On arriving at the crossing, which it proved to be, we found one of those large white covered prairie schooners stalled in the middle of the stream, and fifty Greasers, as the Mexican drivers were called, and as many yoke of oxen trying to haul it out.
FAREWELL TO THE PLAINS
We sailed merrily along and at two P. M. reached Julesburg, the then terminus of the Union Pacific railroad and overland shipping point for all territory west, north and south. The Union Pacific railroad, when under construction, made a terminus every two or three hundred miles. The houses were built in sections, so they were easily taken apart, loaded on flat freight cars, and taken to the next terminus completely deserting the former town, Julesburg was rightfully named "The Portable Hell of the Plains." My finer feelings cannot, if words could, attempt a description. Suffice to say that during the three days we were there four men and women were buried in their street costumes. The fourth day we boarded a Union Pacific train and were whirled to its Eastern terminus, Omaha, thence home, arriving safely after an absence of four years.
The habits formed during those western years were hard to change, and the fight of my life to live a semblance of the proper life, required a will power as irresistible as the crystal quartz taken from the lofty snow capped mountain sides, taking tons of weight to crush it, that the good might be separated from the worthless.
Transcriber's Notes
Original spelling has been preserved. Some illustrations have been moved to avoid breaking up the text. The following typos have been corrected:
Contents: Markmanship changed to Marksmanship:
(Chapter V—A Proof of Markmanship)
Page 104: ther changed to their:
(had ther tribal laws and customs).
Page 106: added closing quotes:
(I'll get out of this one in some way.)
Page 128: added comma after Charlie:
("At least, Charlie" said Patrick, "Let's give them a decent).
Page 137: added comma after second Billie:
(loudly, "Billie, Billie" and with outstretched hand walked).