The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-03-12
IRA EATON's GUN.

IRA EATON'S GUN.
How Down East Man Was Taken I'm
and Done For.
The other day / ran against Charles
Yeomans, an cid Californian, who is
/ keeping a restaurant in Salt Lake City.
After listening ID his stories of the early
| days of San Francisco, said
" Mr.. YeOmans, do you ever Temem-
Der of meeting a man named John K.
Hackett In San Francisco %
John K. Kackett 2" repeated Mr..
YeOmRns. Oh, yes, I recollect Hack
ett, and George Barnard, and Geor4 e
Wilkes, and George Butler, and John
Scranton, of New Haven, and that
whole crowd. They were mighty lively
fellows, all Of them. Lem-me-see? /? lin
mus'ng way). Lem-me-see a? why,
Hackett is judge, or something of
that kind, in New York now. l seen q
fellow about six months ago, that told
me he made a first-rate iudge-ffty per
cent gold, forty per cent. silver, and
ten per cent. copper. Hackett was a
wonderful shot-WOnderful I've seen
him dive tacks in door-post at thirty
and forty feet, and never miss a tack.
All the boys took Oft their hats to him.
He could shoot the toes off a fly. That
was a great crowd-that crowd in Cali
fornia-in those days"
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed up his
shirt-sleeves and mixed a cocktail for
Mr.. Gordon and Capt. Dinwiddie, of
Camp Douglas. After the cocktails had
disappeared, he continued
90 In those days, you see, I tried to
keep place just outside of San Fran
cisco, called the Ocean honse. I had a
partner. His name was Barnard-not
tin Judge. 1t was-let me see-it must
have been--yes, it was-in 1857. All
the boys used to ride out and see us,
and the thing, first and last, panaed
out good deal of coin. It used to be
a great place for heightened sports to
come out and shoot pigeon matches and
eat those big California shrimp, and
play little draw, drink wine, and such
things"
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed up his
shirt-sleeves and mixed a cocktail for
Major Wheeler and the Hon. Sam.
Merritt, ex-de,egate 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 good time gem
orally. 1 remember one morning
there was Cook and Schen, k, the great
marketmen, Ward Eaton and Ira Eaton
in the saloon, having a high old time,
laughing, drinking and telling stories.
Ira Eaton had one of these here fancy
double-barreled shot-guns under his
arm, and was bragg Dg about the game
he was going TO shoot before night,
when who should come in but John
Haekett and John Scranton. You
oughter have knowed Scranton, 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 q. Sawyer, Mr.. Sloan, the
live-wived editor of the Salt Lake
Herald, and Major Howell, of Camp
Douglas.
Scranton had on brand-new beav-
er hat. It 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
a few minutes. After he was gone,
Schenck looked at the gun and said.
sBv 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,
Let's put up n 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 cant hit John Scran-
toms hat at forty yards The joke took
immensely. Schenek drew the charges
ont of the gun and they all ftOod
around the bar, chuckling and walti" 6
for Ira to come back.
Here Mr., Yeomans showed up his
shirt-sleeves and mixed a cocktail for
George A. Smith and Bishop Stenhouse.
After the cocktails had disappeared, he
continued
"Well, You see, in about Eve min
utes Ira he came back. They all be-
gan talking and laughing, ana Ira be-
gan Dragging about the game he was go
ing to shoot Hackett stepped up TO
the corner and picked up Ira's gun. He
turned her over and sighted her two or
three ii es, 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 a dozen times, and
that he didn't have any fault to ind with
her. What did you pay for her 2 says
Hackett, still turning her over. Well,
Ira SAYS, she cost me a hundred and
seventy-fve dollars At this Hacke {
laughed, aud began TO ridicule Ira, tell
ing him that the gun wasn't worth a
dose of tanzy and bitters, and that q
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 advised him TO 60 TO gun
shop and learn something about gun
before making an ass of himself.
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed mp his
| shirt-sleeves and mixed a cocktail for
/ Judge Hemingway, of Kansas, and
/ Judge Peter Clinton, of Salt Lake.
/ After the cocktails had disappeared, he
continued
Well, just as Ira and Hackett got to
cussin' one another, John Scranton he
stepped up aud sculled himself into the
row. or course he took Hackett's side,
declaring the gun to be nothing more
than pop-gun, and wondered that a
man of Ira's sporting reputation would
/ carry such gun. Ira was wild. He
/ had no suspicion that the boys were not
IN earnest. There was Jolly row. II
lasted two o. three minutes, Then