Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-07-10
Jones Stampeded.

grees more absorbing, it monopolizes
every tendency to human effort in the
attainment of an object. II takes alb
solute possession, and ursurps supreme
control over its victims. John Jones
hears a noise at midnight; it may be a
cat in the garret, or nobody's dog on
the back porch, but John is visibly
affected, and exclaims, Betsey, did you
hear that? III bet cool hundred Bill
Smith has struck it on Dutch flat
What's the matter, JohnP What ails
We? are we crazy? Come back to bed
you'll catch your death of cold up there
in your night clothes. Go to sleer
Betsey, and don't give me away. Where
| is that Ratchet ! borrowed of Joe
Sno0Ks last year? Never mind Betsey
go to sleep, I'll find it.
Jones dresses hastily, and after sup
plying himself with a hatchet emerges
from the back door, and down the back
yard walk to the fence, where he meets
Pete Hines, who also heard the noise,
and became inspired with the same
belief Hello, Jones, what are you
doing out this time of night? Hello,
Hines, oh all; we'll you see Hines my
wife is not very well and, and you see
| thought | had better go down to
Sherman's, and get Mrs. S. to come mp
and see her Yes, but what are you
doing with that hatchet? Well, you
see my wife borrowed that hatchet of
Barnes, and as | was going right by
there, / thought / would return it, but /
say Hines, where are you going with
your hatchet? Oh, nowhere, thought
there might be mad dog in the yard,
so | brought my hatchet in self defense.
Yes, but where are you going Hines ut
this late hour? Me, oh all, well | am
going down TO see if my wife's mother
came in on the Deadwood stage, which
you know never gets into Custer until
after IL o'clock at night. Well, good
night, Mr.. Hines. Tia ia Jones, III see
you later.
Jones breaks for the fiat, and in the
darkness of the night can scarcely see
sufficiently to determine his location,
but hearing some ones footstep imagines
there is crowd ahead of him who will
stake all the ground if he don't hasten
his pace, and in view of getting there
first, breaks into run, falling at in
tervals over stumps and logs that
hamper the roste until he almost falls
over Hines, who is busily engaged
sharpening the end Of pine stake with
his little hatchet. Hello Hines, is
that you, now by Jupiter, how did you
get here ahead of me2 Have you
staked this claim? How far is this
thing staked ahead, do you know
| Well, Jones, upon my word | can't say,
but if all the men that have gone ahead
have staked claim each, / deem it safe
to say that they would extend to the
Nebraska line. The devil, Hines, how
is it on the north line? You can't
prove it by me, am going to jump this
claim right here, on account of a wrong
date and missing stake, the fellow
dated his notice day ahead on account
of this being Sunday, and that won't
stick in law, you know. Good by
! Hines, Pm going north, and Jones
struck out north, and keeping in line as
near as he could, occasionally falling
over claim stakes, finally about day
light he met fellow by the name OF
Skaggs coming back. Hello, Skaggs
how far is it staked northP ! can't say
definitely, Jones, but when | started
back l heard man cursing some fellow
for relocating one of his claims, which
he held, was his by right of location
development and possession, and that il
was considered up there to be one OF
the very best claims in the Deadwood
carbonate camp. Well, Skaggs, Pm out
of luck anyhow, am pretty well played
QUO; here have been walking, running
and falling over logs, stumps and stakes
since IL o'clock, and haven't come with
in 20 miles of vacant claim. Hang it
there ought to be law enacted agains
this excessive claim stalking, there is /.
reason in it, there's no sense in it. So
long, Skaggs. III go back and keep az
leye out for misdates there is absolutely
no reason why claim staked on a day
other than the day indicated by tn,
notice should hold. Jones returnin,
leisurely examined dates until he wa
tired, finding them all correct, but even
tually concluding that claim staked OF
Sunday was to all interests and pur
poses, null and void, relocated claim
near the original discovery, the owner
ship of which will be determined a
some future session of the district court
in the mean time, the claim WILL as il
all such cases, remain undeveloped anC
undisturbed. Jones is happy in the in
terim, but the denoument may per
chance result in increased wisdom
mingled with sadness.
-.
Rapid now boasts of two we'll organ
lied hose companies, but unfortunatel,
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