time the guests commenced jumping out, or falling out of the windows. The owner of the building ran down the front stairs and out on the street yelling at the top of his voice, that his two girls, or daughters were asleep in the front room on the second floor, and were burning up or would be burned to death. I made a dash for their room, the smoke and fire was then raging down the stairway. I finally made my way to the top of the stairs and broke open the first door I came in contact with and there found the two young women sound asleep and the building was then falling, in places, to the ground. I got hold of each girl by the hand and dragged them out as they were, in their night clothing. As I was dragging them down the stairs their night clothes caught on fire and only for the fact that I removed my overcoat and smothered out the fire, they might have been disfigured for life. One of these girls was 18 years and the other 20 — and were said to be among the most beautiful girls in Northern California. In a moment after I reached the street with these girls they were taken in charge by friends and I saved one more young lady who had jumped out of a rear window into a pool of water which came close to the rear of the building. The building was falling and large parcels which were on fire was falling on this young lady and had set her hair on fire. She was ready to give up, she told me afterwards, when I caught her hand and dragged her to safety and with all the efforts of myself and others who brought out quite a few who would have perished if not aided to safety. There were seven charred bodies found the following morning. The point I wish to make in this item is the father's value he placed on the life of his two beautiful grown-up girls, whose life I saved. My overcoat was new and cost me over $50.00, which was burned full of holes and would not have made good carpet rags. [98] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The newspapers all gave me great credit for saving these girls and also the other young lady. The father of the two sisters was said to be the richest man in all that part of the state. The two young ladies passed me on the street several times, but never once spoke to me. The father also passed me several times before he spoke, but he did finally stop me in front of the leading newspaper office and after passing the time of day, he said "That was sure an awful fire," and he said, "I have often thought I should give you a present for saving the life of my girls," and low and behold he did offer me a present and it was not a cigar at that, yet he was smoking one at that time, but fumbling around in his pockets, he with- drew his hand, in it was several pieces of gold, real gold money, because in those days all money in California was gold and silver and while there were $5.00, $10.00 and one $20.00 in his hand, also one $2.50 gold piece, he handed me a $2.50 piece and rushed the other gold back into his pocket. I looked at the small piece of gold and said, "My friend is that the valuation of your daughters, $1.25 each, and my overcoat which cost me over $50.00, besides my other clothing ruined?" The man stared me in the face. I thought it about time for me to act. I grabbed him and did not walk him but dragged him into the newspaper office and laid the gold piece on the editor's table and told the editor that this villain gave me all that gold for saving the life of his two beautiful daughters. The man wanted me to let go of him but I did not until the editor had written down my story, then I asked my man to sign it and state it was true, I then requested the editor to give the gold to some poor widow, I then pro- ceeded to do my duty which I had been asked to do by many who knew I saved the girls' lives. I knocked the tar out of my man and tore his clothing in rags and when I could not tear it, I used my knife and finally sent him on his way looking like the worst raggedy man ever came down the pike. I met him and his daughters after that but they ran across the street, never stopped until out of sight. I was so well backed by the people of the place that I had about made up my mind to give each of the girls a black eye and tear a few of their garments into rags, I finished my business and went back to San Francisco before I got a chance to finish that job. [99] THE LIFE OF A ROVER JUST A FEW LINES OF ADVICE TO YOUNG LADIES Since I have traveled over many seas and through many countries, including Central and South America, and most of the foreign countries, and at all times and places, have had plenty of honestly earned money to spend and to be frank I have always been called a "g5od fellow" I have no regret as to money that I have squandered, as some people say about me, because I never have said but little concerning my losses as to whether I lost my money in a business venture or by gambling or on wine or women. When I was down and out so far as money went, I got busy and found some line of work or business enterprise which looked good to me and if I did not have the money to put it over, I did not tell the other fellow that I was short of money, because I knew he would say he was through with me. The thing I always did was to try to show the man with the money that he cannot afford to take on a partner only on a commission basis and right here I want to say that the thing to do is to find out whether the other fellow has the real cash and to drop any deal when the other fellow tells you he has no money on hand but if his name should be con- nected with the enterprise he could supply the money through his friends. Such a man or woman are only trying to do the very thing you are. So you do as he would do to you, drop him at once, but do it in a pleasant way by saying, you thank him for the attention and that you will prob- ably see him again very soon, and if you believe he has friends who you might interest in your venture it is a good plan to invite such a party out to lunch and take him to the best place you know of and while at lunch give him one more strong talk concerning your enterprise, finishing up by making a few short comparisons of others who have made large profits along those lines and before you are through lunching your guest will generally give you the names and addresses of every man or woman he knows but be careful not to directly offer him any profit, say only "Thank yc5u," and after you have parted, that man will say to himself, you were sure a "good fellow" and if he can by any hook or crook raise the money to take up your offer, you will be called back very soon and when you return, give him plently of time to talk and unless he is ready to do business, get away quickly and as you are leaving he will insist you should tell him why you are going so soon. Well, my friend, it is this way, I have several other parties to see and that you may see him again soon and that when you call again you may offer him a chance to get in on the second floor and that you have several others who will also have to come in on the second floor. [100] THE LIFE OF A ROVER Now, my reader, that second-floor is not the place this party wants or he would not have called you in and if he can go through with the deal, it can be closed on the spot without your losing any more time except to increase your interests by strategy, when the contract is drawn, and if I had the space to spare I could sight many deals which have been put over. As I have stated above, and I, myself, have made them where I could not have even interested the party by any other method. A young lady may know a gentleman she would like to have invite her to a party but she will lose him unless she is very shy when in his company. If he be a real gentleman the more shy the young lady appears the more the young man will press his attention and if the young lady can induce a real true friend to say a good word for her, it is worth more than she could say in a year. The lady who waits on the street corner hoping to get a free ride in a passing auto, is sure inviting disaster and had better walk many miles than take such a chance, because the men who pick up men or women and offer them joy rides are generally tricksters and seldom have but little to say the first time they pick you up, but they are formulating plans for the second ride. Remember, ladies, that man is your master, and God gave him at least fifty times the magnetism he gave you, man's wits is stronger and more active than yours, and that you must prevent him from getting you where his pleadings can be repeated, because if you don't, he may get desperate and say you must or he will punish you, and he may go the limit to carry out his threats. Of course the threats come as a rule after per- suasion has failed. How many times do we read in the papers about girls with men who they only knew by the first name, permitting these men to escort them home from a dance or party. An introduction should be complete or it should not be accepted even though it is only for the pleasure of a single dance on the floor, a man's intention may be good when you first meet him and you may turn his head and mind to bad in- tentions by a slight mistake and by no means, do not permit money or promises or even when the real money should be thrown in your lap, in any way influence you, if you do, the man will lose confidence in you, then and there he sure will never again think of you as he would, had you turned his inducements down flat, without giving them the slightest consideration. You are not losing a friend by dropping such a man, but on the other hand, you are doubling your chances of making a friend and a man out of a would-be-scoundrel. [101] THE LIFE OF A ROVER I am leaving out other copy, hoping that at least some one or more young ladies, may be benefitted by heeding the advice offered above. I have written similar articles to this before which have been published and I have also received many friendly letters from those who were bene- fitted. Some forty years ago, I published a magazine and each month I published a letter of advice to young people, which letters were said to be very interesting, quite a few of my subscribers wrote me that those letters were well worth the subscription price of the magazine and I now call to mind a letter received, after I had sold the magazine, from a young lady who once was employed by me, she said, among other things, that such letters of advice as I generally published, were then discontinued and she also said she thought she would soon get married to a very nice young man who had what appeared to be a good business, but she said this young man had refused to tell where he was born and where his relatives lived and that it would be a great favor if I would give her a little advice. So I wrote her, by no means should she marry a man unwilling to tell her everything concerning his past and the present address and the home of his parents and in due time I received a reply that she had broken the engagement and the young man had* announced he would marry another young lady, she said she was glad of my advice and that she would write me again later. I believe now it was but a month or so I received another letter from this same young lady, telling me about the same young man having married his second choice and that he was then in jail, charged with bigamy, that his first wife and one child had come on the ground and had him locked up/ that he had plead guilty and that he also was living and was married under an assumed name, which of course was his reason for not giving the location of his parents. MY TOOTSIE DOG My Tootsie Dog proved to be a real wonder dog, when returning home, my wife and I noticed a most beautiful curly headed little girl play- ing with a small wooley puppy dog inside the yard. We halted at the gate and requested the child to permit us to give the little dog a once over, [102] THE LIFE OF A ROVER she was very bright and talkative baby girl of perhaps three years, she rushed up to the gate and handed the puppy to me. I soon discovered it was of good breeding, I said, "Little girl do you want to sell your little pet," her reply was "Do you want to see Trixy and Trixy's babies, I'll bring them out so you can pick out one for $1.50." I said, "Yes, bring them out," so she ran back to the dog house, which was in the back yard. She soon returned with an armful of little wooley dogs and Trixy, the mother, trailing along beside her little baby dags. They were all very beautiful, but the one I was holding in my hand, I thought suited us best. My wife said, "Give her $1.50 and we will take the puppy with us," but I said, "We are not yet settled and have no place to keep him." We had arrived at Los Angeles only the day before and were stopping at the hotel. The little girl then ran into the house with the money, handing it to her mother. The mother said, "Where did you get it?" the baby girl said, "Mama I sold a puppy." "My goodness, child, did you sell it for $1.50," "Yes, Mama," the mother rushed out to where we were, handed the money to me and said, "Those puppies are $25.00 each, they are pedigreed dogs and the one you have selected, we have been holding for $50.00 because he is so beautifully marked," and he was. The only marks was one cold black ear and a .cold black ring around the opposite eye, the rest of his body was as white as snow. The lady then said, "Who are you people anyway," I then handed her my card which she read carefully. She said, we once lived at Cincinnati, Ohio, and my oldest sister and I went to a big dressmaking school on the corner of 9th and Walnut streets, you look very much like the Mr. Moody who ran that school, "I am the man," I said, and she then gave me a good hand- shake and invited us into the house. We accepted the invitation and after a pleasant visit of a half hour the lady picked up the little dog which was running around the floor playing with the little girl. She handed me the puppy and said, "I am pleased to have met you once more and now I take great pleasure in presenting you with this little dog and without any compensation whatever, because I know you will give him a good home." I then thanked her to the fullest extent of my ability for the pleasant visit and also for her kind remembrance of me as her instructor when she attended my school. I gave the little girl the $1.50 as a present and handed the mother $5.00 in gold with request that she keep the dear little doggie for us until we had settled in our new home. We were soon living in a large house nearby where we had been presented with what we both thought was the most beautiful puppy dog we had ever seen. My wife picked up a small grape-basket one after- noon and went after our baby dog. When she returned, there the little fellow was, spuatted down in that small basket. Of course I was glad to see him and while there was a large yard at the rear of the house there was also a large screen porch. My wife said "There's a mama cat on the porch and she has three kittens," but she said, "It won't hurt to turn [103] THE LIFE OF A ROVER the little dog loose," which she did, and in a moment he discovered the mama cat and commenced barking at her. She humped up her back and swelled up her tail and did a lot of spitting at the little intruder, as she seemed to think of him, but she did not attempt to scratch him, however, she moved her kittens from place to place and the little doggie was watch- ing the mamma cat. I had named our pet doggie Tootsie. After Tootsie had grown a little bigger he would have one scrap after another with the mamma cat, she never scratched him, but she would get very mad and of course the kittens grew bigger and bigger and soon were so big she could not carry them about in her mouth, so Tootsie would carry them for her, but when he carried them he generally dumped them on top of the ash pile and to tease mamma cat, Tootsie sometimes would jump at mamma cat as if he was going to tear her to pieces and to get away she would run up a tree, then Tootsie returned to the ash pile and with his nose, cover the kittens up, but the thing that interested me was that after scrapping all day with the mamma cat when we would go out to feed our pets in the morning, I always found our little doggie and all the cats sleeping to- gether, they would all scamper out and eat together until their little stomachs were quite satisfied and then a quarrel was started to last another day. TOOTSIE SOON GREW UP TO BE A BIG DOG I had put in much time training him and I believe if he was only six months old now he could be sold for a fortune. I was offered $200.00 for him and refused the offer. I preferred to give him to my neice who agreed to give him a good home and I believe she did. I have many more dog and cat stories which might be interesting, but I have no more space and may give you a few more in my next book. [104] THE LIFE OF A ROVER A $100 IS THE PRICE I WILL PAY FOR AN INTRODUCTION A $100.00 is the price I will pay for an introduction to the young lady who just passed by, said a young man to me. "That is easy," I said, "because she and her daddy are customers of mine; they both buy stocks and bonds through my office and Mr. Johnson then handed me $100.00 in gold and said "I am also one of your stock and bond customers, and I am very well acquainted with the young lady's father." He has told me several times that when he has time to spare, he will make a visit to your office, because when he gets to your desk, he enjoys listening to short stories, which you often relate of having seen and come in contact with while roving the world over. Mr. Johnson then said, "Mr. Moody, you have my hundred dollars in gold, all I ask is that you bring about an introduction, with the understanding that I am to be given a thirty minute visit and if I fail to arrange another appointment to meet the young lady, the money is yours," "Yes," but I said, "Mr. Johnson, why do you want me to attend to such a matter as this and offer such a large compensation for a few moments service when you can get in your car and drive to the young lady's home and call for her? Don't you know she would grant you a half hour's visit when you are acquainted with her daddy." That may all be true, but I want a foundation laid and I know you will do that also. I then informed Mr. Johnson, he was taking a big risk because he knew I was also looking for a wife and while I might bring about the introduction, I might also be a competitor. "Oh, yes," he said, "but I am going to trust you and hope you will get busy and when I call tomorrow morning, you will have arranged an hour, or time for the introduction at the young lady's home, because I wish to meet her whole family at their home." "Mr. Johnson," I said, "what's all the rush about this introduction," then he went on to tell me that he knew the young lady was going with other young gentlemen, that he believed if he could get a good strong introduction, that he could win the prize over all comers, so I said, "Come in at 9:30 tomorrow morning and I will tell you just when I can introduce you," "Good, he said, "I will be on time." I sure believe Mr. Johnson was looking for a wife and just how I should go about such a matter was taxing my shattered brain to its full capacity. [105] THE LIFE OF A ROVER Miss Mary and her dad were both customers of mine and they had bought several thousand dollars worth of stock largely on my recommen- dation which stock had more than doubled in value and some of it had run up to ten times the price they had paid me for it. I finally made up my mind to call at the home of Miss Mary and try to buy her stock at market price, as quoted that day. When I rang the door bell, however, dad came to the door and invited me in. After talking about the weather and the prospects of more rain I handed dad a copy of my latest stock report which of course was very interesting to him and he then said if I weren't such a busy man he would ask me to explain to Miss Mary all I could as to why these stocks were going up so fast and when I said it would be a pleasure to tell her all I had learned concerning those stocks and when he had opened another door Miss Mary came right up to me and after shaking hands she seated herself by my side and after looking over the quotations she said, "I surely believe you are the only stock broker we will deal with hereafter." Then daddy spoke up and said, "Mary don't flatter the gentleman too much, as he may come to the conclusion you are going to be careless hereafter, because it's not best to allow your broker too much power when you are trading." I then thought my time had arrived to look after Mr. Johnson's interests and I said, "Miss Mary, would you care to make a permanent investment?" There, now, dad butted in and said, "That's personal and if you are going to turn this business into matchmaking, I beg to be excused," and as he was about to retire from the room, I said, "Wait a minute, daddy, until I get an answer from your daughter as the next question may interest you also." Mary then said, "Mr. Moody, please qualify your question, I do not quite understand you." Then I begged her pardon/saying I would drop the question and ask her another. "Now, Miss Mary, will you permit me to introduce to you at your own home, one of the finest young gentlemen in this city — a gentleman whom your daddy knows as well as he does me?" Dad then spoke up and asked me who was the gentleman. "It's Mr. Johnson," "Yes, he said, I know Mr. Johnson, if it's the fellow I met at your office," "That's the chap," I said, and daddy then gave his consent but he said he and his wife were going to the theater the following evening. I had agreed to bring the gentleman to your home tomorrow evening at 7:30 and you will not leave home earlier than 7:45. "No," he said. "Now, then, Miss Mary, please answer my last question," and daddy left the room for a few moments, then returned to learn Miss Mary's decision^ but she had not answered. I, however, insisted on a prompt reply, then she said, "I will be pleased to have you introduce Mr. Johnson at 7:30 p. m. to- morrow evening." Now then, Miss Mary, will you agree to entertain the gentleman for thirty minutes. "Sure," she said, "if he is pleased with my company, and as mamma and daddy are going to the theater, I will do my best to make the evening a pleasant one for your friend." And after a few more minutes' visit, I bid them good night and returned to my office, where I knew there would be late customers waiting to see me. [106] THE LIFE OF A ROVER Mr. Johnson was on time the following morning and was pleased to hear my report and of course he agreed to meet me at 7:00 sharp that evening. Before starting, however, I said "Mr. Johnson, what can be on your mind, do you really want Miss Mary to marry you at once?" "Yes," he said, "I have been in love with her for over a year and shall tell her so before the introduction is a half hour old." "Then," I said, "are you going to ask her to marry you the first time you call on her?" "Yes, that's the very thing I will do, and shall insist on a speedy wedding because I believe she is interested in another young man and I have heard that Miss Mary has said she would not agree to a long courtship, because she did not believe* in it." I sure made the introduction and it looked like love at first sight. Mr. Johnson requested Miss Mary to give him an introduction to her mother before she went to the theater and when he had been intro- duced to the mother, he said, "Mother, would you be pleased with me for a son-in-law. The mother was shocked, after recovering from the shock, she said "Mr. Johnson, my daughter is past 21 years of age and I have long since made up my mind that I would not advise her in the selection of a husband;" then daddy came to the front again and said "Mr. John- son was only joking," saying, also, that he knew Mr. Johnson well and considered him a most worthy young man and that he had a splendid business and was generally liked by all who knew him, that his whole family were highly respectable. There Miss Mary stood listening, some- times she appeared sad, while at other times she was smiling, while I, myself, was not much surprised at the speed of Mr. Johnson, and as my $100.00 had been fully earned on account of the entertainment having then lasted over 40 minutes and daddy and mamma had said their time was up for them to start to the theater, I tipped my hat and said, "Good evening." Miss Mary, however, stepped out into the hall to hand me my overcoat and whispered the words, "I may be Mrs. Johnson soon." I said, "I hope so, and believe you will never regret closing the deal at once." "I may," she said. At 12:30 that same night Mr. Johnson woke me up at my home and invited me to his wedding at 12:00 noon, the following day. I knew these people for several years thereafter and they had three beautiful children and I do not believe I have ever known a happier man and wife and I will say also a happier family including the parents on both sides. [107] THE LIFE OF A ROVER GOLD IS GOLD WHEREVER FOUND Way back in the year 1870, I was then in the merchandise business at Anaheim, California, that is to say, I was in partnership with two gentlemen. I won't say other gentlemen because everyone called me Dan, while they called my partners Mr. Heiman and Mr. George, which was the names of my partners. We carried most everything in stock which people thereabout used or were interested in and if a particular customer came in who wanted something we did not have, we took his order and in due time we received and delivered the goods. The people thereabout were mostly German and they were good Germans. I was informed that in the year 1852, fifty-two German families came to America ^nd all of them settled at Anaheim; each of these Germans bought twenty acres of land and as all the little tracts or farms joined, they selected the enter of the large tract of land for their townsite, which townsite wa,s only twenty acres and as they had bought twenty acres more than was required to sup- ply twenty acres to each, they donated the center twenty acres for the townsite and as fast as town lots were sold they applied the money to the expense account of irrigating ditches and soon they were all supplied with plenty of water. They had all brought along a supply of grapevines because they had lived on, or near the banks of the great river Rhine and believed in raising grapes and all other kinds of fruit — They set out these grape vine sprouts and the other fruit sprouts and they all grew with such surprising rapidity that the following year they were able to cut so many more sprouts than they had anticipated possible and before the end of the third year, each of the fifty-two Germans had his entire 20 acres under cultivation and most all in grapes, they then commenced building their wine cellars which were built on top of the ground. The fourth year they commenced making wine. The wine I was told which they made at Anaheim was not as good as the regular Rhine wine until it aged, but they soon learned a method of ageing it so that they could load a ship with Anaheim wine, which was but one year old and ship it back to Germany and sell it to bootleggers and they put it up in fancy bottles and shipped it all over the world, selling it for real Rhine wine and as I was informed that they could make a gallon of wine at Anaheim for less than 2 cents, there surely was a good profit for the grower when he could sell his entire output for 12^ cents per gallon at the Anaheim Landing, which was but twelve miles away, I could write a book of many pages of the things which happened during the short time I lived at Anaheim, I may later on give you a more detailed account of Anaheim and the good people I met there. [108] THE LIFE OF A ROVER I started in business at Anaheim on Christmas Day, 1869, and in the early part of May, 1870, two men drove up in front of our store. Their outfit was two oxen hauling a two-wheeled cart, which was not uncom- mon those days, except that the two men were white men, while those who generally drove such a team were Indians, or what they call greasers, a people who are born under no flag, which they care any more for than they do for the ragged clothing they wore. The two white men were the Bailey brothers, and while their load of merchandise, as we will call it, was of great value, they were something like the man who found a white elephant and did not know what to do with it. The Bailey brothers inquired of the writer if he knew gold when it was in its crude state and they were informed that while he had been where they were taking gold out of the side of a mountain, that if they had gold in its crude state and wanted the writers opinion of what they had, they might drive around to the back of our store and I would give them my opinion of the samples they had to exhibit and when we had halted at the rear door of our store, the Bailey brothers looked at each other for a moment and finally said, "Young man, I guess we will take a chance and show you what we have." One of the brothers then set his rifle down, while the other held fast to his Winchester. When the heavy blankets were removed, my sur- prised eyes were looking at a chunk of almost pure gold quite as large as a water pail. "Yes," I said, "It's almost pure gold," one of the boys spoke up and said, "We believed it was gold, but we had never seen any gold in its crude state before and now we do not know what to do with our rich find." I told the boys if they would set a price on the chunk, I might buy it and give them $20.00 gold pieces for it. "No," they said, "We would rather turn it over to you and you send it where it can be made into bullion." I then told them I would advance them $1,000.00 if they needed the money. "No, no," they both spoke up at once, "What we think we want is that you ship the chunk as it is to a reduction plant and have it made into bullion." And we did ship it to Selby smelter at San Francisco, California, and in due time a draft for over $4,500.00 was returned as a net payment for the one piece of gold which was the first discovery of gold of any note in Southern California. I said, "Boys, if you need money I. will give you $1,000.00 for the nugget or I will ad- vance you $1,000.00," "No," they said, "What we would prefer, is that you load several four or six, four-horse teams with merchandise and go with us, it's only about 1 ^0 miles up in the mountains and about sixty [1091 THE LIFE OF A ROVER miles from San Diego, California. They went on to say they had filed on the 1 60 acres of land and that the place where they found the big nugget was almost in the center of the 1 60 acres. This land at that time was Gov- ernment land and not thought to be of any great value, because it was too far interior and very close to the line of Mexico. There was much fine timber thereabout and near where the nugget was found the timber was large oak trees. There was also a fine mountain stream of water but a few rods away from where the boys had 'found the nugget while hunting deer for the hides, horns, and the two hind quarters that one of the brothers killed a big deer which fell but a foot or so from what he believed to be a rock and after dressing the deer he was ready to sit down for a short rest on the supposed rock and since it had been snowing he brushed the snow away and noticed it was much smoother and brighter than any rock he had eer seen. He touched what he thought was a loose piece the size of his hand and rather thin. The scale, as I will call it, seperated from its resting place and when he had picked it up it was so much heavier than any other rock he had ever seen. He then thought his find might be gold, so he washed it as best he could with snow and as it looked so much like pure gold he ran to find his brother and when they had made a thorough examination of the find, they thought it worth while to turn the large chunk of gold over but to their great surprise they could not move it on account of its weight, so they cut a few sapplings and used them for crow- bars and as the side of the hill was quite steep and more than 20 feet above the lower level when they finally turned the chunck over, it rolled down to the bottom and almost buried itself into the soft ground. They then brought up their oxen and after building a foundation on their two-wheeled cart they doubled up all their ropes and threw them over the limb of a large oak tree then made fast the other end of their ropes around the big nugget and tied the other end of the rope to a big chain which was also connected to the yoke of their oxen and within a few mo- ments the big nugget was settled down on top of their cart. They started for Anaheim, because there was no wagonroad to San Diego. [110] THE LIFE OF A ROVER After I had told my partners about the proposition the brothers had I made me they said, "Get ready and load up your teams and make the best time you can and we will say nothing for twenty-four hours, giving you plenty of time to get your store open before others arrive." So I at once sent for two of the best four-horse teams there were in Anaheim and in three hours we were on our way to the New Elderado and the fourth day, at 4:00 p. m. we arrived at the place where the nugget was found. I at once put the six men I had brought with me to falling large oak trees and making shakes to be used in building my store: These shakes were rived out with a tool called a froe and as they .were 4 feet long and six inches wide and three quarters of an inch thick, I cut down saplings and set them in the ground four feet apart and I also set my rafters four feet apart, then we commenced covering the sides and roof with the shakes, at 4:00 p. m. the following day I was behind my crude counter selling goods to the men who had just commenced to arrive to prospect for gold. In the meantime the Bailey brothers had been busy laying out town sites which we named Julian. Town lots sold and re-sold, at all kinds of prices up to $30,000.00 for a single 50 foot lot. The Bailey brothers made a fortune out of. I was really offered $10,000.00 for one of my lots, out of the lots. The Bailey brothers gave me lots which I could have made a fortune out of. I was really offered $10,000 for one of my lots, but I thought then I would move my store, or rather put up a new one on this valuable lot. Julian was then but a few months old and had an estimated population of 30,000, and of course a young kid, as was then thought, we would soon depopulate San Francisco, because we then had a greater population than San Diego, Los Angeles and all the rest of California, as we looked at it. llll] THE LIFE OF A ROVER The rich men had already commenced coming to Julian from England and they were buying everything which they could get a price on. It was they who paid $30,000.00 for a 50 foot vacant lot and it was also they who offered me $10,000.00 for my corner lot and as I of course thought my lot was of more value than the one they paid $30,000.00 for, I stepped out and said $60,000.00 was my price and I might have sold it for $60,000.00 or more, but about this time the news went out that Julian was only a pocket camp and it proved to be true, because the discovery mine which Bailey Brothers called the California Mine and the Hayden and the Estes and many others had not yielded a dollar for over thirty days, but none of them had given me a hint of failure, notwith- standing the fact that Estes was my half brother, I was kept in the dark, until the Englishmen had got a tip and after making an investigation, simply packed their collar boxes and left for parts unknown and within 48 hours the $30,000.00 lot would not sell for the price of a glass of beer and of course I packed up and returned to Anaheim, but I did not lose any money because of the fact that I had made a large profit at the be- ginning and had shipped into the camp over a hundred loads of goods which I also sold at a large profit and at the time I moved, I only had a two-horse load to take back. I remained only a short time longer in business at Anaheim and sold out. The Bailey Brothers, I was informed finally lost most of their fortune trying to .find another pocket, or pot of gold, as some called it. I believe from information I have received within the past ten years, that one of the Bailey Brothers is still living at Julian and that the other died some fifteen years ago. The country thereabout turned out to be great for raising a fine grade of apples and also for raising bees. I have received several invitations to visit Julian, with the assurance that I would enjoy my visit, because they tell me my old store is still there and that it is taken care of as a relic and that the children use it for a play house. Now friends, at Julian, I may, while at San Diego this winter, come and visit with you a day or so. When you read this story, just look at my old shack and you will know who wrote this story, because I am the roving kid who built the first house at Julian in May, 1870. I ask God's blessing on you all, and hope before the end of 1926,, to at least eat a meal with you and I will then stand up before you all and prove I am your first citizen and surely your first business man and there and then I will take new notes and write a new story about the good things and the good people of Julian, because I have always heard that there was not a bad kid among you. May I now bid you good night, it's past 12:00 midnight, and time an 84-year-old-kid was sleeping, don't you say so? [112] THE LIFE OF A ROVER THE GREAT AUTHOR, MARK TWAIN The Great Author, Mark Twain, was also in the west the winter of 1865 and 1866. I met him and his lovely wife at Cheyenne, soon after our outfit had returned and as I have never read anything about his operations, while at Cheyenne, I suppose it might be worth while telling you something about Mark's high financing at Cheyenne. The Editor sent me over to the hotel to deliver a note to the landlord, saying I should wait for a reply and while waiting for the reply Mark Twain came into the hotel and got into a heated argument with the man writing a reply to the note I had just delivered. Mary said he and his wife had been freez- ing to death in their room for 48 hours and that he either wanted heat in the room or he wanted his bed moved into the kitchen. The hotel proprietor told Mark that he was about out of wood, which was the only fuel there was in those parts at that time, but Mark says, "My friend, we can't afford to freeze to death, when we know you have a redhot stove in that large kitchen and plenty of room to spare, so you get busy and move our bed into the kitchen or I will get busy and build a much larger than yours and I will move all the business across the railroad track," and Mark did get busy, within 48 hours, he was out with a long petition asking business men to subscribe money to help him build a fine hotel, and while the weather was very cold, Mark soon had a large crew of workingmen in evidence on the job. It looked for a while as if Mark really intended to build a large hotel, because the founda- tion which was of stone and fully three feet wide, was run up over four feet, and there was much rejoicing -thereabout. Mark, so I was informed, laid out a new town site and sold lots galore. When I left Cheyenne the spring of 1866 our camp was on Mark Twain's side of the railroad, but when I returned to Cheyenne many years later, my attention was called to Mark Twain's hotel project. A few others and myself went across the railroad track to see to what extent Mark had progressed with his hotel and there it was just about the same as when I had seen it in 1866, and I was told only a few years ago that the founda- tion might be viewed by any person who cared to look out of the car window when the train coming from the east was running into the station, or when the eastbound train was leaving the station. I was_also told that Mark made considerable money out of the enterprise, by selling town lots and the extra donations toward building the hotel, that he received several times as much in subscriptions and donations, as he ex- pended in building the foundation. I have written this little story simply to show that high financing by the sale of worthless town lots dates back into the Sixties and that the people fell for high powered salesmen the same sixty years ago as they do now. [113] THE LIFE OF A ROVER There's thousands of young men now days, ages seventeen to thirty years old who never were spanked because they are endowed with such an overstock of intelligence and quick to tell their parents it would be a mistake to spank them, and I believe a few of these lads tell their parents that it is they who should be spanked and not the children. I have been an employer over fifty years. It's really surprising now days at the number of young men who claim to be experts. To be honest with these lads, I must say that most of them are really exceedingly bright. When it comes to making contract for salary or drawing account, they tell one about how much they know but when asked to prove it, if you want a job, then they want big wages while learning to do the thing they claimed to know how to do and often say they are experts in doing what they never heard of before. Few men apply for employ- ment who will say it's employment they want and are willing to prove their ability before demanding big wages. It's the big pay or wages, not the job they want. Boys you are on the wrong track, take my advice and tell the employer you want work and that you will prove you can earn a man't pay or you want work and that you will prove you can earn a man's pay. or than you are worth, will help you more in getting and holding a job, than all the recommendations you could carry. [114] THE LIFE OF A ROVER Men who demand big wages before they have proven their worth are watched closely and will not hold the job unless they make good. Cut out a lot of your unnecessary expenses, cut out also many of your so-called friends who buy everything on the installment plan and you will soon have a growing saving account, the thrill hunters will soon drop you saying you are not a real fellow. Some of them will tell you later they were the chump and wish they had your bank account. You may do much good by telling other young men how much nicer it is to know one has a growing saving account than it is to know one's debts are growing. Think this over boys and girls and help one another to be on the level and save part of your earnings, you can, if you will, don't forget that nickels and dimes son grow to dollars, if you save them. It may seem hard to change from a spendthrift to a money saver, but it won't take long to prove which system is the best for you to learn and follow through life. Try the saving system for one year and a thousand liberal spenders could not induce you to change your system of saving. Besides, think of the difference in the standing of your associates, they will not be the class who get into jail noW and then. On the other hand they will give you a helping hand, because you are on the level and you have your saving account to back you which is the best recommendation any young man "or woman can offer when applying for a position. If you do not believe me just try it once and the answer will surprise you. My pen has written the words which turned many a young man and also young women from spendthrift to the straight and narrow path and some of them have thanked me for the advice. Now I hope this ad- vice may help some one who will write me that they have been benefitted, I always answer letters written by young people, no matter about the stamp, I have plenty. The pen of the author of this book has written the above, see name and address on front of last page. [115] THE LIFE OF A ROVER In conclusion I desire to call attention to the fact that the Great War of the rebellion had much to do with the settlement of the Western Plains and in fact the entire West. Homes had been broken up, the noble sons of the Nation or a great many of them had given their young lives defending the Federal or Con- federate Cause and I believe most of those brave sons thought they were 'on the right side. I also believe if our sons and daughters had been educated in 1860 as we are today there would have been no war, but on account of there being no compulsory school laws, children grew up to man and womanhood and many of them to old age without being able to write or even read their own name. The great and learned men of this Nation called our young sons to war and without explaining why they should be asked to give up their lives to defend a cause which they knew nothing about. Such a condition could not be brought about; at this time because boys and girls now-a-days at the age of 15 years are quite well read in history as was our most learned statesman in 1860. The leaders of the Confederate Cause, were, I believe fighting to retain their fortunes which was invested in their negro slaves. While Lincoln was a man who did not believe in slavery and I also believe President Lincoln to be a man who never once gave a thought as to making money or wealth of any kind, but he did believe in equality to all men and he believed in protecting the original flag of our Nation while the seceders or the Confederates raised a new flag thereby challeng- ing the flag of our forefathers who had fought as one man to free our Nation from a foreign foe, and they were victors under the same "Old Glory" which flag I hope, will float over this Nation throughout all the years to come — a flag which has never lost a war — yes, I will say has never lost an important battle. Long may she wave over the land of the free and home of the brave. Thus endeth the life of a "Rover" known in early Western life as "Dan Moody" the Indian Scout. I thank you one and all. When you see me on the screen don't *forget to say "Hello Dan!" All business communications must be addressed to Moody & Co., Chicago, 111. All who wish to hear from the author personally will please address D. W. Moody, Chicago, 111. [116] PRINTED INU.S.A. WHEN BABY CRIES GIVE HIM MOODY'S RATTLER THESE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE EACH LIFE SIZE JUST OUT RINGS LIKE A BELL Baby absolutely refuses to part with it. Agents, also Boys and Girls everywhere Sell 100 after School and Saturday. Children follow you with money to buy them. PROFIT LARGE SAMPLE POSTPAID IOC D. W. MOODY 2625 Cottage Grove Ave. Chicago, 111. WHEN I RECEIVED THE FIRST DELIVERY of Moody's Baby Rattlers it was decided that they could not be retailed at less than 15c or 2 for 25c and notwithstanding the merit and the large demand which was apparent. The Larger Buyers wanted me to make a lower wholesale price so the rattler could be Retailed for a Dime, 10c, of course I wanted the large business in preference to the small quantity they were willing to order at prices I was compelled to quote at that time. Some of the many prospective buyers were employing large numbers of Salesmen and house-to-house Canvassers, they wanted the rattlers to be used by their sales-people as a door opener for the house-to-house agents and as an introduction for their Salesmen. The Wholesale price was too high, they said, and after careful study I went to the Firm I had employed to make the rattlers and assured them that if they would make a reduction in the cost of the item, I could make my orders more than Ten Times as large as I could at the price they were then charging me for the Rattlers. We soon agreed on a substantial reduction in the cost to me. I sent out my new price list reducing the Retail Price to 10c and re- duced the wholesale price submitting it to prospective buyers who placed their orders without debate. These buyers sent out their samples and soon returned with larger orders. They told me that I would soon be selling over 10,000 Rattlers per day. They told me that never before had such favorable reports come from their many house-to-house agents as they were having in favor of Moody's baby rattler. It has always been the study of those who employ large numbers of salesmen and house- to-house agents to work out a method or scheme by which the salesmen could induce the prospective customer to speak the first word. That Trouble is over. Now the Salesman, when near the door, shakes his baby rattler and the door is opened almost instantly and in amazement at such a small item making such loud and pleasant noise ring like a real sleigh bell, the rattler passes to the harrd of the prospective Customer and the Salesman offered a chair inside the house, a small boy or girl grasps the rattler in his little hand and the sale is made. Because no Parent can induce the child to part with such a toy. Once they have possessed it, the sale is made and the salesman has made a friend and of course he then introduces his regular line and often make sales which he never could have made standing outside the door. Now My Friend Say Nothing about the Nominal Profit you or. your salesman make on the sale of the Rattler if it will prove as valuable to you and your salesman as it has to others, is it not worth while making a test which can be done at an outlay of only a few dollars. What I claim for this little wonderful Rattler. It is the only Toy ever made which will make noise louder and clearer than ten sleigh bells that it is the best item ever made to quiet a baby when cutting teeth. It is the best introduction for house-to-house agents ever made and that it will introduce a salesman to a merchant or a Banker without the salesman speaking a word until' his prospectives start the conversation. SAMPLE HATTLER POST PAID ONE DIME 10c Wholesale prices quoted after you give me an idea how many agents and sales people employed by you. Address D. W. MOODY Chicago, 111. MOODY'S NEW RACER Made m Several Sizes No. 1 for 2 to 4 Years No. 2 for 4 to 6 Years No. 3 for 6 to 8 Years While Larger Sizes Are Made to Order Generally for invalids or grownups who want to get out in the fresh air. The prices are very low when you consider the fact that you are getting the only faultless wagon ever made. The speed is more than twice that of any other wagon, and, in fact, if greater speed is desired, simply move the feet faster. No other play wagon has a chance as a child entertainer with the one printed above, then too it is unbreakable, being constructed of steel which is riveted and bolted together so strongly that it will remain rigid and noiseless for years. Note the large rubber tired steel wheels which make the wagon the lightest running, and the foot protecting pedal pre- venting loss of speed as is true when the foot slides off the old styled pedals. THIS WONDER WAGON, as many call it, was only perfected by MR. D. W. MOODY, the inventor of many play wagons and carts for the entertainment of children after more than five years almost night and day study and the expenditure of his fortune. THANKS that the last word has been said, and long after the aged inventor has been called to his final home he will be remembered as having left behind a never ending remembrance for the coming generations to say they have not yet made an improvement on MOODY'S NEW RACER> For prices and terms to salespeople everywhere, address Moody & Company Chicago, 111. '.. University of Connecticut Libraries