The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-01-14
THBLANDLORD OF NEVADA GULCH.


THELANDLORD OF NEVADA GULCH.
The completion Of the Pacific Railroad
by the laying of the highly-polished laurel
tie at Promontory Point, in 1869, was the
signal for the disbandiDg OF gang of men
who. from the day ground was broken at
Omaha, had followed the graders from
camp to camp. with the pertinacity of mos
quitoes or birds of prey. This banded
brotherhood was composed of men who
for years had been wanderers upon the
face of the earth. Some of them had spent
the greater portion OF their lives on the
wide prairies, or in the midst of the rug
ged mountains which form the backbone
of the continent, hunting, trapping, and
trading; at times living with the Indians
on terms of equality. aud at others fight
ing with them. They knew not the re-
straints of lawn fact knew no law other
than that of force-and were ever ready to
appeal TO that on the slightest provoca-
ton. Others were outlaws who had fled
to the frontier for the purpose of escaping
from the punishment which would certain
ly have been meted out to them by an out
ragged community, for infractiOns of the
criminal code, had they not sought safety
in flight. The remainder were men who
had all their lives preycd upon the indus
trious and ignorant, gaining a living by
shrewd tricks and dishonest practices with
cards. This element had come together
called by a single ohject-and for years
had followed the workmen, fleeing them
in one way or another. A common
cause had bound them together and made
them band of brothers, when arrayad
against honest working people, but sepa-
rate and distinct elements when dealing
with one another.
The last tie had been laid, the golden
spike had been driven. The Occident and
Orient had shaken hands; the waters of
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans had been
mingled with those of Salt Lake, the we'd
ding of the East and West had been cele-
brated in the great cities on both sides of
the continent, and in the midst of the
desert, by crowd of jovial spirits who
had gone thither. for the occasion.
The sun sinking out of sight beyond the
western hills was looking for the last time
upon the busy scene, for the lawless ele-
ment plainly saw that their occupation
was gone, or going with lightning rapid
itv, and were on the alert to do one more
Job before the grand smash-up. Conse-
quently it was dangerous TO go twenty
yards from the cars, which were doing
duty as hotels. This fact having been
duly Impressed on the minds of all re-
spectacle visitors, the tents wherein the
gamblers congregated, and where they
had expected to realize great largesses
from the visitors, were in a measure empty.
Here and there was game progressing,
but the greater number of the gamblers
sat behind their tables laZily playing with
piles Of silver and gold waiting for some
innocent TO come and get plucked. Be
hind one Of these tables sat Dolly Hamil-
ton W. tn cloud upon his brow; ever and
anon dark, sinister flashes of malignity
would play over his features, illuminating
them as the lightning does the heavens
when filled with black clouds. Some
thing, g,-evidently, had gone wrong with
him, and he was sitting broOding over it,
or trying to contrive some plan by which
he could ease or satisfy his conscience.
Now the conscience of Dolly Hamilton
was an article of very strange composition
1t was not exactly as elastic as a piece of
India-ruhber or hard as block of granite,
vet deeds which would have troubled other
consciences made no impression on his.
He had on several occasions, with what he
regarded as cOmmendable public spirit,
furnished the first corpse for interment in
Inc Nllid0tS WHICH eDTuuS dJ JIlS
termini Of the railroad, an action which he
occasionally alluded TO as Laying the cor
ner-stone of the graveyard 1t was also
believed that quite number of the Cali
fornia stage-coaches had suffered from his
roadside interviews with the drivers. and
that the great corporation of Wells, Fargo
& Co. had, even against its inclination,
been induced to contribute large sums of
money TO aid him in prosecuting his ex-
plorations of the great gold-bearing dis
tricts Still these little episodes did not
hurt his feelingsor trouble his conscience;
on the contrary. they formed bright spots
on which he was wont TO let his memory
dwell hut, as we have said, something
annoyed him. Just what that something
was we might never have learned had not
Dolly grown communicative and laid bare
his thoughts:
Dog me if know what to do. This
life is played out now. The game is took
n, and we must all hunt fresh fields and
pastures new. Now | amt much sorry
for the bust up, cause | am right tired of
this same thing all the time; but then,
what's fellow going TO do? He can't go
back TO the States, COS the war has filled
every place with rOughs, and gentleman
wouldn't have half a chance. The min
ing towns might do fur a while, but they
peter out so confounded quick that 'one
doesn't more'n get his seat warm afore he
has to git. Then agin, the game thar
haint near as sure as that we've been hav-
ing. Them old miners are too cute TO be
che tied, and all feller makes he must
earn by square dealing, and that's too
risky. Interviewing stage-drivers don't
pay now, eos thar is too much certainty
of being cotched. / shouldn't wonder et
| was forced TO take TO honest ways, and
that's what's bOtherin' my conscience
that is"
The above remarks of Dolly were not
addressed to any of his companions, but
were communings with himself, carried
on in an audible voice and overheard by
the writer of this veracious history.
1.-The great cOnundrum with me is,
what kin j do ef | take To honest waysr
/ haint got no edgercation thatll allow me
10 take to the practice of law nor physic,
though I'm bleSt ef don't know good
deal more'n many as is lawyers and doc
tors; but ef I'm going TO be honest III be
so clean through and not on the surface
only. Store-keeping might gin me an
opening if knew any thing about dicker-
ing for scent piece, but whar a feller has
been all his life keerlesS about the plea
yunes, it's not Jest the cheese"
Again the brow of the soliloquiZer con-
tracied. and the clouds floated over his
face :; the twitching of the muscles around
his eyes gave evidence of the fact that he
was busily thinking. The clink of the
gold and silver as it passed back and forth
at the gambling tables, the loud oaths, the
hlasphemous utternces, the demands for
liouors which were constantly heard, were
unheeded by the dreamer, who continued
silent. irving to discover how he was going
10 ease his conscience.
"By gosh! have it," he said, as he
raised his eyes from the floor. and q
bright raw swept over his face, lighting Il
M with a really pleasant smile. "fn
Keen a tavern. i Just believe kin keep a
hotei. and dog me if don't. No more
keerds for me. No more roadside inter-