Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-06-21
A COWBOY REPORTER.

A Place Where Journalistic Success Depended
on Ability to Use Both Pencil and Revolver
"You talk about your funny snaps and
fakes said the cowboy reporter to an
Omaha Herald man, "but you fellows
don't know what experiences are unless
you've rustled for paper in some min
ing camp or other 'whoop up town on
the frontiers. There fellow got TO be a
little of everything, usually more every
| thing If he wants to hold his job and
not get the head soooped clear off his
shoulders, for the 'oldtimers' are f., you
| bet, and know blind lead from pay
streak every time when it comes to hunt
Ing up items and knowing what pleases
| their readers. As general thing people
| IN that courtry don't care so much for
grammar AID flowing language as they do
Tor red hot sensational matter-stuff such
as your fellows in the effete east wouldn't
dare to publish. OF course, once in a
while you stir up some bad man who'll
round you up with gun, but this only
makes 1t interesting. Just casually let 1t
be known that you're no tender-foot your
self, and, when one of these roarers
strikes you, don't weaken, bat get your
gun out and tell him that you're q shooter
yourself, and nine times out of ten the
fellow'n weaken and let you alone after
ward. One or two such experiences and
you have established reputation for
yourself, and if anybody troubles you
afterward you can bet your chips that
he isn't onto you, and if he makes any
breaks you'll have plenty of friends
that'l take the trouble off your hands and
see that you don't get the worst of it.
"En never forget little matinee I had
in 70 with one of these terrors. He was
a gambler, professional witness, and
mine jumper, and had down ed his man
on several occasions, and, as is unusual
with such fellows, was dead On the shoot,
and had plenty of sand to back him up.
Well, he got into row with rounder. In
the row he got the worst of it and at
tempted to make "a gun play but the
other fellow was too quick and took the
gun away from him and licked him This
was just picnic for me, and you bet my
account of the affair, which l published
the next day, was a rooster, and didn't
rebound much to the credit of Jim Levy
that was his name. When the Times
came out everybody was paralyzed, and
my friends told me to look out, as Jim
was hunting me. To tell the truth, I
felt little squeaky, but 1 made up my
mind that if fiunked my name would be
mud, and | would have to pull my freight
and hit the flats, as there would not be
room enough in the gulch for me.
ga day OR two passed and although I
saw Jim dozen times day he never
said word, land I began to feel little
easier and thought the thing had blown
over. But l was mistaken. The fellow
didn't know me, and was looking
for another fellow whom he mistook
for me, as I found out one afternoon
about three days after the thing
had been published. I was walking
down Main street and was within about
two hundred yards of the Cree6moor
armory, gunshop, when 1 saw Jim
coming up the street horseback, and
mOtioning to me. You bet l didn't fool
any time, but legged it for the gunshop,
thinking [ would get there first and nail
a shotgun when | knew was always kept
loaded for an emergency. 1 forgot about
him being on horseback, and there's
where l got fooled. Before I could get
to the shop Mr.. Levy was there ahead of
nee, standing with six shooter in his
hand and yelling to me stop. You see,
he was onto my racket.
81 stopped. Keeping me covered, he
walked toward me, and, gentlemen, if any
body ever spoke plain English it was Jim
Levy when he told me what be thought or
me. All ths time he was talking to me he
kept that gun pointed at my head and
rnOnkeyed with the trigger. 1t was a
self cocker, and I was scared. He finally
told me that if it wasn't for the fear he
had of the vigilantes he would shoot the
whole top of my head off, but he knew
that if he did SO he would be hanged in
five minutes, as everybody was down on
him. He said that he would let me go,
but If didn't retract every word the next
morning he would shoot me anyway and
take his chances with the vigIlantcs; that
he was gentleman aid was bound to be
treated as such.
81 wasn't working on retracting paper,
and In ten minutes after our little scene
every body in the camp knew of It, and Ehe
boys told re not TO weaken, but to see it
through; that they would stand by me.
That was all l wanted, aud the way
roasted that fellow the next day was a
terror. The 'tmperor'-that was what we
called the editor of the paper-tboug bit it
was not severe enough, and he gave Jim
touch on the side. About noon 1 crawled
out of my cabin and started down town
and the first man | saw was Jim Levy
reading the Times. 1t didn't take me over
a couple of hours to get out a self cooking
Colts IS caliber that 1 had provided my
self with, and walked toward Jim. He
never stirred, but kept on reading oc-
casionally looking at me. kept on walk
ing, and neither one of us spoke word,
but we watched each other mighty close.
[ afterward got to be on pretty fair terms
with hi n, especially when he was drinking.
He afterward went to Arizona and got
killed in a row. As soon as I heard of it,
I went and took good big hack at the
sheep dip;' in fact, 1 took two drinks,
one for myself and the other to speed
Jim's soul on its way to the great home
ranch, where, they say, fellows have no
use for guns, and where there are no
mavericks, bat all bear the brand record
ed on the big book that never closed"
A SNAKE ROUND HER NECK.