San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-01-26
They Let Him Stay.
BY BILL NYE.

In the early history oil Cummins
City, when Calamity and Lengthy
johnson and Tapeworm Charlie were
the bon ton of the new gold camp,
there was man whom we will call DR..
Farrar, who went there partially to
assay for the camp and partially TO
wear out his young life. Dr. Farrar
had a pretty uphill job of it from the
start. for the mines hadn't doomed
very fast at first, and good many OF
the boys sent their samples OF ore TO
Salt Lake or Denver for assay, and the
rest of them used to salt his fiux for a
good showing and then stand him up
for his pay. One honest miner gilded
the pestle one night in the assay once
and sold his gopher hole OH Virginia
hill the next day on an assay OF Sl'oZo
to tho ton.
After while DIR. Farrar found that
he had to lock up his mortar and lux
in his trunk and sleep with his crucl,
bles, or his reputation as an assayls,t
would become,a ,by-word and stench
in the nostrils of the pilgrim with the
plug hat, and the tenderfoot would say
afie upon him." and spit upon him and
smite him on the bugle.
On top of all this an injurious report
got out over the camp rejecting on the
morality of DR.. Farrar Society was III
a crude state and most every stove,plpe
in town had been bored so full OF bull
let holes that it wouldn't draw, and
there was general feeling OF insecur-
ity. .,,,y,
Most every one said that unless steps
were taken to quiet things little before
long, there would be music by the en-
tire band. .,,
1t was generally decided that the
vigilantees would have to begin on DR..
Farrar The town was. getting BAD
reputation outside, and something must
be done. The committed, however,
was not in working order, as part OF
the number had gone over toward Last
Chance on placer stampede, and half
a dozen more were in Laramie on DIS
trict court business. However, 1t was
decided that two members of the com
mittee, whom we will call Trustworthy
Kersikes and. The Annihilator were
delegated to arm themselves and drive
Dr.. Farrar outsof town or inform him
that they would shoot him on sight.
Great care was used to prevent DIR.
Farrar from getting any premature no.
tice of this arrangement, because those
who knew his very shrinking and gen
tie disposition were sure that it he were
to drop on the programme he would
skip the camp, and the amusement
would have to be postponed.
It was therefore decided that Trust
worthy Kersikes and The Annihilator
should go down to the assay office
armed and prepared to either scare the
assayer to death or spatter. his squiver-
ing flesh all over Polecat avenue:
About opposite the palatial dugout
occupied by Calamity, the avengers
met DR.. Farrar.
He had just been down to Sam
Woods and hoisted in about six fingers
of what was known at that time as
Vinegar Hill sheep dip. 1t was way
billed over the Union Pacific as liquid
crime"
The avengers stood back a n oment
to give the fugitive achance to escape.
He seemed to court death.
He simply walked up to Trustworthy
Kersikes and twisted the double
barreled shotgun out of his hands like
a flash. Then he pulled it on the An
nihilator and told him to throw up his
hands. Calmly as though he were
making an assay on Gilt Edge blossom
rock, DR.. Farrar went through the gar
ments of the avengers. The ix-shooteis
he slowed away in the bust Of his PAN
falcons, and the double barreled shot
gun he broke over a pine log and threw
it up on the woodshed.
Then he told the avengers that he
would spare their. Improbable lives
this trip, ku. if they ever tried to kill
him again there would be good deal
of hilarity on the main street. He said
he was not of reyengeful or antago-
nistic disposition, but that if this thing
was repeated every evening with
matinee for ladies and children every
Saturday afternoon, he would get re-
heating hoe handle and clean out the
entire vigilance committee.
DIR. Farrar said he had never been
looked upon as quarrelsome or deadly
man at all he was just plain, every
day style of citizen, without any con-
suming ambition to fill the world with
funerals and hang sable pail of
mourning over the land, but if the Wig
lance committee wanted to make an
example of him and would give him
notice enough so that he could arm
himself with an old salt bag full of con-
valescent eggs and an old pick handle,
he would be willing to abide the result.
The committee turned in silent
scorn and left him, and the disagreea-
ble subject was never preached again
afterward.