The enquirer southerner., 1874-05-15
Fun on the Plains.


Perkins, Conductor Cheney comes
along to collect The fare. Touch
ing long haired gentleman on the
back he looks down and says:
Tickets :"
" Harnt got none, says the
passenger, holding his gun with one
hand and scowling out from under
his black slt uch hat.
"But you must pay your fare,
sir y expostulated the conductor
Now jes look a>here, stranger
mebby your doin' your duty, but
[ haint never yaid yet goin' through
this country, and -"
Just then aslouchy, old frontiers
man who had been compelled to pay
his fare in rear car, stopped up
in front Of the mulish passenger,
and, pointing six shooter at him,
said:
"See here, Long Bill, you jes
pay yer fare I've paid mine, and
they don't anybody ride on this
train free, it [ don't
" All right, you's' got the drop
on me, old boy, so but up yer shooter
an Ill settle" said the passenger,
going into his pockets for the
money.
"Do these incidents often hap>
pen? Z" | asked the conductor a
little while afterwards.
swell, yes, but not SO often as
they used 20 IN '6S and 10. The
day. continued the conductor,
some threecard-monte ,nen came
on the train and swindled a drover
out of $3.50. 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 EN- and sell their hides in
Kansas City-and this was all the
money he had. A half dozen
miners from D D,nver overheard the
talk, and coming up, they drew a
bead on the monte men and told
ell to pay that money back.
''Just you count that money
back, conductor they said, 'and
after I had done it, continued the
conductor. sone of the head miners
| said:
"'Now, conductor, youjes stop
the tram, an we'll hang these three
card fellows TO the telegraph pole.
"But the monte men few out the
door too quick for 'em."
To illustrate the value of human
life in this country, Mr.. Locke, she
manager of the Kansas City Opera
House, tells me this story:
Two years ago the james broth.
ers, the same two desperadoes who
sacked the express car, and "wen,
through" the passengers on the
Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific
at Gad's hill, stole the money-box
at the Kansas State Fair.
| They rode into Kansas City on
horse back, 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 the tox, and galloped
off. This done in broad daylight.
IN the midst of a great crowd.
Well, sometime afterwards one oi
the Kansas City reporters wrote an
article about these highwaymen
saying some kind things. lie
called them brave, and said they
had done the most daring deed ii
the highwaymen's record. A few
nights afterwards the James broth
ers rode into Kansas City, went tc
the newspaper ofii.e, and calling
the reporter out, presented him &
handsome watch and cham. They
said the article in question touched
them in a tender spot, and they
desired to show their gratitude.
s'But | don't feel at liberty tt
take this watch,' said the reporter
But do it to crafty US. w
didn't steal this watch; we bough
and paid for it with our own money,
continued the desperadoes.
No; you muse excuse me, con
tinued the reporter.
i" Well, then, if you can't take
this watch" replied the james
brothers, regretfuily, ''perbaps yor
can name some man around here
you want killed !"