Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-10-16
SAGEBRUSH SKETCHES
Some of ihe Peculiar Ambitions of a
 New Mining Camp.
How G Cheek Guerrilla Became al object Of
 Respectful Attention
A Trick in Piute Poker.
LT.on lhe s.n F-sneisso CslL

lFrom the San Francisco CeuJ
 It remains ,o be explained just why every new mining camp lCca.es, ienCt S in ard roughly lays out in walks, cut | through the salebIush, a burying zround { imme diately after the camp itself $ To- | cated The first saloon having been ! opened, and the rude code of mining ! laws adopted, the locatOr's next duty, al- ways performed, Is to establish bury ing ground on some convenient knoll and then wait with scarcely concealed ! impotence for an opportunity to appro- ' priately dedicate 1t. There may be some ' sort of natural sequence observed Tn the ' first order of events. The saloon, the | laws, the burying ground. The first two are the chief elements of cause, contrib uting toward the subsequent events which make the existence of the bury | ing ground wise public measure. The ! decisive argument of the pistol, termi- ! hating a game of cards in the saloon, | and the scattering remarks If the dOu- ! ble-baTreled shotgun, uphOlding a clam under sbe accepted code of laws, furnish | the opportunity for a proper opening. So | to say, Of the cemetery. The hrst burial | IS a sort of first -night-Of-the-Opera affair. | A mining camp with an unOccupieG cem- | etery sets up no claim as a live or prom ! ising camp. It realizes its youth and in- | experience and the hollowness of its ! pretensIons, and feeps discreetly quiet. THE FIRST KILLING,
 And the subsequent planting of the late | lGmeuted, therefore, are matters of lm- | pOrtance and great cause for cOngratu
 .Nv sN N... IL and the in9uiring tenderfOOt, have long misapprehended this quesrion. The flip pant writers on ap,, informed press have contented tAfeA z with th, | theory tLat minin9o '[is' "i de Ill the | ?, SsessiOn ot bad I'd % ,ure shots, WIS in tie potorietSc. strP deeds gave [ the camp. How uA z az unkind and ' superficial lt Is not ID the notOriety | they bring but the yOman service thel do m pOpuiating the burying ground, that make the bad men esteemed citi- zeus and objects of pride. When AUror;., Nevada, first bCOmed forth as @ mining camp in ail its glory of three saloons, each running two gambling games, one frame anu cOItOn-wal hotel, and various promising mILes, there was still an un- satisfied longing, reaching out after 6 higher and nObler plane of exIstance for a week had passed since the ceme- tery had been land out, vet It remained Uu1uhabitcd Pioneer citizens who had been located in the camp weeks before, aveTteG their eyes in conscious luSlguIt- canoe when the new arrivals anxiOusly inquired the number of burials The lodges were rich m free gold, tO be sure, and capital from San Francisco Was seeking investments. The road to Car sou was being made passable fir heavy freight teams, and one of the saloons wds already selling whiskey for a bit glass. Yet wherein lay the glory of all this, witL al uuOCcuPied cemetery shock ing the promise ot bright luture? It is needless then to describe the feelings Cf q e camp when, one night, prom ueut citizen shot Guerrilla Gibson SD called fT,m his Eahlt of preyIug upon 5he uL-Uardea chips and com of fare players. Gibson Vas Ec.er known tO haze rr--d Iu tLe world, He hGC -ol- eNil.eu Llder rne clcud ul disgrace -ug. ,-tCl .-y his aITeuatIou, ana in l. community striving after the reputation Oi square games aud fair players, no greaJer depth of infamy cou'd be att ti2- ed than to be known as a check guer- rilla.'
 A REVIVAL.
 Yst next to the citizen who had made Gibson desirable and useful, by making him dead, the corpse itself receIveI the greatest amount of respectful attention. New life and energy took possession of the camp. Industry thrived and a min ing boom set in. After that the buryIng ground became a special boast, for the settlement of adverse mining claims was attended win frequent shooting affairs; miners fell down shafts and blew them selves up with powder as if with an eye slngle tJ tie permauenCe and glory of the cemetery and rtsultiBgly the camp. Years after 1 saw that cemetery. Inc camp was des serted, and Colds mitL's ! "Deserted Village was a scene O. cheerIul bubbling life and Caiety com ! pared tO any deserted mining camp. l but who can describe the desOlatIon Ol 1 a deserted mining cam IS deserted cem- etery? The only path not chOked uI with sagebrush Was one used by tEt Flutes in going tO and from the camp | and walking along tLat path l dIscUv- cred d VeatheI-bIOwLed lead-bOard, on | which could be dimly deciphered:
 c. GIBSON,
 Who died for the glory
 Of the
 CAMF.
 It was during thatvIsit to Aurora that ! made the acquaintance of Long Bill | au estimabie gambicr, end tLe most !. charming liar | ever met. lie is known 1. Go be the only whi,e man who ever mas ! tered Piute Poker. lie hyed to regret 1 that distint tIou. however. In the eaTN ! days of Aurora tie Indians tLereabouts 1. eaILCd, in one way and another, ! considerable money. Tie young bucks shot rabbits and quail. winch they sold | at any Iri,e wlich their uutUtOIed in- ! nOceuce generally fabulous | price The old bucks grubbed sage ! brush for fuel, and the squaws did such | washing of flannel shirts and cotton | table cloths as was required. All .hese earnings, by sure and not slow process, centered in the hands of the best poker | players m the tribe.
 LONG BILL LEARNS THE GAME.
 Toncr Kill obsarxiD.r this stulied and |