Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-07-30
/" OLD PIZEN.v

The Fighting Horse of the Stanislaus-
"Reminiscences of the Early Mining
Life of Senator Jones, of Nevada.
From the Virginia City (Nev.) Enterprisel
In the early days, many years ago,
Senator Jones was engaged In mining
on the Stanislaus river, California, at a
place called Cherokee Flat. It was a
small camp, containing scarcely more
than dozen habitations, all told. The
most imposing structure In the camp
was boarding house owned by Mr..
Joggles, Missourian. This Joggles
was man of sporting procliyities. He
owned vicious-looking bull dog, with
but one eye, whose nose was covered
with scars, and whose front teeth were
always visible, even when in the most
friendly mood. The dog he was ready
to back against any dog on the river for
fight. He also had two or three game
ROSTERS of whose prowess he was boast
full. But his especial glory and pride
was his fighting horse, large, power
fully-muscled, and exceedingly vicious
"broncho," which he called "Old
Pizen." And "pizen" he was to all
four-footed creatures in that region !;
most poison to himself.
This fierce and unsocial beast had
taken possession of large grssy fiat,
about half mile above the camp, and
would allow no other animal to come
upon what he vie wed as his private do
main |; 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 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 intrud-
ers, the old bronebo would chase them
for miles, running them clear out of the
country. The moment he saw strange
animal he laid back his ears and went
for him, using both heels and teeth.
About all this Joggles didn't care q
cent. Wien told of one of the exploits
of the animal he would laugh in spite of
himself, and would swear that Old
Pizen was the biggest fightin' boss on
the Stanislaus," and that he would back
him agin any critter that ever wore har. -
He would tell how a big American horse
chased awav by Old Pizen was found
forty mile distant with his tail gnawed
off to mere stump. When he thought
of the oc-alcal appearance the manned
horse must have presented with his lit
tie stump of tail, Joggles would laugh
till the tears would run down his
cheeks.
The fame of the Fighting morse" ex-
tended for miles around the camp.
Prospectors passing that way with pack
animals were warned against him. i" Be-
ware of the fighting horse p was the
word through all that section of the
country.
Sonora, the county seat of Tuolumne
county, was the source whence the min
ers at Cherokee Flat drew their supplies
of "grub" and other necessaries. The
town was fifteen or twenty miles distant
and the miners would occasionally go
up there, order what they wanted, and
have it packed down to their cabins.
One day j. p. Jones and one of his
partners went up to Sonora to procure
supplies for his company, known as the
Buckeye" They remained overnight
In town, intending to return next day.
In the morning, soon after they arose,
they heard terrible commotion In a
livery stable just across the street from
their hotel. Running over to ascertain
the cause, they found that big Spanish
jackass had found his way into the
stable through a rear door, and was on
the war-path among the horses. He