The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-10

Bill Cartwright's Claim.

the BLACK BeSS " ADJOINING nau tne
temerity to claim that the drift or tun-
mel which tapped the mineral extended
over the line, and the deposit therefore
belonged to him, everybody in Lead
vile predicted trouble.
During a brief residence in camp Mr..
Cartwright had briefly expressed his
contempt and loathing for any and all
courts, and illustrated these views in a
number of little episodes that marked
his erratic career. In difference of
opinion in four-handed game of cards
at the Miners Rest saloon he had
thrown one of the players out of the
window, knocked another down stairs,
and compromised with the third by APP
propriating the entire stakes to his own
uses. On another occasion Jean Du-
PREF, big French freighter, disputed
one of his statements, and in the dis
cussion that followed Mr.. Cartwright
stamped him barbarously and carried
away an ear as trophy. The fact that
Nine. Duprez was present and screamed
continuously during the engagement
did not soften his heart nor stay his
hand.
These incidents, and numerous others
liens of Leadville hestancy about ar
guing any matter with him. Big-boned,
Manufactured coarse of speech, brutal
when aroused and morose when at rest,
of bulldog courage, of passionate ma
ture and unforgiving memory, the bet
ter people of the camp tolerated him
by simply letting him alone. In view
of these facts, Fishers friends were APP
palled at his suicidal temerity, and
urged him 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 county court, from taking out
any more mineral, and a sheriff's posse
enforced the order. Cartwright came
to town full of rage and a kind of in
credulous amazement, and, shortly af-
terward, with whiskev. In this con-
dition he made several CORY threats,
and was promptly placed under bonds
by Fisher to keep the peace. After
these were given with great difficulty
for everybody believed that he would
he made no more threats, but sat for
long time in gloomy silence. For the
first time he had realized the strong
arm of the law; then he surprised his
admirers by remarking, with an oath,
that he guessed he'd try the courts
awhile himself. Out of this sprang a
litigation which became somewhat ia
nous.
The disputed claim lay about midway
down the side of one of those spurs the
Continental divide throws out like thorns
upon branch. Above it into the clouds
and below it into the valley, the noun
tain stretched away, its vast incline sc
strangely smooth and unbroken by rock
or gulch, or pine, that from certain
points it had an extraordinary artificial
look, as though its descent had beer
fixed by line and plummet and some
colossal piece of engineering. The two
cabins, that on the BLACK Bessn the
larger and more habitable, indicated
the claims, and a common trail zig
Jagged away from up the slope until i
finally struck stage road mile and {
half away. This, in turn, wound up
wards and ever upwards above timber
melting mists, now crooked streak
now a line, and now tiny thread il
the distance, until it crept over thu
giddy pinnacle of the Rockies at Mos
quito pass and dropped by degrees into
the valley of Leadville on the othel
side. John Fisher had moved his wife
and five children into the larger cabin
and had that which is nine points of thu
law-possession.
The case got into the county cour
and on the November docket. Cart
wright, who had realized some none,
from the sale of ore before the trouble
had stayed in town since and divided
his attention between faro and brood
ing over his wrongs. When pinne'
down on the witness-stand he admitted
that his drift extended over the line
but swore savagely that Fisher ha
changed the boundary stakes in tn
dead of night so as to take in the dis
covery. Truth cOmpels me to stat
that this story of Mr.. Cartwright's Dor
some of the ear-marks of being tn
inspiration of the moment and was re
ceived with more or less suspicion b.
the learned Judge. Fisher made hi
statement, introduced a surveyor VIII
corroborated him, and the case wa
taken under advisement. This probabl
would not have been done, except tina
rude system of equity prevailed Their
and, although the facts were agains
Cartwright, it was generally concede
that it was little rough on him to us
the fortune he had stumbled upon, an
for another man to receive all the bene
fit of his luck and labor.
Possibly for this reason the court wa
loath to pass upon it, and it dragged o
undecided until the very last day of tn
term. Meantime Cartwright had tol
the story of the change of the stake
so frequently that whether original
founded on facts or not, he undoubtedl
came at last to believe it firmly himsel
and was likely to become enrage
and commit assault and battery whe
doubted.
Finally at noon, December "a, jul
before adjourning for the holidays, tn
cause was decided, awarding the mil
eral land to John Fisher, and placin
William Cartwright just fourteen fe'
on the wrong side of competency.
Cartwright was at the bar of the GEE
saloon when they brought him I'll
news. For an instant he stood still
breathing hard, and deep, black lint
seemed to grow across his forehea'
Then all the brute in him burst fort