Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-12-12
BILL CARTWRIGHr'S CLAIM.

the BLACK DHsS au JOlHluS Hdu ZIG
temerity TO claim that the drift of tun-
mel which tapped the mineral extend
ei over the line and the deposit, there
fore, belonged to him, everybody IN
I.eadville predicted trouble.
During p brief .ence in camp,
Mr.. Cartwright had briefly expressed
his contempt and loathing for any and
all courts, and illustrated these views
in number of little episodes that
marked his erratic career In = dit
ference of opinion in a four handed
game Of poker at the Miners Rest
saloon he had thrown ono of the play
ers out Of the window, knocked an.
other downstairs, and compromised
with the third by approprlating the
entire stakes to his own uses. On
another occasion Jean Duprez, a big
French freighter, disputed one of his
statements, and in the discussion that
followed Mr.. Cartwright stamped him
barbarously and carried away an ear
as a trophy. The fact that Nine.
DupreZ was present and screamed
continuously during the engagement
did not soften his heart nor stay his
hand.
ers Of the same general tenor gave
the citizens Of Leadville hesitancy
about arguing any matter with him.
Big-boned, heavy-featHred, coarse of
speech, brutal when aroused and
morose when at rest, OF bulldog cour-
age, of passionate nature and unfOr-
gwen memory, the better people of
the camp tolerated him by simply
letting him alone. In view of these
facts Fishers friends were appalled,
at his suicidal temcrlty, and urged
hlm to withdraw his demand That
gentleman replied tersely that he was
right and would not be bullied.
Cartwright laughed contemptuously
when he heard Of Fishers claims, and
kept on work in the Josie" Next
day Fisher quietly enjoined him, in
the despised cCuMty court, from talk
ing out any more mineral, and a
Sherff's posse enforced the order.
Cartwright went to town full of rage
and a kind of incredulOus amazement,
and, shortly afterward, with whiskey.
In this condition he made several CORY
threats, and was promptly put under
bonds by Fisher to keep the peace.
After these We're given with great
difficulty, for everybody believed he
would instantly commit some deed Of
violence, he made no more threats,
but sat for Il long time in gloomy
silence For the first time he had
realized the strong arm oil the law;
then he surprised his admirers by re
marking, with an oath, that he guess
ed he'd try the courts awhile himself.
Out of this Sprang litigation which
became somewhat famous.
The disputed claim lay about mid
way down the side of one of those
spires the Continental divide throws
out like thornS upon branch. Above
it into the clouds, and below it into
the valley, the mountain stretched
away, its vast incline so strangely
smooth and unbroken by rock, or
gulch, or pine, that from certain
points it had an extraordinary artiti=
cial look, as though its descent had
been fixed by line and plumment and
some colossal piece of engineering.
Tho two cabins, that on the ''Black
Bess" the larger aud more habitable,
indicated the CLAIMS, and n common
trail, zigzlggcd away from up the
slope until 1t finally struck a stage
road mile and balf away This,
in turn, wound upwards and ever up-
wards above lumber line into the an
Client snow and never melting mjstS,
now crooked streak, now a line, and
now tiny thread in the distance,
uuul 1t crcpt over the gIddy pinnacle
of the Rockies at Mosquito pass and
dropped by degrees into the valley of
Lcadvllle ON the other side. John
Fisher had moved his wife and five
children into the larger cabin, and
had that which is nine points of the
law possession.
The ease got into the county court
and ON the November docket Cart
wright, who had realized some moa-
ely from the sale of ore before the
trouble, had staid in town since and
divided hls attention between faro and
broodug over his wrongs. When
PINNED down on the witness stand ne
admitted that his drift extended over
the line, but swore Savagely that
Fisher had changed the boundary
stakes in the dead of night so rs to
take in the discovery. Truth COM
pels me to state that this story of Mr..
Cartwright's bore some of the ear
marks Of being the inspiration of the
moment and was received with more
or less suspicion by the learned judge.
Fisher made his statement, introduc-
ed n surveyor who corroborated him,
and tn case was taken under advise
mcnt. This probably would not have
been done, except that rude system
of equity prevailed there, and, al
though the facts were againt Cart
wright, II was generally conceded that
1t was little rough on him 10 use the
fortune he had stumbled upon, and
for another man to receive all the
benefit of his luck and labor.
Possibly Tor this reason the court
was loath TO pass upon it, and it drag,
ged on undecided until the very last
day OF the term Meantime Cart
wright had told the story Of the
change of the stakes so frequently
that, whether originally founded on
fact or not, he undoubtedly came at
last to believe it firmly himself, and
was likely to become enraged and
commit assault and battery when
doubted.
Finally, ut noon December "a, Just
before adJourniug for the holidays,
the cause was decided, awarding the
mineral land to John Fisher, and
placing William Cartwright just four
teen feet on the wrong side of a com
potency.
Cartwright was at the bar of the
Gem saloon when they brought him
tie news. Fer an instant he stoed
still, breathing hard, and deep, black
lines seemed to grow across his fore
head. Then all tae brute in him burst
forth.
Curse your eyesr he screamed at
the staring messenger, hurting the
untasted whisky into his face, what
are you looking atl'
Then wheeling around, he called
out TO the bartender: Ed, lend me
yours snowshoes."
That worthy did not consider it ad-
visible to decline, and sent boy to
his room al ter them, while Cartwright
rushed out of doors. In a short time
he returned for the shoes, carrying
his Wincester repeating rifle in his
hand, and as he was singing them