MY NATIVE LAND.
The United States: its Wonders, its Beauties, and itsPeople;
with Descriptive Notes, Character Sketches, Folk
Lore, Traditions, Legends and History, for
the Amusement of the Old and the
Instruction of the Young.
BY
JAMES COX,
Author of "Our Own Country," "Missouri at the World's Fair,""Old and New St. Louis," "An Arkansas Eden," "Oklahoma Revisited,"Etc.
Who never to himself hassaid,
This is my own,my nativeland."
PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED.
1903.
Statue to Minute Man
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
OUR NATION'S BIRTH.
The Story of Liberty Bell--Impartial Opinions on theRevolutionary War--The Shot that was Heard Around the World--TheFirst Committee of Safety--A Defeat which Equaled aVictory--Washington's Earnestness--To Congress on Horseback--TheFirst 4th of July Celebration.
CHAPTER II.
THE WITCH OF SALEM.
A Relic of Religious Bigotry--Parson Lawson's Tirade againstWitchcraft--Extraordinary Court Records of Old PuritanDays--Alleged Supernatural Conjuring--A Man and his Wife both putto Death--Crushed for Refusing to Plead--A Romance of the Old Daysof Witch Persecution.
CHAPTER III.
IN PICTURESQUE NEW YORK.
Some Local Errors Corrected--A Trip Down the Hudson River--TheLast of the Mohicans--The Home of Rip Van Winkle--The Ladies ofVassar and their Home--West Point and its History--Sing SingPrison--The Falls of Niagara--Indians in New York State.
CHAPTER IV.
IN THE CENTER OF THE COUNTRY.
The Geographical Center of the United States, and its LocationWest of the Mississippi River--The Center of Population--History ofFort Riley--The Gallant "Seventh"--Early Troubles ofKansas--Extermination of the Buffalo--But a Few Survivors out ofMany Millions.
CHAPTER V.
THE MORMONS AND THEIR WIVES.
The Pilgrimage Across the Bad Lands to Utah--Incidents of theMarch--Success of the New Colony--Religious Persecutions--Murder ofan Entire Family--The Curse of Polygamy--An Ideal City--Humors ofBathing in Great Salt Lake.
CHAPTER VI.
THE INVASION OF OKLAHOMA.
A History of the Indian Nation--Early Struggles of OklahomaBoomers--Fight between Home-Seekers and Soldiers--Scenes at theOpening of Oklahoma Proper--A Miserable Night on the Prairie--ARace for Homes--Lawlessness in the Old Indian Territory.
CHAPTER VII.
COWBOYS--REAL AND IDEAL.
A Much Maligned Class--The Cowboy as he Is, and as he is