The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-08-10
TOUGH YARNS.
Stories which Were Told at . Recent
Reunion Of tho Pioneers.


4
Reunion of the Pioneers.
New York Graphic
| Pioneer C.'s story: 81 went TO tn,
mines in '4S. purchased in San Fran
CISCO "a washing machine, weighing six
ty pounds, which packed on my BAG
over the hot and arid plain lying be
tween Stockton and the Mokelumne
river When got there dug my frs
hole and planted my washing machini
by it 1t wouldn't work, Pretty sool
the oldest man in the mines came alone
and says he: Stranger, how much dye
charge for washing shirts p told him
l was not there 10 wash shirts, but Il
wash out gold. He burst into louC
/ far as Murphy's camp. Why said he
| that's continuance for washing clothes
you've got thar. They's taken We in
and done for ye.' 1t was true, had
been cruelty imposed upon. But made
| q small fortune out of the washing ma
chine. gave up gold mining, turned
washerwomau for the whole camp at
Cui-throat Bar, and in six months made
$4,000 by washing shirts at So a piece
Gentlemen, the services l performed in
| building and making history for the
| great state of California are among the
proudest reflections of my life"
Judge BIS story: when arrived in
| San Francisco there was any amount OF
hanging going on by the vigilance com
mittee. There was u great scarcity of
rope for halters. I happened to have
with me bale of choice hemp. l saw
business was Just then very dull. Il had
opened a law Office and hung out my
shingle.) My expenses were $50 per
day. An inspiration seized me. oc-
cupied my spare time (Which was all
my time) in making halters and
selling Them TO the vigilance CON-
mittee at 500 each Some days /
made $500. A single boiled potato cost
then dollar. This was the commence
ment of my fortune. regard with shame
the humble part had in building up the
state of California" Pioneer DPS sto-
ry: my 40 house in Happy Valley was
u hogshead- At night laid it horizon
tally on the ground and selpt as much
of MYSELF as l could in it. BY day 1
stood the hOgshead on end top up and
lived in it. I started my bar in this hogs
head. cut q hole in the side, tackled a
little shelf outside, and, when customers
appeared, put out my bottle.
The bottle held my entire
stock in trade. sold whisky at rs
cents per drink. have known men TO
travel a quarter of mile after being
WIN AC IC1I.
Those were great times. As things pros
pered with me l bought more hogs
heads and rented them out at 800 per
week. California is great country for
bringing out mans full strength and
character. / should never have been
half the man l am but for my Califor-
MIA experience. 1t was my good for
tune to have had some share in build
ing up that great and glorious state. L
am proud of it."
Col. DIS story "On the first night of
my arrival put up at the Occidental
hotel, then kept by Lewis and Jerome
ing the night heard scratching, paw
ing and shifting at the door. Thinking
it was the cat, / opened it to drive the
animal away. 1t was not the cat An
enormous grizzly stood before me. The
door opened, and with single bound
he overthrow me and was in the room
With one stroke of his paw he demolish-
ed my spectacles, tore out my false teeth,
and upset my cologne bottle. I had
three revolvers and four bowie-knives
in my valise, but alasI had neglected
to take any of them out before retiring
The monster seemed to divine the con-
tents of my portmRnteau, for he grabbed
it with one of his human-like claws and
threw it out of the window. Shall tell
you how l fought him and saved my
life? Will you believe it? / fought
him with my bottle of smelling salts
Every time he made for me gave him
a snuff of it. He would roar terribly
and temporarily back down. Then he
would rush for me again. The fight was
kept up for the remainder of the night
until my supply of smelling salts was ex
hausted. l called out to Lewis Leland
to send me up some more. He re-
piled that there was not q single pound
in the entire city. l said: Buy it at any
price, He sent out waiter, who re-
turned with the reply that it would cost
$1,000. L" (Here the speakers words
will be drowned by the band, at the close
of which there will be heard slight
murmur of proud record-my part
building up the glorious state-nia.
Gen. Els story: al landed on the
shores of the golden state in '48. AL
though my stay was but fifteen min
utes, l assisted as a spectator in
hanging two men without Judge or
jury. There was no delay in justice
in those days. l believe that one
of these men was afterward found
innocent. But he was an awful example
to the guilty party, whoever he was, and
who was never-nO, never-discoVered.
Our vessel sailed then Immediately to
China. Although l have never seen
the shores of the glorious state assisted
to find and make history tor, still the
humble part in which it was my gloii-
GUS privilege to take in elevating her to
her present proportions is one of the
proudest," etc.
Mai FPS story: During the spring
of '49 the WallOp-o-W ogga tribe of In
dians used often to attack our camp at
Eirty Blanket Bar. We expected
attacks from them nightly, and were
in the habit of sleeping on our
arms. had no arms then but pocket
pistol had brought out from the states.
/ used to sleep on that. So did nay broth
er. These pocket pistols were fully
charged every night They were gener-
quence of the repeated and furious
attacks from these Indians and snakes.
1t kept one man busy getting them
charged next day-at the nearest grocery.
They were loaded from barrel. Those
were wild old times, can tell you. One
day two wild Indians chased my brother
three miles. We saw him being
pursued by them That is, we saw
him, but never saw the Indians. It
was the same snakes. Numbers of our
party were pursued by snakes, but it is
a singular fact that no one ever saw the
snakes save the parties pursued. Peo-
pie at the east can never realize the hard
ships and perils endured by US brave
California pioneers. 1t was dangerous
country where we mined. Nearly all our
party eventually met their death at the
hands of these Indians and snakes.
Whisky was then $40 per gallon. 1t
cost us nearly all our earnings for anu
milton. But, gentlemen, / am proud
that l too, had a hand in making Cali