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Show New Bridger Story j Is Told ty Lecturer JIM BETDGER. v Old Guide and Trapper Falls in Love With Shakespeare Shake-speare and Gives Yoke of Oxen for Book ANEW Jim Bridger story hns just come to light. It is told by Howard H. Hays, who is to deliver de-liver two illustrated lectures on the Yellowstone park this week the first one at the First Congregational church tomorrow night, aud the second one at Barratt hall Wednesday night. Tn connection with his lectures on Yellowstone park, Mr. Hayes has accumulated ac-cumulated a large fund of stories which have to do with the men who discovered and opened up the wonders of our grent nationnl park. No man had more to do with the earl- histoivy of Yellowstone than old Jim Bridger, the pathfinder and guide of tho Kocky mountains. The following fol-lowing yarn, as told last winter by "Colonel" A. C. Leighton of Ottumwa, la., and narrated ,by Mr. Hays, has never been published. About 18G2, when Hfridger was an old man and his guiding days were over, he lived in a lodge near Port Laramie. Wyo. He made a business of buying up broken down and footsore foot-sore oxen from members of the immigrant im-migrant trains thon traversing the trails from the Missouri river to California. Cali-fornia. He bought, these animals at prices ranging from $5 to $15. fattened them on native buffalo and bunch grass, and sold litem earlj' in tho winter to the commissary department at the nearby fort. It goes without saying that the profits from this venture were largo and certain. Could Eecitc Shakespeare. Tt happened that there drifted into the district a clever vagabond who was looking for win tor ouartcrs. On apply- ing to Bridger for a berth at his lodge, the old man replied: "If you'll herd my cattlo I'll see that you 're well fed. ''' With winter coming on apace, tho man was glad to attach himself to Bridger 's outfit at the terms. Now it happened that this hired man had an intimate acquaintance with Shakespeare, and could quote at length from his ,best-kuown plays. Bridger was illiterate, not being able to, even write his name, but his hired man 's aptness at quotation pleased the old man, and he compelled his hired man to exercise his talent to tho limit. J3ooks to Bridger wero fantastic and fascinating creations, and he never tired of listening to a reading or quotation. quo-tation. In the early summer of that year thoro arrived at Fort. Laramie, euroutc to California, a certain New Yorker. His oxen were weary and wasted, and he applied to Colonel W. S. Bullock for information relative to the purchase of a new yoke. Colonel Bullock sent the New Yorker up to Bridger 's lodge. He found the old frontiernmau sitting in front of his cabin (not smoking, as one might imagine, as Mr. Leighton is authority au-thority for tho statement that Bridger did not chew or smoke). The ensuing conversation went something like this: Short and to1 Point. "Good morning. Is this Colouel Bridger?" "Pm Jim Bridger." "I want to buy a yoke of oxen, and Colonel Bullock sent me up to see you." "Bullock ought to know better." The man from New York realized that the conversation was not taking a favorable channel, and, almost in despair, de-spair, began a lengthy recitation of his troubles from I lie time he loft Omaha until his arrival at Fort Laramie. Tho continuation of his journey was impossible, impos-sible, he declared, unless he could buy a team of oxen. Bridger had been harassed so much by pilgrims that at this stage of his career he had no patience pa-tience with a tenderfoot. He slowly shook his head until tho stranger reverted re-verted to New York city, when he manifested a certain interest. "TJo you conic from New York?" ho interrupted. "Yes,' replied the New Yorker eagerly. "Bigger town than St. Louis, L hoar," commented Bridger. "A shade larger than St. Louis," was the cautious reply. "Ever hear of Shakespeare?" suddenly sud-denly inquired the old man. The stranger was astonished. "Do you mean Shakespeare, the poet?" lie asked. "1 mean the Shakespearo that wrote a book," replied Bridger doggedly. Interested, in Book. "Certainly I have heard of Shake 3pcare, and 'have a cony down in my wagon," replied the New Yorker, impatiently, im-patiently, for he did not sec how this conversation could ever lend to the consummation then uppermost in his mind the purchase of a yoke of oxen. He knew Bridgor had u bunch of oxen at his place, aid he determined to force a sale. " Why doirt you sell mo two oxen?" he insisted. Bridger replied that he intended to fatten them until December, and sell them to the fort. "What will they .be worth then" was the New Yorker's next question. "About $100 a niece." "Well, Colonel, I'll give you $200 on the spot for a yoke or oxen, and you won't have to fatten them." The old man shook his head and there was a long pause. Finally he asked, with just a trace of eagerness in his voice "Js your book a genuine Shakespeare book?" "Certainly," replied t lie stranger. "Well," said Bridger, "you go back to Laramie, get your book come back here, and if my hired man, who knows Shakespeare, bays your book is a genuine Shakespeare book, I'll give yon two good oxen and keep the book " "No," replied the stranger, gallant ly, "I shall get the book and make you a present of it." So saying, he went back to Fort Laramie for the precious volume. Trade Simply Made. On his return the versatile hired man identified the book as a "cenuine Shakespeare book," and Bridger brought out for the New Yorker's inspection in-spection two of his best conditioned oxen. The man was delighted, and tendered tend-ered the 4200 as payment. ''Not i ceiit. It will be an even swap," said Bridger. Tho stranger insisted. "Now sco here," Bridger fairly shouted, "You take 'these here oxen or take your Look, one or the other." The New Yorker stood not on tho order of his going. The oxen went with him. Bridger turned to his hired man. "How long will it take to read this here Shakespeare?" The herder thought it over. "About a month." "Good," was the old man's reply. "Hereafter I'm going to pay you some money. For the next month you get $10 and keep." |
