Memories of the early days of the century in Medicine Lodge with some
     musical experience at the same time.
        The circumstances through which I ever got to Medicine Lodge was that
     Scott Rupert owned a ranch just north of town for which my mother traded
     a miscellaneous lot of houses in Wichita, held by her after the death of
     my father. Whereupon, Ruperts moved to Wichita and we to Medicine Lodge,
     where we rented a house on North Walnut. The trip down from Wichita by
     train took the better part of a night, with connections over from Attica.
        Mother straightaway bought two teams, one of two mules which were left
     on the ranch, and the other, of a horse and a mule, kept in our yard in
     town. Mother would drive out every day or so to care for the mules, 
     driving the horse pulling her buggy, with the mule tied on behind. She 
     could not leave the mule 'lest he run away.'
        I, meanwhile, was attending my Junior year of high school in the great
     old brick building which housed not only the high school, but all the 
     grades as well. D.W. Major was Principal and ruled with an iron rod. The
     school building, along with the County Courthouse, also brick, and both
     of the 1890's made an impressive landmark until their razing in the 1950's.
        Before leaving Wichita, I had been exposed to a few years of violin
     lessons, and on arriving in Medicine Lodge, found myself quite in demand
     as the only violinist in town readily available. The only other one was
     Jake Walstead, who doubled on paper hanging, and when he had to be away,
     I was offered $5 a night to play the violin for dances! $5 was a fortune
     in those day, the equivilant of several days wages at hard work. But I was
     a staunch Methodist - and the church frowned on dancing; so I was able to 
     resist the wiles of the devil. I did, however, join some of my friends for
     an evening a week of playing orchestra music at the home of Grace Williams,
     pianist, just for the fun of it. At the Methodist Church, I used to play
     along on the hymns and offertories with Mrs. Arthur Shaw, the organist.
        I also playd the cornet, after a fashion, in the town band which gave
     occasional outdoor concerts on Main Street. Often the band would be engaged
     to play for the roller skating rink, which used the rough pine flooring of
     the 'so-called' Opera House. For an evening's services, the band received $5, 
     with which to buy new music.
        My musical experience in Medicine Lodge did not end with my return to
     Wichita, where I finished high school and continued my violin study. I would
     come back summers to be with my mother, who was now living on the ranch,
     and I played in the Pastime Theater (silent movies) owned by Mr. Thom, with
     an orchestra consisting of his daughter, Bessie, on piano, son and Clifford
     Schmidt 9pronouned Smith) on cornets.
          
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 240
     Submitted by: Wendell Hoss