It was at first expected that the entire distance 
would be covered in passenger train, and that those in 
attendance would have no difficulty in getting meals 
either in dining cars or at regular eating stations along 
the line, but at the last moment it was found possible 
to include our two cars in a full train of express cars 
only, and this arrangement was continued as far as 
Missouri Valley, Iowa. While this greatly facilitated 
the rapid handling of the cars through terminals, it 
worked somewhat of a hardship on the attendants; but 
fortunately, foreseeing a possibility of something of 
this kind, just before we started we laid in a limited suv- 
ply of canned goods and other edibles, and provided our- 
selves with a small alcohol stove. These as it happened 
we were obliged to depend upon entirely until we 
reached Missouri Valley in the forenoon of Thanks- 
giving Day. As we had a stop there of three or four 
hours awaiting connections, Mr. Rush was made a com- 
mittee of one to arrange for a suitable Thanksgiving 
Dinner at a nearby hotel, and one can readily imagine 
we did full justice to the menu which included turkey 
and cranberry sauce. 
We expected more or less trouble in watering our 
animals en route, as our cars were not provided with 
water tanks, so we placed an empty barrel in each ear, 
and by having the head cut down so that it would fit 
inside and act as a float, we were able to keep the barrels 
partly filled without their slopping badly. These we 
had refilled along the road. 
This was only necessary once as we found most of 
the animals would drink but little; in fact one or two 
did not drink a drop of water during the entire journey, 
while others drank freely once or twice a day. All ate 
fairly well of hay and crushed oats after the first night. 
The greater number of the animals remained quiet 
and laid down and got up in their crates at their pleas- 
ure after they were once loaded in the ears, but several 
continued to be *‘scrappy”’ all the way, and would kick 
the crates violently on the shghtest provocation. 
The run over the twelve “mnile spur from Buffalo 
Gap to Hot Springs was the slowest part of the trip, 
44 
