The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1886-11-19
henceforwari, Royal Thatcher ro,...,

henceforward. Royal thatcher ro,en.,, =.
stead. N hb
And SO, having anticipated the lepa, r..,
VIC VIII so BACK to various bum.,.
terests that helped to make il un NJ
To begin with Rosconnoon. y.
Justice to his later conduct AMI 20
preston, /. must DO remembers, ~ %. -.
when ho accepted tho claim r.. 'ass
''Rod Rock rancho" yet unquestione, ,. s'
tho hanf:s Of Garcia, ho was rarc,os, . .
least u:.susoicicus Of fraud It. WI, ~. 80. ~
ho Ecd experienced tho intozicatio, =, ,,.,""
ton tina. ho felt, somehow, thnt n. . .,a
wro:'csa ard defrauslca man, but with n.
ohsti::scy Of defraudet' men, preterrs, n ~. -.
raign some one fact or individual ~ 49,
pel!i,es;; ca:so ct his 'ong, rather th,, -.
various circumstances that led to It. ~ ~.
simple r.1:::d it was :.aelo patent that .A'
"Bluo Mass Company" were making ,,o'sH
out Of r:ino which ho claimed. nnf ,.:',
was not yet edjudged to them. Every a,nsa
they too. out was fresh count II, th;, -.
cral Indictment. Every delay toward. e 49,.
adjustment of rights-e!though made ly ~.
own lawyer-was personal wroa- ~.
mere fact that there nevor was nor hod ,.
any quid pro quo for this immense pronar+n
that it had fallen to hin for e micro son.
only added zest to his struggle. The posxhii;.,
Of his losing this mere speculation afr.ct,.
him more strongly than il be had ALREADY,
paid down the million no expected 10 get fro.n
the mine. don't know that l have indirat.a
es plainly as might that universal nrcfo,.
ence on the part Of mankind to ret sometime
from nothing, and to acquire the largest ~.
turn for the least possible expenditure, hu.
question my right to say that Koscommon
was much more reprehensiblo than Lis FIJI,
lows.
But it told upon him as it did upon
all over whom the spirit Of the ,nur.
dered Concho brooded-upon all whom
avarice alternately flattered and tortured
From his quiet gains in his Legitimate
business, from the little capital accurnu.
lated through industry and economy, no lay.
ished thousands OH this chimera of his fancy.
He grew Erizzled and worn over his selfim.
customers regardless Of quality or station Or
Importance; he had cliques to molify, enemies
to placatc, friends to reward The grocery
suffered; through giving food and lodgment
tocloudsof uninpeachablc witnesses before the
land commission and tho district court, Mrs.
Ros,' found herself losing money. Even the
bar failed; there was a party of "Blue Mass"
employees who drank at the opposite fonda,
and cursed the Roscommon claim over the
liquor. The calm, mechanical Indifference
with which Roscomnon had served his Gus
toners was gone. The towel was no longer
used after its perfuncto,y fashion; the
counter remained unwiped; the disks Of
| countless glasses marked its surface and in
Dictated other preoccupation on the part Of
the proprietor. The keen gray eyes Of the
claimant of the "Red Rock Rancho" were a.
ways on tho lookout for friend or enemy.
Garcia comes next. That gentlcman's
Unborn talent for historic misrepresentation
eliminated unpleasantly through de-
fective memory; O year or two after be
had sworn in his application for the "Rancho,"
being engaged in another case, some triAing
inconsistency was discovered in his state
ments, which had the effect of throwing the
weight Of evidence to tho party who had paid
him most, but was instantly detected by the
weaker party. Garcias pre-eminencc as
witness, ON expert and general historian BE-
gan to decline. He was obliged to he cor.
roborated, and this required liberal outlay
Of his fee. With tho loss of his credibilty a.
a witness bad habits supcrvened. He was
frequently drunk, he lost his position, be lost
his house, and Carmen, removed to San Fran
cisco, supported him with her brush.
And this brings us once more to that pretty
painter and innocent forger whose uncon'
scious act lore such baleful fruit on the bar.
rem hillsidcs of tho "lied Rock Racho," and
also to q later blossom of her life, that opened,
however, In kindlier sunshine.