Omaha daily bee., 1874-03-30
FUN ON THE PLAINS.
Eli Perkins on the Kansas Pacific
fGnphic, March 4th.l

Westward, westward, WESTWARD
We have been riding all day owe
the Kansas Pacific. From Kansa.
City the road runs straight up tn,
Kansas River bottom and alons
Smoky Hill and the buffalo country
to Denver. On the train are Grang.
ers from Carson and Hugo, and kill.
ers and stabbers from Wild Horse
and Eagle Tail.
As We near Salina, Kansas, Con.
ductor Cheney comes along to col.
lect the fare. Touching a long
haired gentleman on the back he
looks down and says:
"Thickets"
"Hain't got none," says the pas
senger, holding his gun with one
hand and scowling out from under
his black slouch hat
"But you must pay your fare, drip
expostulated the conductor.
"Now jes look a here, stranger!
mebby your a doin' your duty, but
1 hain't never paid yet goin' through
this country, and"
Just then q slouchy, old frontiers
man who had been compelled to
pay his fare in q rear car, stepped
up in front of the mulish passen-
ger and, pointing a.six-shooter at
him, said:
"See here, Long Bill, you jes pay
your fare. I've paid mine, and they
don't anybody ride on this train free
If I don't-if they do damned"
"All right, you've got the drop on
me, old boy, so put up yer shooter
an TU SETTLE" said the passenger,
| going down into hts pocket for the
money.
"Do these incidents often hap
pen?" / asked the conductor q little
while afterwards.
We'll, yes, but not SO often as
they used to in '68 and 10, Mr..
Perkins, The other day." contin-
ued the conductor, '.tsome three
card monte men came on the train
and swindled a drover out of $50.
The poor man seemed to take it to
heart. He said his cattle got SO
cheap during the Eastern "bust"
that he had to just "peel 'em" and
sell their hides in Kansas City-and
this was all the money he had. A
half dozen miners from Denver
Overheard the talk, and, coming up,
thew "drew a bead" on the monte
men and eald 'em to pay that money
back.
"Just you count that money back,
conductor. they said, and after l
had done it, continued the conduc-
tor, one Of the head miners said:
"fNow conductor, you jes stop the
train, an We'll hang these three
card monte fellers to the telegraph
pole
s'But- the monte men flew out Of
the door too quick for EN-"
To illustrate the value of human
life In this country, Mr.. Locke, the
manager of the Kansas City Opera
House, tells me this story:
Two years ago the James brothers,
the same two desperadoes who
sacked the express car, and "went
through" the passengers on the Chi
cago, Rock Island & Pacific and at
Gad's Hill, stole the money box at
the Kansas State Fair. They rode
into Kansas City on horseback, and
when the cashier was walking to
the bank with the receipts Of the
day; about $1,000, they pointed their
pistols at his head, seized the box,
and galloped off. This was done In
broad daylight, in the midst Of q
great crowd.
Well some time afterwards one
of the Kansas City reporters wrote
an article about these highwaymen,
saying some kind things. He call
ed them brave, and said they had
done the most daring deed in the
highwayman's record. A few
nights afterwards the James Broth.
ers rode into Kansas City, went to
the newspaper office, and calling
the reporter out, presented him q
handsome watch and chain. They
said the article in question touched
'them in q tender spot, and they
desired to show their gratitude.
"But I don't feel at liberty to
take the watch" said the reporter.
'"But do it to crafty us. We
didn't steal this watch; we bought
and paid for it with our own money"
continued the desperadoes.
"No; you must excus me-" con-
tinued the reporter.
"Well, then, II you can't take this
watch" replied the James Brothers,
regretfully, perhaps you Can name
some man around here you wdnt
killed"
Sell perkins,"
CARSON, Colorado, March II,