St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-15
A BAD MAN IN BLACK.
Row Cabot from Arkansaw Came tt
Costumes.
DARING DESPERATE.
he Never Drank and Seldom Swore,
But Would Fight
Anybody.
San Francisco Examiner.


story about the " Bad Man Of COsum-
nes." He came into camp one day,
without any particular swagger, TO an
nounce that he was a bad man. but he
was sized up at once to be either
tough customer or a pretended desper-
ado. He was tall and angular, but looked
Wiry for all that, and he was not hand
some. He was dressed in black broad
cloth, wore a silk hat, and was scrupu-
lousy neat in the matters of linen and
general personal appearance. His name
was-strange that | can't recall his
name, for | knew it better than knew
the name of any man in this club.
well. let's call him Cummings fer
the present Cummings wore the right
leg of his trousers tucked into his boot,
and the left in the usual style. In his
right boot he carried an enormous bowie
knife, and you could see by the set OF
his frock coat over his right hip that he
was heeled with revolver. In manner
he was very slow and deliberate, and he
was punctiliously polite. He seldom
sWorc and never drank. The only small
vice TO which lie was addicted was
smoking. He spoke with long drawl
that heightened the effect Of his cere-
moniOus courtesy, and at the same time
proclaimed him Southerner. In fact,
he occasionally referred to himself a.
'pop-eyed galoot from Arkansaw,' ami
he was.
although my gentleman in broad
cloth-there, had his name on the tip
of my tongue, but it's gone again-al-
though he was polite to an extreme, he
was very aggressive and quick to take
Offense. If he heard anybody make
bluff about fighting, he couldn't keep
his tongue still. but came right to the
front with an offer 10 accommodate the
beligerent anywhere and anyhow
Toward quiet and peaceable men he
was graYely courteous, but If a fighting
man showed up Cummings was uneasy
until he had driven the fellow out OF
camp, or fought him in some fashion.
"COSumnes was then a new camp,
and Latrobe had not come into exist
ence as a town. Claim-jumping was
flourishing industry, and every miner
had to be prepared TO defend his loca-
ton. / had quartz claim on ledge
that dipped TO the east, and some fellow
had conceived the brilliant idea of
sinking shaft fifty feet to the east
ward Of my shaft and tapping my ledge.
] noticed that he was getting pretty
thick with the man in broadcloth, and
whenever | met the latter he was so
severely polite that knew he was only
waiting for look or little slip in my
speech or manner as preteXt for TAX
ing Oifense.
II wrote to my superintendent that
desperate was in company with the
claim-iumper, and that | expected
trouble. He wrote back: Is he at
work? If not, will he work? If he is
not at work and is willing TO work, hire
him and he is your desperado.'
THAT was good advice, and the next
day, when ] met the pop-eyed, blank
of-a-dash from Arkansas, / said, Good
morning, Mr.. Gibbons There, got
the name without trying, after all;
Gibbons was the mans name. Gibbons
lifted his hat and gravely replied:
Good morning, doctor. trust you air
well, sir
Mr.. Gibbons said, may | ask if
YOU are looking for work in this camp"
That's just what am, sir
"'Arc YOU miner? Doyou know any
thing about sinking a shaft"
"'Nall, sir. he replied, i reckon I'm
just the boss miner on the top of the
earth
81 then asked him what wages he
Mdlllttl. i lit EulliZ ldlt was g. u htiN
but when he said $50 | promptly re-
piled, Consider yourself engaged to me,
Mr.. Gibbons
The next day he went with me down
10 the claim. He was dressed, as usual,
I'm broadcloth, wore his silk hat and car
ried something tied up in a red silk
handkerchief. When we got 10 the
shaft he united his bundle and laid out
a miners suit. He took off his hat,
wiped it carefully with the bandana,
spread the handkerchief on the ground
and tenderly placed the hat upon il.
Slowly, and with dignity, he 'Shucked'
his broadcloth. got into the miners
suit. shifted his weapons 10 his new RIG
and went down the shaft. He knew his
business. and went 10 work with energy
and intelligence.
Gibbons had been down the shaft,
which was only six feet OF so deep,
about an hour, when the man who
wanted my ledge came along with a
companion and began TO make meas
urements. lie held one end of the
tape at the edge of my shaft, and was
measuring fifty feet TO the east. where
he intended to sink. when Gibbons
climbed slowly up TO the surface.
Turning TO me. after severe look at
the man who had been his partner a
day before. Gibbons said: Doctor, will
You be good and kind enough TO let me
cut that scoundrelS head off?'
''Of course. | told him not to do ii,
adding that the fellow was only making
blum at jumping my claim.
Gibbons went back down the shaft,
looking triile disappointed, and may
add that the other man never saw any
prospect hole on my ledge.
'GibbOnS was boaster, not liar.
He said he was the best miner on top
of Gods green earth, and he was. |
never saw a better miner in my life. He
was faithful to the man who employed
him, and while he worked for me he
considered himself personally RESPONSE
bic for whatever | might say or do, and
would fight for me as quick as he would
for himSef-and heaven knows he was
tOuchy enough.
"One evening fellow made up in the
style of the traditional desperado-hap-
ping sombrcro, red shirt knives, pistols.
and all the reSt--came into the saloon
and ordered all hands mp To the bar.
Everybody stepped up except Gibbons,
who remained seated. When the
stranger turned around and said:
Come up here, pop eye, and take your
medicine Gibbons answered with
grave politeneSS: Il am much Obliged
TO YOU, sir, but never drink
after all had taken their drinks and
walked away, Gibbons stepped up and
said TO the barkeeper: Give me
cigar The stranger turned upon him
and said: = you, l didn't ask you
10 have a cigar
YOU, sir" replied Gibbons. Il
didn't ask you 70 pay for my cigar.
Don't you talk TO me in that way or l
will cut your head off, SIR
"Start right in rejoined the stran-
ger. I've got tough neck TO cut
But before the tough could draw a
weapon my bad man in broadcloth
seized him 10y the hair, bent his head
back, whipped out the big bowie. and
swish, swish it went right at the fell
lows throat. The blade fairly flashed
through the air, but the point just
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