Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-05-21
FUN ON THE PLAINS.
Eli Perkins ON the kansas Pacific.

I
Eli Perkins ON the Kansas Pacific
Westward, westward, westward we hav,
been riding all day over the Kansas Pacific
From Kansas City the road runs straigh
up the Kansas River bottom and alon1
Smoky Hill and the buffalo country /,
Denver. On the train are Grangers from
Carson and Hugo, and killers and stabber
from Wild Horse and Eagle Tail.
As we near Salina, Kansas, Conductor
Cheney comes along to collect the fare
Touching long haired gentleman on tn,
back he looks down aud says:
Tickets y
"Hain,t got none," says the passenger
holding his gun with one hand and scowl
ing out from under his black slouch hat.
"But you must pay your fare, sir /" cx.
postulated the conductor.
"Now jest look here atrangerl mebby
your doin'your duty. Ant hain't neve,
paid yet goin' through this country,
and"
just then a slouchy, old frontiers.man
who had been compelled 70 pay his fare in
rear car. stepped up in front Of the mulish
passenger and, pointing > six-shooter al
him said:
"Sec here. Long Bill, you jes pay your
fare. I've paid mine. and they don't any
body ride on this train free If I don't-il
they do dammel |"
"All right, you've got the drop on me,
old boy, 80 put up yer shooter an I'll set.
tle." said tho passenger, going down into
his pocket for the money.
do these incidents often happeu?n
asked the conductor little while after.
wards.
"wsll, yes, but not 80 often as they used
to in '6s and 10, Mr.. Perkins. Tue other
day" /" continued the conductor, "some three
card monte menllcame on the train and
swindled drover out Of $50. The poor
man seemed to take il TO heart. He said
his cattle got 20 cheap during the Eastern
"bust' that he had to..just ''peel 'em" and
sell their hides in Kansas Gty-and this
was all the money he had. A half dozen
miners from Denver overheard the talk,
and, coming up they ''drew bead' on the
monte men and told 'em to pay that money
back.
"Just you count that money back, con-
ductor, they said, 'and altar ! had done il, !
continued the conductor, one of the head
miners said:
"'Now conductor, you jes stop the train,
an we'll hang these three card monte fel-
lows to the telegraph pole
"But the monte men few 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 ex-
press car, and "went through the passen-
gers on the Chicago, 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 $4,000. they
pointed their pistols at his head, seized tho
box, and galloped of. This was done in
broad daylight, in the midst Of great
crowd.
Well some time afterwards one of the
Kansas City reporters wrote an article about
these highwaymen, saying some kind things.
He called them brave, and said they had
done the most daring deed in the highway
mans record. A few nights afterwards
the James Brothers rode into Kansas City,
went to the newspaper Office, and calling
the reporter out, presented him . handsome
watch and chain. They said the article in
question touched them in tender spot, and
they desired to show their gratitude.
"But l 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" continaed the despera-
does.
"No; you must excuse me-" continued
the reporter.
swell, then, If you can't tako this watch, "
replied the James Brothers, regretfully,
"perhaps yow can name some man
around here that you scant killed.
CELL PERKINS"
CARSON. Colorado. March 18th.