The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-07-16
"OLD PIZEN."
The Fighting Horse OF the Ssants.
laus..A Reminiscence of the Ear:y
Mining Lie of Senator Jones, Of
Nevada.

From the Virginia City New Enterprise.)
In the early days, many years ago, Sen
ator Jones was engaged in mining on the
Stanislaus River, California, at place
called Cherokee Flat. 1t was small
camp, containing scarcely more than Il
dozen habitations, all told. The most i'm
posing structure in the camp was board
ing house, owned by Mr.. Joggles, Mis-
sourian. This Joggles was man Of sport
ing proclivities. He owned a vicious
looking bulldog, with but one eye, whose
nose was covered with scars, and whose
front teeth were always visible, even when
in the most friendly mood. This dog he
IVES ready to back against any dog on the
river for fight. He also had two Or three
game roosters of whose proves he was
boastful. But his especial glory and pride
was bis fighting horse, large, powerfully
muscled, and exceedingly vicious 'sbron-
cho," which he called "Old Pizen." And
"pizen' he was to all four-footed crea-
lures in that region; indeed, was so
''mean" that he was almost poison in him
self.
This fierce and unsocial beast had taken
possession of large grassy fat, about half
mile above the camp, and would allow
no other animal to come upon what he
viewed as his private domain; nor, for the
matter of that to come anywhere near the
camp. At Cherokee Flat, the old broncho
was monarch OF all he surveyed He had
whipped and run off every animal that
had ever been brought to the camp. The
miners several times swore vengeance
against "Old Pizen," and would have shot
him, but that they liked Joggles, and the
soul of Joggles delighted in Old Pizen,
therefore they let him live
Not content with conquering intruders
the old broncho would chase them for
miles, running them clear out of the coun-
try. The moment he saw strange ami.
nal be laid back his ears and went for him
using both heels and teeth
About this Joggles didn't care cent.
When tol OF one of the exploits of the
animal he would laugh in spite of himself,
and would swear that Old Pizen was the
''BIGGIsr FIGHTIN' Hoss on THE STAINS
LAus,"
and that he would "back him agin any
critter that ever wore har.' He would tell
how big American horse chased away by
Old Pizen was found forty miles distan.
with his tail Snawed off to a mere stump.
When he thought of the comical appear
ance the MANNED horse must have present
ed with his little stump of tail, Joggles
would laugh till tears would run down his
cheeks.
The fame of the Fighting horse'' ex.
tended for miles around the camp. Pros
pectors passing that way with pack ami
mails were warned against him. ''Beware
of the fighting horse ~ was the word
through all that section of the country.
Sonora, the county seat of Tuolumne
county, was the source whence the miners
at Cherokee Flat drew their supplies OF
grub" and other necessaries. The town
was fifteen OF twenty miles distant, and the
miners would occasionally go up there, Or
der what they wanted, and have it "pack-
ed" down to their cabins
One day J. P. Jones and one of his part
ners went up to Sonora to procure supple.
for their company, known as the "Buck-
eye" They remained over night in town.
intending to return the next day. In the
morning, soon after they arose, they heard
terrible commotion in livery stable jus;
across the street from their hotel. Run
ming over to ascertain the cause. thew
found that
A BIG SPANISH JACKAss
had found his way into the stable through
a rear door, and was on the war-path
among the horses. He had cleaned out
several stalls almost at a dash, and then
reached that occupied by powerful STALL
ion. Here he found work to do. As Jones
and partner entered furious battle was
raging, the horse using his heels and the
jack his teeth. The horse being confined
by strong halter, the jack had rather the
best of it. After tearing and mangling the
TANKS Of the horse frightfully, the furious
lack, mindful of the blews the stablemen
were raining upon his back, suddenly
crowded himself forward in the stall and
seized the horse by the under lip. Here
he held on like bulldog, the poor horse
quivering in every muscle and moaning in
agony.
One of the proprietors Of the stable
drew his revolver and was about to shoo,
the savage ass, when his owner arrived and
a fierce wrangle ensued. The owner o.
the fighting jack drew his pistol, and for a
time it looked as though there was likely
to be ga man for breakfast
Finally, however, the owner OF the jack
succeeded in getting him away from the
&rarol,l;rr horse apd 6ra-o hin, ant ~ A.