Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-08-29

randa. I've got it yet somewhere. 4
few Of the entries We're Ike these:
Little cross-eyed man, sometimes
gets hot, but takes a stand off peace
ably.
Jim =, check shirt, two guns. Owes
eleven, paid three. Can't be pressed
Long-legged galoot from Gunnison-
Always wants to fight. Licked him
IIIIIIIII times, and get money every
time.
Henry Barber. Promises, but never
comes down unless jumped on, Give
him drink when he asks hard.
futile family. stand refusal
and never ask second time. Pay once
in a while.
Old man Beebe. Killed three bar
tenders and crippled two.
Tin-cup Tom. Big buffer.
Sam Coon. Shot in the neck by a
Denver bartender and can't get over
it. Better lethim alone.
The Lumleys. Always take what
they want and smash things, but al
ways pay
Jim, Likes to jump on bartender.
Never hurts.
Bill Bledder. Throws gun on bar
and calls for big drinks. Lick him
every time he tries it.
Hank Smith. Needs killing. Better
watch him.
Now, the funny thing about This
business was" continued Dunno, my
bartender was killed by old man
Beebe, 50 that the record was not
complete until [ had given him an
other score, and made it four instead
Of three bar-tenders that he had get
away with. My man was very sys-
tematic, and he had more than three
hundred Of his customers down III
this way. He knew the whole paper
by heart, and knew exactly what to
do when a customer came in. ittook
me some little time to catch up the
business, but | got along al right af-
ter awhile.
The trouble with most e men
behind the bar is. that they can't tell
when a mar is joking Or when he is
in earnest. There are lots Of people
out here who have always got to have
just so much fuss when they get a
drink, and who don't anything
by IL; while there are lots Of othels
who go through about the same mo
tons and mean fight from the word
50. L had q customer once pln Mon
tana who kept me busy trying to read
him. Sometimes he was n way and
sometimes he was another. He would
always come in and run the house.
When he felt all right he did it for
enjoyment, and when he was ugly he
did it for a fight. [ got so | could tell
pretty near what he vas likely to do,
by ihe way he came into the door;
but I made mistakes occasionally, and
when [ did [ always had to shoot. He
and I had it three or four times, and
at last [ made up my mind that he
would drop me if [ didn't him. [ had
become tired Of studying him, and [
gave it up. | notified him one day
that he would have to behave himself
the next time he came into my place,
and the following morning he pre-
sented himself at my bar and ordered
me out. | stepped outside and he
went inside. Then he began mixing
up & drink, and when he got through
he pulled his gun and said Id been
dosing him with poison, and now he
was going to dose me, / drank the
stuff, and when he dropped his eye
for a minute I raised my gun and let
him have it twice between the eyes.
That was the time the report got out
that I had been killed. He fell be-
hind the bar, and a good many people
thought it was me.
Il never shot but one man from be-
hind the bar, and he did not die. A
careful man car get along as a rule
without using his gun. Still, it is al
ways better for him to be on the safe
side. The trouble is most likely to
occur when you try to collect your
bills, but / found it was a good rule
not to insist OF payment always. You
can generally catch the fellow again
when he is in better humor, and then
if you don't get even with him it will
be your own fault"
"a nT-ny1.C nJ,r rrpJn