It is February 1870, in Wichita Falls, Texas. Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (aka Captain Kidd, or simply the Captain), an older gentleman, rides into town. He tacks up his posters and changes into his "reading" clothes in the stable. He is there to read to the townsfolk the news from various newspapers at a charge of 10¢ per person. He used to own and run his own printing press, but lost his business because of the Civil War. Now he travels from town to town keeping people informed of the “news of the world” (1).

He reads an article from the Boston Morning Journal about the passing of the 15th Amendment, which allows all men the right to vote regardless of color, explaining to the people, without any mincing of words, that that means black men are allowed to vote. From the New York Tribune he reads to them about the ship, Hansa, sinking from pack ice in the North Pole near Greenland. From the Philadelphia Inquirer, he tells them about the renowned British physicist, James Maxwell, and his work in electromagnetism, which he uses in order to bore the

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now