The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-10-08
ADEADwOOD BAR. -

III every lar W0SL0Eu Stdt0 anu t6rrlLOry
except Oregon, is in town renewing
old acquaintances and looking up pros
poets. Dunno is q lively taiker. Down
at the Star last night he said:
almost all our prominent men in
the west began life by selling whisky.
A good many of them hate to own it
now. but it is fact all the same.
can name hundred rich and promi-
nent citizens who got their first start
behind bar, and of course ] can re-
call good many who got to going the
other way from that point. was here
in the hills running a saloon before
they were opened to settlement. That
is. we used to say they were not open.
but they were to anybody whose scalp
was tied on. had partner then who
was q good business man. but he over
reached himself. once. His name was
Belden.
"Belden came to me one day and
said the hills were bound to be opened
in the spring, and that if we could get
big stock of whisky into the country
before the Indians left we would get
onto both sides of tine deal and catch
'em like the darky did the coon, q go
in or q comm. He argued that the
Indians would want big supply when
just going out on the war-path, and
that the miners Just coming into new
country where yalor was essential
would also have to have a GOOD deal. 7
tboupht fayorably of his Scheme. and
| we teamed in ten barrels of pretty rood
stuff. We also had ten other barrels.
and when we got the liquor in here we
drew off half Of the contents of the full
barrel and put them into the. Others.
Then Belden said that he would I'LL up
the twenty barrels with water. l told
him this was mighty eccentric eli-
/ mate, and nobody knew what minute
it might turn, cold, but he said we'd
| have to risk it. So we filled the barrels
up and waited for business. 1t came
sooner than we expected. About
week later terrific storm blew up, and
when it cleared off the thermometer
sank out of sight. 1t was frightfully
cold. Along about midnight my part
ner and l were awakened by an explo-
sion, and we had no more gained our
feet when there came another thunder
ing crash right under us, where our
whisky was.
The soldiers have come. surer
yelled Belden, get your gum
..Just then there was another rim and
crack, and, getting down from the loft,
we found that our whisky was flying
all around the room. We couldn't do
anything to save it, and when daylight
came We found every barrel but one
burst, and, of course, ruined. My part
ner said:
| Z" We might have put little mite
| less water in the stuff, I suppose, but
you've got to take some risks in every
| business
well, as he had more money than /
| did, didn't say much, and as soon as
the weather moderated we tried it
again. We didn't go quite SO strong
on water this time, and didn't use any
until we were about ready to ladle the
stuff out. In that way We got rid OF
big stock ana made good deal OF
now running national DanK, ana IL
would hurt his feelings to have anyone
know that he had ever sold whisky"
ooheoody suggested Inat u LOOK
pretty good man to stand behind bar
and Dunne said:
..That,s true tn a certain exte,t
,honrh I've tnown soma mighty an..i ,
men To come out dead. You've got TO
huInor a certain class Of customers, and !
. oar,a,u o,her elass vou,ve rot To sbut
Sn us n Iar, "ts h.y you bar,tsr We Os W snos
aoWn ON naru. l had bartender once
in Leadvillc in the early tays who was
about as good, a Judge of men as ever
saw. He never mad. hut one mistake
gov" , - I.'s. o s.e s soAo,
anu tiiu' was ms ias'' AiloI ho was
killed 4 couldn't lind just the right
nvs,If for several davs with his fate ,
=. t,as,, i, nv ,,,;nJ n..,,raii,, ,,;shaS !
81 sI ISL ~ ny, ny in, a., seaJ ~isnou
l knew all that he did before he died. !
with the additional lesson of his death
as well. and began to look around for
his accounts. hunted half day. ex-
pecting to find some record or other
that would post me, and in tho mean
time everybody who wanted anything
got it. At last came on an old sheet
of brown wrapping-paper, on which
the bartender had kept his memoran-
da- I've got it yet somewhere. A few
of the entries were like these:
Little cross-eyed man. sometimes gets hot
but takes standotf peaceably.
Jim -, check shirt two guns. Owes
I1n1.eyoed @a psIoot frnm " the preGsu Gsnniso,
LII times, and get money every time
Henry Barber. Promises, but never comes
uIm wbsn hiess hn sss JIhipeo h oil' uVe NM aflhK
Tuttle family. Won't stand refusal, and
WhiGe 15yee ask second Time. ray once Ill
Old Old man Reebe-Ki,,ed three bartendars
and crippled two. ~ ''' '''-'
Tin Cup Tom,1Big buffer:
baptenep and cant aet .e evs meek Reten f
him alone - o. w. o''o- io'
The Lumleys-Always take what they
want and smash things. but always pay.
,,,r1I 1tln-hAkes 10 Jump on bartender. ''NeVer
T Xii III Observation-Disclosures orr, q, har and .ou.
for big drinks. Lick him every time he
tries It.
Hank Smith-Needs killing Better watch
MN, :, .
NOW tne iunny thing ABOUT this
business was, continued Dunne; "my
bartender was Killed oy OLD man Beebe
,.;nI 81 tnI' Inc record was NOT complete
uns ansu nau even nm ahother score
s.andnns. nu at5 :. ipur lns'eaa ot tnroe par
nueis Wl INC. ne hao got away Win.
m"n was very sys,emauc, ana ne
nau more 'nan tnree hundred OF his
customers ooWh IN tnls way. he knew
the WnOle paper by heare, and knew