Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-03-14
IRA EAToN's GUN.
How a Down East Man was Taken In
and Done For.


/ and Done For.
| The other day l ran against Charlie
Yeomans, an old Californian, who
keeping a restaurant in Salt LAX
City. After listening to his stories {
the early days of San Francisco,
said: 'se@ 4a -ls4z3 tia
Mr.. Yeomans, do you ever remem
Der of meeting a man named John K
Hackett in San Francisco?"
John K. Hackett?' repeated Nj
Yeomans. "Oh, yes, / recollect Hack
EFT, and George Barnard, and Georg
| Wilkes, and George Butler, and Johl
Scranton, of New Haven, and tha
whole crowd. They were mighty live
ly fellows, all of them. Lem-me-see
| Gin a musing way.) Lem-me-see? why
Hackett is judge, or something o
that kind, in New York now. 1 seel
fellow about six months ago, tina
told me he made frst-rate Judge
fifty per cent gold, forty per cent. sill
yer, and ten per cent. copper. Hacket
was a wonderful shot-wonderfu
I've seen him drive tacks in door
post at thirty and forty feet, and nevel
miss a tack. All the boys took of
their hats to him. He could shoot the
toes off fly. That was great crowC
that crowd in Californian thost
days"
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed up his
shirt-sleeves and mixed cocktail fol
Mr.. Gordon and Capt. Dinwiddie, Of
Camp Douglas. After the cocktail:
had disappeared, he continued:
In those days, you see, | tried to
keep place just outside of San Fran
cisco, called the Ocean house. | had
partner. His name was Barnard
not the judge. 1t was-let me sect
must have been-yes, it was-in 1857.
All the boys used to ride out and see
us, and the thing. first and last, panned
out good deal of coin. 1t used to be
great place for high-toned sports to
come out and shoot pigeon matches
and eat those big California shrimp,
and little draw, drink wine, and such
things"
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed up his
shirt-sleeves and mixed cocktail for
Major Wheeler and the Hon. Sam.
Merritt, ex-delegate to Congress from
Idaho. After the cocktails had disap-
peared, he continued:
well. the Ocean house used to be a
great place of resort for the boys.
They were always playing practical
jokes on each other and having a good
time generally. | remember one morn
ing there was Cook and Schenck, the
great marketmen, Ward Eaton and Ira
Eaton in the saloon, having a high
old time, laughing, drinking and tell
ing stories. Ira Eaton had one of
these here fancy double -barreled shot
guns under his arm, and was Dragging
about the game he was going to shoot
before night, when who should come
in but John Hackett and John Scran-
ton. You oughter have knowed Scran-
ton, for he was one of the best fellows
that ever scratched gravel"
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed up his
shirt-sleeves and mixed cocktails for
the Hon. Oscar G. Sawyer, Mr.. Sloan,
the fve-wived editor of the Salt Lake
Herald, and Major Howell, of Camp
Douglas.
Scranton had on brand d-new beav-
er hat. 1t was as glossy as ebony. He
had just given fifteen dollars for it, got
himself shaved and his clothes brushed,
and looked as neat as game rooster.
The first thing | knew, Ira Eaton
stood his gun up in the corner, and
went out doors, saying that he would
be back in few minutes. After he
was gone, Schenck looked at the gun
and said, BY George, it's loaded So
Hackett, and the rest of them, they
got around and looked at the gun, and
sure enough it was loaded. Then Ward
Eaton said, Lets put up cold deck
on Ira while he's gone. We can draw
the charges from his gun, and then bet
him basket of wine that he can't hit
John Scranton's hat at forty yards.
The joke took immensely. Schenck
drew the charges out of the gun and
they all stood around the bar, chuck
ling and waiting for Ira to come
back.
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed up his
shirt-sleeves and mixed cocktails for
George A. Smith and Bishop Stem
house. After the cocktails had dap
peared, he continued
We'll, you see, in about FIVE min
utes Ira he came back. They all be-
gan talking and laughing, and Ira be-
gan Dragging about the game he was
going to shoot. Hackett stepped up to
the corner and picked up 1ras gun.
He turned her over and sighted her
two or three times, and then asked Ira
what kind of gun she was. Ira said
that she was a pretty good shooter;
that he had used her a half dozen
times, and that he didn' have any fault
to find with her. What did you pay
for her !? says Hackett, still turning her
over. Well, Ira says, she cost me
hundred and seventy five dollars At
this Hackett laughed, and began to
ridicule Ira, telling him that the gun
wasn't worth dose of tanzy and Bit
ters, and that a man could buy a cart
load of such guns in New York for
two bits. Of course Ira was mighty
indignant. He told Hackett that he
talked like an Internal fool, and ad-
vised him to go to gun-shop and
learn something about gun before
making an ass of himself.
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed up his
shirt-sleeves and mixed cocktails for
Judge Hemingway, of Kansas, and
Judge Peter Clinton, of Salt Lake.
After the cocktails had disappeared,
he continued
well, just as Ira and Haekett got
to cussin' one another, John Scraton
he stepped up and sculled himself into
the row. OF course he took Hackett's
side, declaring the gun to be nothing
more than pOp-gun, and wondered
that man of Ira s sporting reputation
would carry such a gun. Ira was wild.
He had no suspicion that the boys were
not in earnest. There was jolly row.
1t lasted two or three minutes. Then
Scranton asked Ira if the gun was
loaded. Ira said she was. Then
said John, winking at the boys, Ill
bet you basket of wine that you can't
hit my hat on top of that barrel,
pointing to a barrel about forty yards
distant. At this Ira hesitated. He
looked at Scranton new beaver, and
said that it would be cussed shame to
ruin such hat as that. If some one
would put up an old hat he'd take the
bet. But John Scranton insisted on
putting up his hat, and accused Ira of
trying to crawl out of it because he
knew there were no old hats on the
premises. This fred Ira up again.
Put up your hat, he said I'll take
a pop at it for basket of wine
Here MIR. Yeomans showed up his
sleeves, and mixed cocktails for Bishop