Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-03-22
Shake Rag Under the Hill.
A STORY or EARLY DAYS IN The LEAD MINES.
ny l. a. o5BoRNE-

at Tue Inn. 1nIs ulu not create q
etaud-still in the business or social
circles of the mines ON the con
trary, he had been almost forgotten
along with the fight that led t. his
departure. We may presume that
he went back To his old haunts an d
his usual calling, that of gambler
and sharper on the steam boats of
the Mississippi. At the period of
which we write, that noble river was
infested with desperate characters,
who came thither for the purpose Of
robSing and cheating the vast num-
Der of people who came and went
between Galena and New Orleans.
Organized bands ope rated all along
the river, and those who came or
left with money or valuables about
them rau "a risk Of being robbed aud
maybe murdered by these miscre-
ants. 1t was not unusual for boat
loads of merchandise to be lowed
aud rowed all the way up he river
from the gulf, and the men employ
ed for that purpose We're the rough
est III the world, and utterly d, fant
Of the law. So even if Buuce had
been pursued, which no one felt in
clined 60 do, if he but gained the
rlver and the companloushlp of such
he was entirely safe. But 1t is not
our purpose to relate how he EN-
ployed himself there, even if we
knew, but only that III some way he
acquired "A large sum of money, aud
dulng the February thaw he made
his appearance IN Shake-rag, some
what 10 the surprise Of tew who
witnessed the aft ,ir at the Inn.
If charity covered a multitude of
sius, money will gloss over great
many more; SO when 1t was known
that he possessed a great deal of
money, and what was more satisfac-
tory, that be spent it freely, he soon
had a great many friends.
But such matter AZ a shooting
scrape did not amount To much III
those times. They were too fire.
quent, and AS long AZ no one was
Killed, were soon forgotten. Be
sides, he was as good AS perhaps a
part of the men in the camp, for
though 1t had ils quota of honest,
law abiding people, al that time the
pupu alton was mostly 't1uating"
and contained a great humber of the
law less element, who dnfIed around
after "hoat" lead, and spent their
money ar fast an they earned it, the
pres ehce of dollar in the pocket
proving a talisman against labor of
any KIND.
The arrival of the gambler was
followed in few days 10y biz belong
ings, HIGH tiled two heavy wagons
drl, Ell by the two Sams-1iller and
Tauber-- Who bad formed tempo
rary partnership on account Of the
- ststt OF the roads between
Galena and the Point.
I he contents Of these wagons had
a disastrous effect on the two Sans
aforesaid, and It's nature could be-
SAFELY guessed at by a peculiar diff
ticuIty they had III sitting upright in
their seals; and if they charged
nothing for transportation, would
have been amply paid by The amount
of liquor they had lmblbed from The
bottles and casks with which one of
the wagons " a. loaded. Indeed the
brands were 80 excellent that they
tarried on the road, III no big hurry
to get rid Of their loads, all Of winch
Was a source Of great impalience to
the owntr,
MIR. Buuce being unable to fleece
his fellows with "A facility satisfac.
tory to himself, had resolved on
opening a fine place of resort for
those who we're prone to chuck the
tiger" aud by the msgniticence of bis
fixtures 10 far &C Ipee his rivals that
they wouldn't be able TO make their
salt.
The wagons contained all the latest
coniriyances for gambling house;
elegant fixtures for TIE bar, costly
liquors to put behind it, and all that
was wanted was To get them in po-
sition and wait for the sicums.
Not many rods to the ncrth of
Uncle Abe'r, aud up little, rocky
hill, and little turn to the right,
still STANDS the house which Bunce
fitted up No sumptuously. On the
upper floor on level with the
ground To the west, were arranged
the retired rooms where the heavy
playing was to be done, and in the
basement to the eart were displayed
very attractIveIy, for the rude settle
meDt, all the allurements that serve
To make a mau think he wants a
drink
Mr.. job Vecker was enticed from
his state of "lnnucuous desuetude"
at Uncle Abe's, here he poised as
a fixture, aud presided with dignity