Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-09-11
EUGENE BLAIR.

The Sentinel of Sunday has the following
account of Eugene Blair, the brave man who
acts as shot gun messenger for Wells, Fargo
& Company
Heroes whose praises are unsung, men out
of the incidents of whose lives a dozen dime
novels of the most exciting kind could be con-
structed, abound in this Western country,
and plod on at their daily duties without ever
dreaming that they are anything more than
the most ordinary of mortals. Of such stuff
is our friend Eugene Blair, Wells, Fargo &
Co. s messenger ON the road south of Eureka.
The daring exploits, encounters with road
agent, fights with roughs, and harbreadth
escapes that have characterized his career for
the past eleven years, would fill a volume,
and still Eugene is one of the most modest
and quiet of mortals In 1867 he was at work
in one of the mines on the Comstock and be-
coming acquainted with George Downey,
Chief Of Police in Virginia City, he was ap-
pointed on the force. He was young and
beardless, just from quiet Yankee land, and
the roughs in that city-there was legion of
them-thought, as they expressed it, that
they had "soft thing" on the newly hedged
oficea. They made it lively for Eugene for a
while, but before long it began to dawn upon
their minds that they had ''caught Tartar.
Whenever they started row he was on hand
to quell it, and the uglier the fight the more
he seemed to enjoy it. If it was necessary to
take some noted desperadoes to Jail or arrest
some blood thirsty rounder, Blair was de-
tailed for the service, and in short time that
element both feared and respected him.
Several hot encounters with stage robbers and
murderers proved his courage and gave him
wide reputation. At the time when the ex-
Il / l. ~ Ill
place was counted rather dull unles there was
d daily killing, he removed to that point and
acted as Deputy Sheriff. His influence over
the hounds that had gathered there from all
parts of the world was unbounded, and he
kept the place in very decent order whenever
his presence was known. Shortly after this
time, he went into Wells, Fargo & CO..
service, and has devoted his time ever since to
the protection of their treasure. His first ex-
plot was the capture of a notorious highway
man, who, under the sObriquet of Buffalo
Bill, had long been terror to the express
company. He had on numerous occasions,
after committing some aggravated robbery,
dared the officers to arrest him, and boasting
that no living man would undertake the job.
To Blair was given the task of working up the
case. And alone and single handed he track
ed him to his haunts, and marched him into
captivity. The fellow IS now serving out a
ten years term in the Utah Territorial prison
His feat in killing Carlow, and his partici-
patton in the late fight at Willows station, are
fresh in the memory of our readers, His eff
forts and courage have saved his employers
thousands of dollars, and we are happy to say
that they appreciate him, and are not niggard- |
ly in rewarding him for his services His |
Brown, is another man of the |
same stamp, and his adventures in Montana,
before being transferred to Eureka, would |
form chapter of daring deeds and bloody
encounters that would shame the efforts of |
the byogrphers of Wild Bill, Texas Jack and |
other noted plainsmen. Notwithstanding the |
the fact that these men deserve praise, an at
tempt to fatter them over their exploits is
always repulsed, and they are modest and re-
ticent in mentioning anything connected with
theie feats on the road.