WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE
It is 1868 and the Pacific Railroad
has reached its newest "farthest
west" ? Benton. Wyoming, a town
described as "roarmp", as each new
terminus, temporarily, was.
Frank Beeson, a young man from
Albany, New York, comes here be
cause he is in search of health and
Fenton is considered "high and dry."
Edna Montoyo, a fellow passenger
on the train from Omaha, impresses j
Beeson with the beauty of her blue j
eyes and the style of her apparel, i
Equally she astonished him by taking
a "smile" of brandy before breakfast. '
A brakeman tells Beeson she has
"followed her man" to Kenton.
Jim, a typical western ruffian
whom she knows apparently well in
sults and is floored by Frank whose
prowess impresses the passengers.
DESERT DUST
What shall 1 say of a young man
like myself, fresh from the green
East of New York and the Hudson
River, landed expectant as just arous- i
ed from a dream of rare beauty, at
this Bunton City, Wyoming Terri
tory? The dust, as fine as powder
and as white, but shot through with
the crimson of sunset, hung like a
fog, amidst which swelled a deafening
clamor from figures rushing hither
and thither about the platform like |
half-world shades. Two score hands
grabbed at my valise and shoved me
and dragged me.
"The Desert Hotel. Best in the
West. This way, Sir."
"Buffalo Hump Corral! Free
drinks at the Buffalo Hump."
A deep voice boomed", stunning me.
"The Queen, the Queen! Bath for
every room. Individual towels. The
Queen, the Queen, she's clean, she's
clean,"
The promise of "individual tow
els," won me over.
We left the station platform and
went ploughing up a street over
shoetops with the impalpable dust.
The noises as from a great city
swelled strident. But although ped
estrians streamed to and fro, the men
in motley of complexions and cos
tumes, the women, some of them
fashionably dressed, with skirts ed
dying furiously; and wagons rolled
horses cantered, and from right and
left merchants and hawksters seemed
to be calling their wares, of city it
self I could see only the veriest husk.
The majority of the buildings were
mere canvas ? faced up for a few
2*eet, perhaps, with sheet iron or
flimsy boards; interpersed there were
a few wooden structures, rough and
unpainted.
I was ushered into a widely-open
tent-building whose canvass sign de
pending above a narrow veranda de
clared: "The Queen Hotel. Beds $3.
Meals $1 each."
Now as whitely powdered as any
of the natives I stumbled * across a
si large room bordered at one
side by a bar and a number of small
tables (all well patronized), and was
brought up at the counter under the
alert eyes of a clerk coatless, silk
shirted, diamond-scarfed, pomaded
and slick-haired, waiting with register
turned and pen extended.
"Quite right, sir," the clerk assent
ed "So there is. A bath for every
room and the best bath in town. En
tirely private; fresh towel supplied.
Only one dollar and four bits.. That,
with lodging, makes four dollars and
a half. If you please, sir."
A bitter wave of homesickness
"welled into my throat as, conscious
of the enveloping dust, the utter
shams, the aliemi unsympathetic on
lookers, the sense of having been
"done" and through my own fault, I
peeled a greenback from the folded
packet in my purse and handed it
over. Rather foolishly 1 intended
that this display of funds should re
buke this finicky clerk; but he accept
ed without comment and sought for
the change from the twenty.
"And how is old New York, suh?"
A hearty, florid, heavy-faced man,*
with singularly protruding fishy eyes
and a tobacco-stained yellowish proa
tee underneath a loosely dropping
lower lip, had stepped forward, his
pud pry hand hospitably outstretched
to me: a man in wide-brimmed dusty
black hat. frayed and dusty but, in
spots, shiny, black broadcloth frock
coat spatered down the lapels, exceed
ingly soiled collar and shirt front and
greasy flowing tie, and trousers tuck
ed into cowhide boots.
I grasped the hand wonderingly. It
enclosed mine with a soft pulpy
squeeze; and lingered.
"As usual, when I last saw it, sir,"
I responded. "But I am from Al
bany."
"Of course. Albany, th^ capital. :
a city to be proud of, suh. I wel- 1
i>n," prompted the Colonel (whose
j accents did not smack of New York
at all.)
I grazed about, sickened.
"There are no private rooms?" I
asked.
"You are perfectly private rijcht
here, suh," assured the Colonel.
"You may strip the hide or you may
sleep with your boots on, and no ques
tions asked. Gener'ly speaking-,
gentlemen prefer to retain a lawyer
of artificial covering ? but you ain't
troubled much with the bujrs, are you,
Bill?"
He leveled this query at the k'row
sy, whiskered man, who had awaken
ed.
"I'm too alkalied. I recon," Bill re
sponded. "Varmints will leave me
any time when there's fresh bait
come you, suh. to our West, as a fel
low-citizen."
"You are from Albany?" I ex
claimed.
"Bohn and raised right near there;
been there many a time. Yes, suh.
From the grand old Empire State,
like yourself, suh, and without apolo
gies. Whenever I meet with a New
York State man I cotton to him."
"Have I your name, sir?" I inquir
ed. "You know of my family, per
haps."
"Colonel Jacob B. Sunderson, suh,
at your service. Your family name is
familiah to me, suh. I hark back to
it and the grand old State with pleas
ure. Doubtless I have seen you be
foh, suh. Doubtless in the City ? at
Johnny Chamberlain's? Yes?" His
fishy eyes beamed upon me, and his
breath smelled strongly of liquor. "Or
the Astor? I shall remember. Mean
while, suh, permit me to do the hon
ors. First, will you have a drink?
This way, suh. I am partial to a
brand particularly to be recommend
ed for clearing this damnable dust
from one's throat."
"Thank you, sir, but I prefer to
tidy my person, first," I suggested.
"Number six for the gentleman,"
announced the clerk, returning to me
my change from the bill. I stuffed
it into my pocket ? the Colonel's
singular eyes followed it with uncom
fortable interest. The runner picked
up my bag, but was interrupted by
my new friend.
"The privilege of showing the
gentleman to his quarters shall be
mine."
"All right, Colonel," the clerk care
lessly consented. "Number Six."
"And my bath?" I pursued.
"You will be notified, sir. There
are only five ahead of you, and one
gentleman now in. Your turn will
come in about two hours."
In No. 6, there were three double
beds: one well rumpled as if just
vacated; one (the middle) tenanted
by a frowsy headed, whiskered man
asleep in shirt-sleeves and revolver
and boots; the third, at the other end,
recently made up by having its
blanket covering hastily thrown
against a distinctly dirty pillow.
"Your bed younduh, suh. I reck
K:
"I wish a room and
bath,*' I said, as I
l i ' ? signed.
* x: "Bath is occupied.
Show the gentleman to
Number Six Shorty."
"Your runner dis
tinctly said 4 A bath
J' for every room'."
Bystanders laughed
WS ? nudged one another.
handy. That's why I likes to double
up."
The Colonel turned to me. "Shake
hands with my friend Mr. Bill
Brady." H
The frawsy man extended his
hand.
"Proud to make yore acquaintance,
sir."
"The bath-room? Where is it,
gentlemen?" I ventured.
"If you will step outside the door,
suh, you can hear the splashing down
the hall. It is the custom, however,
foh gentlemen at tub to keep the bath
room door closed, in ease the ladies
promenading. I judge, with five
ahead of you and one in, the clerk
was mighty near right when he said
about two hours. That allows twen
ty minutes to each gentleman, which
is the limit."
"What is your line of business?"
Bill invited.
"I am out here for my health, at
present," said I. "I have been advis
ed by my physician to seek a place in
the Far West that is high and dry,
Benton" ? I laughed miserably, "cer
tainly is dry. And high, judging by
the rates."
"Healthily dry, suh, in the matter
of water." the Colonel approved. "We
are not cursed by the humidity of
New York State, grand old State that
she is. Foh those who require water,
there is the Platte only three miles
distant. The nearer proximity of
water we consider a detriment to the
robustness of a community."
I made a meagre toilet.
"Now I am at your service during
a short period, gentlemen," I an
nounced. "Later I have an engage
ment, and 1 shall ask to be excused."
**A little liquid refreshment is in
order fust, I reckon," quoth the Colo
nel. And after that ? you have sport
ing blood, suh? You will desire to
take a turn or two foh the honor of
the Empire State?"
"If you are referring to card
gambling, sir," I answered, "you have
chosen a poor companion. But I do
not intend to be a spoil sport, and I
shall be glad to have you show me
whatever you think worth while in
the city, so far as I have the leisure."
"That's it, that's it, suh," The Col
onel appeared det?ght|ed. 44 Let
libate to the gods of chance, gentle
men; and then take a stroll."
After a round of drinks ? 1 took
lemonade ? we issued into the street.
Surely such an hotch-potch never
before populated an American town: ,
Men flannel shirted, high booted,
bearded, with formidable revolvers, !
balanced, not infrequently, by sheath- j
ed butcher-knives ? men whom I took
to be teamsters, miners, railroad
graders ami the like.
Of the women 1 saw several in
black like ballet girls, low necked,
short skirted, around the smooth i
waists snake-skin belts supporting j
handsome little pistols and dainty
poignards. Contrasted, inhere were
women in gowns and bonnets that
would do them credit anywhere in
New York, and some, of course, more
commonly attired in calico and ging
ham as proper to the humbler station
of laundresses, cooks, and so forth.
"How aie you on the goose, sir?" !
Bill demanded of me.
"The goose?" I uttered.
"Yes. Keno."
"I am a stranger to the goose,"
said I.
He grunted. (
"It gives a quick turn for a small j
stake. So do the three-card and
rondo."
Of passageway there was not much 1
choice between the middle of the
street and the borders.
Seemed to me as we weaved along
through groups of idlers and among
busily stepping people that every
other shop was a saloon with door
widely open and bar and gambling
tables well attended.
My guides nodded right and left
with "Hello, Frank," "How are you
Dan?" "Evening, Charley," and so
on.
Occasionally the Colonel swept off
his hat, with elaborate deference, to
a woman, but I looked in vain for My
lady of the Blue Eyes. I did not see
her ? nor did I see her peer, despite
the fact that now and then I observed
a face and figure of apparent attract
iveness.
(Copyright Edwin L. Sabin)
Does our hero find the Ladv of the
Suffered
weaK, nervous
"T WAS in a very weakened,
run-down condition, surely
in need of a tonic and build
er," says Mrs. J. R. Wrenu, of
Anna, Texas. "I was so weak
I had to go to bed, and kept
gotting weaker.
"I suffered with my back so
much. I was very nervous,
couldnt rest good at night. I
couldn't eat anything ? I just
wasn't hungry.
"I had read so much of
Cardui. I thought best to use
it. I took seven or eight bot
tles, and by the time I had
taken them I was stronger
than I had been in several
years. I can highly recom
mend Cardui."
Thousands of other women
have found that the tonic ef
fects of the purely vegetable
ingredients of Cardui were
fnat what they needed to help
restore their appetites, to help
bring them easily and natu
rally back to normal health
and strength. Its action has
been found to bo of great
bwnaflt In many oomrami ??
rilrmmf.
Boy it at your druggist's.
CARDUI
For Female TroaUes
Blue Eyes? Don't miss next w^T
installment. *
Nearly
BILI50N
DOLLARS
Saved the Public
by Freight -Rate
Reductions Since 1921
If the shippers of freight
over American railroads
had been obliged to pay,
during the years 1922 to
1926 inclusive, the saine
rate for moving freight,
measured by the cost per
ton mile, that was paid
in 1921 (under order of
the Interstate Commerce
Commission") , the aggi e
gate cost would have
been approximately
$3,000,000,000 greater.
The saving, in round numbers ,
has been as follows:
1?22 compared with 1921 $310,000,000
1923 compared with 1921 &jy,000,l.*0
1921 compared with 1921 606.000,030
192o compared with 1921 628.COO.COO
1926 compared with 1921 874.000.000
Total eaved in 5 years $2,956,000,000
The aggregate freight rates
have been reduced about 151
since 1921. In addition, the
railroads have handled near
ly 461 more traffic; and the
public has received more
prompt and efficient service.
Savings to L. & N. Patrons
More than $72,000,000
During this five-year period,
Louisville & Nashville Rail
road freight rates, as meas
ured by the revenue ton
miles, have decreased 17.21;
and the aggregate savings in
freight bills to the patrons
of the Road have been more
than $72,000,000.
These facts and figures
are published because it is
believed that they will be
of sufficient interest to tl&
public to justify their being
made known.
| THE OLD RXLI ARLT
.LAN
r-9
LOUISVILLE
NASHVILLE
SAFE- FOR ALL
It used to be that the only fellow who
could safely buy used cars was the
expert who could tell what he was get
ting and the junk dealer who didn't care.
Personally, we have found it profit
able to make the world safe for used car
buyers? amateurs as well as experts.,
E. C. MOORE
101 TENNESSEE ST. PHONE 37
A USED CAR IS ONLY AS DePENDABLE
AS TH& DEALER WHO SELLS IT
V*