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XXutcli Camps Out. ......Oil Thursday morning of last week. G, W. Pitts, wife and two boys, Mrs, W, S. Slagle, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Mineah, and Miss Countryman, all of Alton, also Mrs. Briggs and the Misses Pitts of Washington, D, C., aunt and sisters of Mr. Pitts, the writer aud partner of his joys and sorrows, boarded the west bound passenger train to take a few days rest aud recreation and enjoy a few days camp life. When the question was asked, “where are you going,” the reply was always, “to Uncle Billy Webster’s timber, of course.” Arriving at Ha-warden, we were found by Banker Bass and Lawyer Keiniger and families. After a splendid dinner at the best hotel in the northwest, the*offSclVoiBurlangillagtpinthiloccoicoiseldapr(.Jlawarden Eating House, kept by ail that genial and best of landlords, J. reiAsa Moody; we were transferred bag thi and baggage by that accomodating f01 liveryman, K. H. Martin, who spared lot no pains to make our trip from town th; to camp a pleasant and comfortable st one. Soon, very soon, the procession a] came to a halt, and after a glance $1around we discovered that we had ar- wi*rived at the Webster place. We re wended our way to the house, a tap 0t on the door, a reply from within, ie “come in” and the writer at once recognized that same familiar face of $] his old time and hospitable friend, in Uncle Billy Webster. Here on the hi banks of tlie classic Sioux river he has lived for more than thirty years. di He located on a homestead and grad- u ualiyrsteadily, by industry added to t( the old homestead until he is sur- w rounded by hundreds of acres of the s] finest farm and timber lands in the northwest. Here it is that he has grown ribh. Here it was that so many settlers crossed the Sioux river n in early times going into Dakota ter- j ritory, then a wild wilderness, of j. prairie. Here it is that ^o many e weary travelers, seeking homes found e rest and been warmed by the fireside e of this hospitable man. Here it is g that he counts his friends by hun- | dreds and here it is in his ripe old f age, he tells us, he expects to live and die. He at once tendered us the use ^ of his beautiful timber lands on • the ^ Sioux for a camp, and his wife, good { old Mrs. Webster, not forgetting that ( we would need milk, cream and eggs, tendered us all these, in fact turned the barnyard over to us. But to the camp. It'did not take us long to locate our camp and in a very short time the cook tent was up and we could smell the many good things the ladies were preparing for supper while the men folks were putting up our tents. The tents are soon up and supper is announced, and a jolly lot of hungry campers gather around a roughly constructed table as one happy family and in regular old-fashioned camp style we enjoy our first meal. Supper over, the sun is hid behind the far western hills and the evening shades prevail. The camp fires are lighted, the ladies all gay aud happy skipping hither and thither about the camp fires, making the woods echo and re-echo With loud peals of laughter, the men folks sitting about the camp fire enjoying their cigars and pipes, relating anecdotes, listening to the Indian exploits of “Unele Billy” who was our first caller, and that best of story tellers, O. G. Beiniger, who was withoutdoubt the Robinson Crusoe of theparty. It was a beautiful night with delightful and lovely surroundings aud the whole crowd enjoyed every
Newspaper Details
Alton Democrat
Alton, Iowa, US
Sat, Sep 03, 1892
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Larry T.
NA, 16 Nov 2021
Other Publications Near Alton, Iowa
Alton Weekly Democrat
Alton Review
Alton Democrat
