370 Reminiscences of 



representing the caravans which had been moving along 

 with the building roads, now meeting at a given centre, 

 which was supposed to be that of the new town. 



Many of those teams represented the feature which 

 has been represented in the vernacular of the country 

 as "hell on wheels," comprising those convenient 

 vehicles accompanying railroad building, to accom- 

 modate men, horses and mules with food, and others 

 fitted up as well as tents, to supply the superior an- 

 imal with spirituous refreshments and attending re- 

 creations in the way of cards and dice. 



There were long rows of board tables, convenient 

 in their light construction for removal, loaded sub- 

 stantially with delicacies usual on such occasions — 

 beans, shoulders of beef, fried nuggets of bacon, 

 slabs of perfectly fresh bread steaming hot, pots 

 of coffee, and various other attractive condiments. 



Many of the tents were fitted up as drinking and 

 gambling saloons, from which proceeded the melody 

 of violins and flutes, with accordion accompani- 

 ments. The keepers of many of these adjunctix'e 

 resorts were of the most abandoned and reckless 

 cast, as much so as one could expect to find, and one 

 could see in the vicious lines of their faces, and beady 

 eyes, that they had reached the bottom lines of 

 desperate life. 



Two outfits of this character had now come to- 

 gether, composed of the lowest order of ruffians to 

 be found anywhere, and knowing that their oppor- 

 tunities for plunder were about to vanish with the 

 paid-off, departing laborers, were displaying unusual 

 activity in their last efforts. 



No sooner had we landed than we were surrounded 



