Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-02-28
The Activity in Deadw0od.

Yesterday afternoon, says the Vir-
ginia (Nev.) Chronicle, this Office was
visited by Harry Williams, an old
Comstocker vino has for some months
past been trying bis luck in the Black
Hills with good results. Mr.. Williams
is keen observer of events, and does
not require to be pumped to be in
duced to tell what he knows.
"Tell US all about Deadwood.
"Deadwood may be considered
pretty livel ly town-that is, lively for
town of 1000 inhabitants. OF course,
it's the central camp, where all the
gambling, fighting and business is
done. Everything goes on a grand
rush night and day. There is no reg
u'arity about anything. "A man opens
a place of business and makes lots of
money, then he gets the prospecting
fever, shuts up the shebang aud starts
for the gu!ches. When place is
closed up it means that the owner is
out digging, has been killed in fgh,
or is off on spree. We have no mu-
ulclpal government at all Every man
thinks he's mayor of the town. Every
once in while the boys call mass
meeting. draw up resolutions, etc, and
decide to incorporate the town and
have board Of aldermen; but at the
end of week nobody knows what has
become of the resolutions or the alder
men. We start a new city government
every two weeks and bust one every
week-if there is any.
How about the theater?'
Yes, we've got a little theater there,
not near y as well fitted up as your
cockpit. The orchestra chairs are
made of stakes driven into the sround.
with round piece Of board about the
size of your hand nailed on top. Ad-
mission, $3.50; reserved seats, SIS 90
they run sort Of variety show, ard
sling in in the jokes and stage busi.
ness as broad as possible. The can can
was danced for some time until the
boys got tired Cf it, and they SAID,
Give US some singin' or wei clean out
the place. We want somethin' ele
vatin',' aud the manager had to import
a female sentimental vocalist, at biz
expense, to appease the patrons. She
sung Sweet Spirit, Hear my Prayer
Consider the Lilies, i Know that my
Redeemer Liyeth, and other high
toned music, and | thought that the
boys would so crazy with delight. But
they got tired of it in a week. Fanny
Garrison was the singer. [ believe
she used to be here
MANY saloons there %
SALOONS all over the place, and
whisky four bits drink. They put
two barrels up on end, nail a board
across for bar, and deal it out A
miner who wants to treat pours some
gold dust On the barrel head and says,
Set 'em up They never weigh the
dust. Sometimes man won't put
down enough dust, but they never say
word; and if he's little tight and
pours out $40 or SIS worth, they
never mention it. The have three faro
banks running all the while. They
don't use checks for the boys; when
they won pile Of CHECKS they thew
'em all over the place, and some were
too drunk to handle EN-. So, the
checks got played out. Now man
puts little gold dust in dollar green
back and it goes for So; ten dollars
worth of dust in $40 g1eenback goes
for $40, and SO on. They never weigh
dust at all, but guess at the amount"
"Have you daily paper?'
Eyes, sometimes it's a daily, and
then when the compositors get drunk it
don't come out for several days. If a
man wants wadding he goes and
pays four bits for a paper. Whenever
they start new city government they
print lot of ordinances; then there
grand rush for the paper. Some
times it comes out twice week, and
sometimes twice day"
Much shooting?"
"Oh, yes; the boys are all on the
shoot. Every man carries about four
teen pounds Of the firearms hitched to
his belt, and they never pass any words.
The fellow that gets his gun out first
is the best man, and they lug off the
other fellows body. Our graveyard is
big institution, and a growing one.
Sometimes, however the place i, right
quiet. pve known times when a man
wasn't killed for "a hours. Then
perhaps they'd lay out five or six
day. When man gets too handy
with his shooting-irons and kills five
or six, they think he isn't safe, and pop
him over to rid the place of him. They
don't kill him for what be has done.
but for what he is liable to do. Isup-
pose that the average deaths amount
to about 100 a month; but the Indians
kill some"
THE Minnesota Legislature finally
passed a bill has providing for
letting contract for supplying books
e. L.