Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, October 21, 1888, Page 13

THE P e e e e e e e e e i i MAHA DAILY BEE: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1848, —SIXTEEN PAGES. [ 5 T T T T T R Y RS >0 000000t OroOrererrPIG RPN PPROS Henry W. King & Co. and Browning, King & Co. are one and the same firm. They manufac Every dollar's worth sold in their Ej in this country, BROWNING, KING & CO. Largest Manufacturers and Retailers of Clothing in the World. An idea of the magnitude of the business can he formed by the following figures: Cut an Average of 3,500 Garments a Week, They have on hand at the factory at all times $500,000 Worth of Piece Goods and Trimmings. Have Turned Out 1,367,000 Garments in a Year. Paid for Labor in 1887, $966,000. Sales Aggregated, $6,000,000 ture Twice as Much Clothing as any other firm ht Great Stores, both wholesale and retail, is of their own manufacture . Will open their DAYLIGHT STORE on the Southwest Corner of Fifteenth and Douglas Streets, Omaha. October 205th. The Best Goods at the Lowest Living Prices. BROWNIN Southwest corner 15th and Douglas Streets. WAIT FOR US. & CO. R. S. WILCOX, Manager. Y Y Y S T T T o e ot ettt et ettt e e e e et B e e iorr B irr Brr Sree S e e et oo s e CROOK'S NARROW ESCAPE. A Thrilling Adventure With the ifez Perce Indlans. HE IS WOUNDED BY AN ARROW And Still Carries the Flint in His Thigh—A Precipitous Advance and Retreat—A Shower of Arrows. The Arrow Flint. Nlast Sunday’s BEE was re- lated the thrill- ing story of G en. Crook's first Indian fight, to which was appended the promise in this issue of an- other of the old campuigner’ adventures, which, while equally as au- thentic, will be found much more interest- fngand exciting. It had place in the same territory Oregon,and within afew weeks subsequent to the incident pre- viously narrated. It was on a fine day in the latter part of October, forty yeurs ugo, when the regiment, to which Crook was attached in the office of first lientenant, was sta- tioned at the isolated little post of Brown's Hole. Perchance a brief description of this old-time frontier post will not come amiss here. Brown's Hole was one of the most re- markable forts on the whole Puacific coast. It was originally called Fort Davy Crockett, but shortly after its erection was termed Brown'’s Hole. It stood on the Sheetskad or Prairie Cock river, aud was more than a mile andab above the sea level. Prairie Cock river is now marked on the maps as Green river. The plain upon which the post was situated was about six miles across and was walled in com- pletely by a chain of mountains rising fif- teen hundred leet above. The Sheets- kadee entered the plain from the north- wost side and sweeping around ina beautiful curve in front of the fort, mado its way through the rugged cliffs full a thousand feet in height, where it moves ever with a solemn calm thac is indescribable, Not the least remarkable peculiarity of this plain is its chmate. Forming a rllum\l. s it does, over eight thousand eet in height, one would suppose an eternal winter to hold reign. On the ocontrary the rich mountain grasses, with numerous copses of willow and cotton wood, were then growing the entire yoar, and when the blasts of win- ter whirled the snow in blinding drifts over the mountain peaks and in the country around, the horses of the cav- alrymen could be seen cropping the herbage on the banks of the Sheets- kadce, and the soldiers themselves in she height of cujoyment. The fort originally was a hollow squaro of log cabins, with roofs and | gave floors constructed of mud. Around tho outside were numerous shant whero the families of the white ppers re- mained while the latter were absent among the mountains on beaver runs. Many of the Shoshone or Snake Tn- dians,’ as_well as the Blackfeet- Sioux and Nez DPerco, frequented the fort. They appeared in largest numbers during the winter months, when they brought large quan- tities of venison, buffalo and mountain sheep meat and _exchanged the same with the post trader for beads, trinkets, ammunition, cte. A store ouse also stood on the outside, where the trappers bartered their furs, and the Indians their ponies for hatchets, knives, fish- hooks, lead and last, but not laast, for whisky. The Shoshones were the ncarest similated to the whites, and during the severe months nearly the whole tribe would pitch their lodges on the plain around Brown'’s Hole, while scorcs of hunters and trappers congrogated within the stockade or amoung the In- dians’ squaws,and a scene of enjoyment, such as they rarely experienced, was indulged in. There were gatherings among the redskin lodges, where both rauces assembled, and the wild song of the dusky warrior, min- rled with the catarrhal screcch of the old trapper's fiddle and there was dancing, and love-making and marviage, in fact all that goes to make uplife. = And many were the wiord legends related by some old sagamore or i rapper, who perhaps had hunted on snow shoes in Prince Ruperts land, or penetrated to the Frozen Sea for seals and walruses; many was the es- pes narrated by those hardy, venture- some spirits, who had stealthily secured thier peltries on theshores of the faroff Columbia, or among the wildest fast- nesses of the Rocky mountains, in spite of the fierce and treacherous Blackfoot or Nez Perce. But those dayshave faded like d and fables and romance, trodden into oblivion by the relentle vot of eivil- ization, only to be revived now and then, in the manner of the present inci- dent. It was a balmy day in Oc- tober, as I said in the out- set, when a Shoshone scout arrived at the fort with the intelligence that the murderous Nez Perce were making ex- tensive preparutions for a formidable inrond agninst the sparse settlemeuts about Brown's Hole and Shullers, far- ther below, General Rufus Terrell was in com- mand in those days, and in order to be fully prepared for the contemplated descent of the savagoes, he detailed Lieutenant Crook and a portion of his troop of calvery men to penetrate their country as far as was safe and take ob- srvation as far as possible, and wscer- whether or not the Indians were already on the move. The scouting party was composed of men every one of whom had been se- lected as most skilled in Indian warfare. On the present occasion, however, Crook renlized that celerity of action was much more essential, rather than any great finesse of mo nt_or kunowlel jc of contending with the bloodthirsty deni- zens of the north. That very afternoon horses were snd- dled and stood at the fort front with their eager riders booted, spurred and armed to the teeth with such weapons a8 were in vogue with the army in those times. At a given signal they were off, and when the hardy little band of horsomen had reached the last poiut from which their forms were visible to the soldiers watching theirdeparture, they wheeled, ns- a round of cheers, and then, ore the answering shout had died away in mournful echo, they were hidden, some of them forever, over the shadowy swell of the plain. At sundown that night they came to & small river, a tributary of the Big Horn, whore they struck camp for the night. And as yet no In- dian **sign’’ had been discovered. The Shoshone scout was stolid and uncom- municative, and when asked when something of the enemy might be ex- pected o hecome descernible, hesimply The stream upon which they bivo acked was narrow, but decp and clear, flowing swiftly over a bed of white pebbles, that could be seen glistening far out from the shore. The water, hardly ever free from the snow of the mountains, was of icy coldness. The grass nlong its banks was luxuriant, and the soldiers tethered their jaded ani- mals, while th busied themselves with their evening repust. One of the soldiers gathered an armful of commotes and pomme blanes, which grew plent fully around them, and these, with their hard tack, bacon and tea made a very relishable meal The commote isa vegetable resembling the common radish, and is found in all the river bottoms of the northwest, but the pomme blane isanative of the nills, and much resembles, both in size and taste, our common turnip. although much move nourishing than the latter They were up and off early the next morning, and with but few halts for rest and nourishment traveled through a wild and unbroken country until well along in the afternoon. Suddenly the Shoshone called a halt, and fastening his glittering eyos on Lieutenant Croolc’s face, and stretching out his long, naked arm, he pointed with his fingor to the northwest. In this signifi- caut, yet comprehonsive attitude, he stood for a few scconds, moveless as a statute, then slightly inclining his slender body forward, he dropped his hand to the handle of his tomahawli and said: ree in de valley—war paint—on m to Brown's, Sholler’s, —kill soldier, 1 off home—ugh! much heap bad Iudian!” ‘The Indian’s guick eye had discovered the proximity oJ the foe, and Lieuten- ant Crook, closely surging the country, discovered that the ved scent was point- ing directly ot a deep rent, or arroyo that cut like a huge furrow in the earth transvorsely across the rugged plain on which they found themselves, Next ho discovered a spiral of hluish smoke arising from this valley, and konew that they wero near the enemy. A counsultation was held, short but conclusive. The Indians,if not in great pumbers should be attacked. If the force was too large, the troup would draw off to a safe distuuce and watch their movements. Two good men were sent forward to reconnoiter. They returned in the course of an hour and informed Crook that there were but twenty of the In- dians, and that they were on the war- path. ‘They were camped in a deep valley, walled on the side on which the soldiers were by a dangerous precipice, The Neze Perce were gath 1 about a fire prulpuriuun meal of roast deer, apparently utterly unsuspicious of the nearness of any foe. The gulch in which they had squatted was wild and desolate, with a broad stream flowing southward beyond their camp, while both sides was walled up by massive rocks, and shaggy shrabbery, to the height of a hundred feet or more. Aloug the summit of this precipice on the side the troops were, was a thick growth of under-brush, which entirely concealed the uguru&who‘ the soldiers, who, et Crook's commend, hed dis- mounted, and guns in hand, cautiously approached the rocky escarpment. They were soon in a position to com- mana a clear view of the Nez Perce gathered on the plateau at the bottom of the gulch: some were loitering indo- Lently upou the ground, while a number squatted about the fire in different atti- tudes. They were an ugly looking gang, and after a short scrutiny, Crook ordered his men to make veady, then to five. The volley wasa deadly one,as the forms of several dead Indians attested, but the remainder with wild yells of dismay. leaped to their feot and scat- tered in all directions, feeing for their lives. Crook, calling to his men rushed down the steep cmbankment, followed by a number of the more courrageous of his men. Once in the valley he beheld one big tufted buck, hoiding a bundle over his head, swimming the river. He rvan forward, gained the re. and lifting his carbine fired. The Indian sank and was seen no more. At this juncture a shower of ows from be- hind the rocks and tre frightened Nez Perce had taken shelter, sent Crook’s men clambering up the sides of the canyon again faster than they had come down, the general saw that it would foolhardy for him to re- main, and he turned to retreat and as he did so he heard the tws of a bow, and the next second a barbed arrow wus sticking in his hip. With a ery of pain he pulled the shaft out, breaking off the heaa, which remained buried in the flesh. Then amidst a very shower of arrows he ran as best he could, and with the assistance of one of his men, who had rushed to his rescue, he gained the top of the escarpment without further in- jury or accident, As they gained the canyon's top, they saw the [ndians leave their places of concealment and cross the river and they felt for the time being they were gone. Lieutenant Crook's wound was bleed- ing profusely, and his men gathered around him and did all they could to velieve his pain. The arvow head was still in his hip, and no one daring to attempt to cut-it out, the wound was bandaged as best they could. and that that night the troup set out on th return to the fogt, s Crook knew it was medical aid or death with him, They were quite eighty miles from rown’s hole—a terrible long, rough ride—but they made it, reaching there the following moening about noon. The lieutenaut was fuiot and weak from loss of blood and his laborious march, and to make matters alarming, gangrene had set in, and ghesurgeon at the fort was absent, had gone to Shaller’s, seventy-five miles away, that very morning. 4 Crook’s brother officers cauterized the wound, and doctored it up as best they could, but the lieutenant would allow no one to ;attempt the necessary surgery to remove the barb of the arrow. The regular surgeon was sent for but he didn’t arrive until the next day. The wound was then in such a precarious condition that he thought best not to attempt to remove the tlint buried déep in the general’s hip. And 8o it happened. barbed head of the Nez Perce’s arrow remains in General Crook’s hip, and on cold, damp days he suffers some from it, and cannot wallk without a slight per- captible limp, Otherwise it has incon- venienced him none, and he will carry this evidence of one of the narrowest escapes of his life down to hia grave, SANDY G. V., GRISWOLD, To this day the Coquelin, 1t is sald, has accgpted an invitation o lecture at Harvard college dur- ing his coming engagement in Boston. . HOME OF OUR NATIONAL ODE The Birth-place of the Spangled Banner.” “Star HOW THE SONG WAS COMPOSED. A Visit to fort McHenry—Its History and Historical Connections— Prosent Appearanco and Use. Historic Ground. ALTIMORE, Oct. 15, —{Special corres- pondence of THE : the extremity of a 1\ )\ong. narrow neck ), of land, ahout two miles distant from Baltimore proper, T stands a row of grass covered mounds like senti- nels posted for the tion of a lurge gray mass behind. constitutes thatold historical place led Fort McHent The fort itsclf comprises a large sl haped row of breastworks constructed of brick with sandstone corners and capped with gray granite. Within these walls are soveral magazines, pas- sag! and store rooms placed in various positions for protection against bombs. The whole was, some considerable time since, covered with earth so that now the tops of the ram- parts are entirely overgrown with grass, The exposed parts of the brickwork had, at one time, a thin coat of plaster and were either painted or whitewashed. At present the original red of the bricks nay be scen in spots and streaks where the water has worn away the covering. Atthe front, which faces the Patapsco river, extends a long line of grass- covered earthworks, the regularity of which is broken by three rectangular mounds with stands of artillery rising above the surrounding works. The whole extent of this is probably five hundred feet. The view looking toward the bhay is magnificent. In front stretches an expanse of water, broken in many places by passing vessels both large and small. To the left may be seen the scattered warehouses and piers of Bal- timore, to the right lies a row of green hills, interspersed with groups of trees and here and there a farm house, but forming a portion of the country across the river. The annals of this place are not only historic, but interesting in many points. The advantage of this prom- ontory was early marked and made use of asa position for the defence of the upper part of the bay. A fort was erected at Whetstone point, as it was then called, and held throughout the revolution. In 1764, during the general hostilities between European nations, the neutrality of this country was often violated England, and the trouble at one time threatened war. Hence President Washington announced an embargo for thirty days and on account of the im- W“di"z danger, the inhabitants at hetstone Point repaired the original fort and added the star-shaped brick works. Over the archway at the en- trance the figures 1794 may yet be made out, but with some difficulty. This point of land was soon afterward ceded to the United States, recoiving the name Fort McHenry in honor of James Mec- Honry of Maryland, then secretary of war. It was mwade a regular govern ment garri son, but occupied no atten tion until the war of 1812, It was here then, that the attempted invasion of the British was checked and repelled. After burning Washington in 1814 the land and naval forces of the enemy turned northward, flushed with victory. They met a repulse by our militia at North Point but looked forward to & triumph- ant capture of the batteries at Fort McHenry and also those erected at Lazaretto, a projecting point of land {ust opposite. The actual bombardment hbegan on September 12 and continued throughout the night and on the next day. Soms of the ships passed up the Patapsco, but were almost annihilated in their attempts to force the rear of fort. Having *ost their commander and being unable to continue the bambard- ment, the English retired. The treaty of peace signed in the following De- cember put an end to hostilities, with the exception of the ill-fated battle of New Orleans. It was during the terrible bombard- ment of the night of September 12 that the famous “Star Spangled Banner” was composed. Francis Scott Key, then a resident of Baltimore, was detained on board one of the Rritish ships while trying, under a flag of truce, to effect and exchange of captive friends. Being of a poetic temperment, it was during that event- ful night that he jotted down on an old envelope those patriotic words. Its com- position has been describea in the fol- lowing extract: *‘It was under these trying circum- stances that he composed the Star Spangled Banner, descriptive of the scenes of that doubtful night and of his own excited feelings. Asthe struggle ceases upon the coming of morn uncer- tain of its results, his eye seeks for the flag of his country, and he asks in doubt: “Oh!saycan you see by the dawn's early light, ‘What so proudly we hailed at the. twilights last gleaming; Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gal- lantly streaming?" And then as through the mists of the deep dimly loome that gorgeous banuer fluttering in the first rays of the morning sun, he exclaimes triumph- antly: “T'is the star spangled bauner! Oh long may it wave O'er l:e land of the free aud the home of the rave. ‘This outburst of a poet's heart thrilled through the souls of his brethren. They took it up—it swelled from mil- lions of voices, and it became the proud national anthem of the whole union: And itgoes on to tell how thesong first became 80 popular, OIt is such scenes and stirring events that the historical old fort brings to the mind of a visitor as he gazes at the gray mass $0 unpretentious yet so formidable, It is now used, together with the sur- ruunding buildings, as a garrison for United States troops. At present but three companies of artillery have their headquarters there. The grounds are neatly kept; the road beds a paved witg broken oyster shells, form- ing a sort of macadam, the lawn back of the fort is used as drill and parade grounds and 1s set off by piles of shells and captured cannon as ornaments, The soldiers’ quarters are in comfortable looking brick buildings, while the offi- cers’ Uwellings consist of separate frame structures, a kind of building quite un« common in this part of the countr; The chapel is o dilapidated brick build- ng whose cracks and defocts are partly hidden by the ivy overgrowing it. A small plece of the front wall has fallen out, and altogether it has an antique appearance, but it is not as old as the fort by over half a century. In the walk leading to the door there is im~ bedded a marble slab bearing the date 1850. All the buildings are of course of comparatively recent construction. Besides all these there are separate magazines and work shops and a dock belonging to the place. While they are interesting in them- selves, they have not the historical at- tachments of the older structures, and are used for the same purposes as the other United States forts all over the country. VICTOR ROSEWATER. — IMPIETIES. Handwriting on the wali is not terrible; but it is generally vulgar, and shows iguor- ance and bad spelling. Christian Martyr (in the spirit world)— Were you over on s rack! Modern spirit— No, butI've been on a dentist's chair. We bolieve Adam was the first man to start this_extraordinury theory that mar- riage is a failure. But we must boar in mind that Adam's opportunities for observa- tion outside of his own family were very imited. Minister (consoling Mormon elder over the death of his wifc)—1 sympathize with you deeply, Mr. Brigham, in your sad afiiction.* Mormon Klder—+Ah, ves, it's hard, it's hard " Minister—"Still, Mr. Brigham, it isn't as bad s if you--er—only had one, you know." A minister was questioning_his Sunday school about the story of Kutychus, the young man_ who, while listening to the Dreaching of the Apostle Paul, fell asloop, and falling down wus taken' up doad. ‘What," said the preacher, ‘'do you loarn from this solemn event!" ‘Thon the reply from a little girl oaume pat and prompt: “Please sir, ministers should learn not to preach too 1ong sermons,” “‘What is the trouble!" asked Beelzebub of Lucifer, who was walking up and dowa ths infernal regions in a very disconsolate man- r. ““Irouble enough,'’ was the response. More poople than we can accommodatef’ orse than that. T'm afraid that we will have to shut up shop altogether,” “Shut up the old place that wo have been running 8o long and 8o successfully? “That's it “'For what reason{" I ‘sco that the coml dealers are about to enter Into another trust.’” R EDUCATIONAL The freshinan class at Harvard collego this year numbers over three hundrod students. Among the lecturers at Yale this year will \_xelllxshop Potter and G. W. Cable, the novel- ist. Yacht Designer Burgess will deliver & course of lcctures at Cornell university this year. Founders' day at Lehigh university was yesterday fitly commemorated by éxercises of a very interesting character. Jobin Swinton's history has been thrown out of the Boston public schools by an almost unanimous vote of the school board, The Japanese government has established a college for women under Eunglish auspices. Itis to beruled by a committee of Buglish women for six years, Clinton Scollard, a clever verse writer, has been made assistant professor of rhetorio at Hamilton collego—a position in which he will be useful rather than ornamental, President Carter, of Williams college, has received a gift of $20,000 to found -ofihrny in houor of James Ruthven Adriance, of the class of '75, who died a year after graduation. Rev. Dr. W. K. Boggs has been elgeted chancellor of the university of Georgia. He is a brother-in-law of the rebel genersl, H. R. Lawson. He was born iu Iudis, where lis parents wore missiouaries,