The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-11-11
JACK MYERS.
kecollectiOn or Swett's Bar AMI It's
Champion Desperate.
BY PRENTICE NII-LFoRD.

BY PRENTICE MULFORD.
Jack Myers and his crowd owned a
claim in the bed of the river, which they
turned and worked every summer; and
this claim covered the ground occupied
by our copper lode. They had been
working all winter in Garrote Flat,
about eighteen miles distant, and COM
ing down in the spring took the copper
fever severely, and finding we were on
apart Of their ground, laid claim to such
portion of our possessions. | argued
that the two claims had nothing to do
with each other. Possession of any por-
ton of the riYer-bed implied possession
only of the gravel in it, and the discov-
erer of any lode of ore in the underly-
ing rock, whether above or below water,
was as much entitled to il rs though it
were ten miles away.
Jack Myers was not IN arguing man.
His first and last resort lay in his pistol.
He had always carried his points in this
way, and he had always found such pro-
cess quicker and cheaper than resort TO
the complicated and costly machinery
of courts, law, and lawyers. He could
not live comfortably without a fight
every few months, and when he failed
to pick quarrel with any outsider he
would work off his combativeneSS one or
other of his three associates, who were
completely under his control and inhu-
ence, and who seemed to like him all
the better for an occasional beating.
Myers was n thoroughly bad man.
There seemed no soft spot, no relieving
quality in his nature. His speech to
nfbay.g ,1t,,.-,t,,.l
growl. He went about always more or
less under the influence of Hquor-de-
lighting in the dread his presence in
spired, for he was as dangerous as a
tiger turned loose. Respectable men
slipped quietly out of the saloon when
he entered. People talked in low and
subdued tones while he was by, for he
frequently criticised chance remarks,
whether coming from a stranger or ac-
quaintance, and made them the pre-
tense for a quarrel. He shot VIII Lef-
tingwell while eating his dinner in
restaurant, having construed a few
words of Wills, spoken that morning
and reported to him by one of his
Oflicious toadieS, into threat against
himself. He put Il ball through Sam
BOynton'S knee, and lamed him for life,
because Sam refused TO drink with him. |
He had knitted a man TO death in Auro- |
Ia, no one could tell why or wherefore |
at the trial. These were but a moiety
of his exploits; vet the law, or what was
called by that name, always cleared
him. He was rs lucky at mining as he
was at shooting. He always could and
always did command the best LEGAL tai
ent. Next to manning or killing fel-
low-being, he liked being on trial for the
Offense, on account Of the notoriety it
gave him.
Myers and his gang came and took
possession of their cabin in May. 1t
was but n few hundred yards from my
quarters. Their presence brought pam
demonium TO Swett's Bar, hitherto so
quiet and lovely in the California spring.
There is at that season of the year, be-
fore the grass and flowers become with |
cred and dried by the intense summer
heat, a balmineSS and freshness which
prediSpOSeS the mind to a soft waking
dream; and at night, with the full moon
over you, pouring down such flood of
silver light that any ordinary print may
be clearly read, and in the distance the |
SlANNA NtNll NNlllt AiN
rs in the day time, yet entirely changed |
in shade and color-it seems not to be- |
long TO this earth, but to some ideal en- |
chanted region. But Myers and his |
three disciples poisoned all this beauty. |
Until late in the night, and every night, |
their cabin was a scene of carOuSing, |
oathS, yells, fighting and drunken rev.
elry.
On the second day of their arrival the |
desperate called on me. He was |
small man, with face which had more |
of the weasel in it than any other ami
NAL. There was no time wasted by |
him in compliments or commonplace |
remarks.
"Half the ground you claim" said
he, belongs to me; you must leave it.
l give You twenty-four hours to etyour
cabin, traps and tools off it!n
Mvers's claim extended over the dis
covey-hOle.
But" said l, "you sold this portion
of the bank to the Cinnamon. Wehave
come into possession of their claim.
How can you, then, in justice ask this
from us?''
"Sold them the gravel only" was his
reply; didn't sell 'em the ledge.
That's ours. You can buy it of us if
you want to-"
"What is your price?n
Zone hundred thousand dollars!"
We sat silent, facing each other, for
a few moments. didn't know what to
do. To talk up" to the man was to
invite instant combat. To Cringe be-
fore him was equally bad. He was
watching my every motion, ready to
draw if he saw suspicious one on my
part-ready at any show of verbal def
ance to apply to me some vile term
which no man could hear, according to
the sentiment of these times, without
resenting. To gain time, i said:
"MyerS, take a drink, and let's talk
business afterward.n
Certainly" said he, "I'll drink
with YOU"
And when he had poured down a
tumbler of my best brandy, which rank
ed with him no better than the vile
whisky he consumed by the gallon, he
remarked:
"Well, what are you going to do?
Trade or travel?"
81 don't feel like travelling, Mr..
Myers" l said this mildly and quietly.
"Well, do" was the reply. " You
get off our ground by tomorrow night,
or we'll put YOU off, that's all"
He walked out of the door. Shortly
I arose, and, going outside, saw Myers
at the farther end of the claim tearing
down our notices and putting up his
own scrawls in their place. There was
not a man in my employ on whom
I could depend to aid me. They were
WILLING 10 work but not to fight. Soon
Munse, nv foreman, met me. lie look
ed , little embarrassed and cowed.
The gang has knocked off work,
said he; Jack Myers and his crowd
tsvs been tearing around, and' unoer