Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-06-21
A COWBOY REPORTER.

ANu bolh "ubut your luuby snaps ana
fakes, said the cowboy reporter to an
Omaha Herald man, but you fellows
don't know what experiences are unless
you've rustled for a paper in some min
ing camp or other 'whoop up town on
the frontiers. There a fellow got to be
little OF everything, usually more every
thing II he wants TO hold his job and
not get the head soooped clear of his
shoulders, for the oldtimers' are fly, you
bet, and know a blind lead from pay
streak every time when il comes to hunt
ing mp items and knowing what pleases
their readers. As a general thing people
Ia that country don't care SO much for
grammar and flowing language as they do
for red hot sensational matter stuff such
as your fellows 10 the etfete east wouldn't
dare TO publish, or course, onoe in
while yoa stir up some bad man who'll
round you up with gun, but this only
makes 10 interesting. just casually lot IL
be known that you're no tonder-foot your
self, and, Shen one of those roarers
strikes you, don't weaken, bat get your
gun out and toll him that you're n shooter
yourself, aud nine times out of ten the
fellowli weaken and let you alone after
ward. One or two such experiences and
you have established a reputation for
yourself and II anybody troubles you
afterward sou eau bet your chips that
nc isn't onto you, aud IL he makes any
breaks you'll have plenty of friends
thatll take che trouble of your hands and
see that you don't get the worst Of IT,
I'm never forget a little matinee hai
in 10 with one of these terrors. He was
q gambler professional witness, and
mine jumper, aud had 'dowred his man
ON several occasions, and, as is unusual
with such fellows, was dead On the shoot,
and had plenty OF sand 20 back him up.
Wen, he got luto row with arounder IN
tha row he got the worst Of IL 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 q picnic for me, and you bet my
account of the affair, which | published
the next day, Was a roaster, and didn't
rebound much 20 the credit Of Jim Levy
that was his name. When the Times
came out everybody was paralyzed, aud
my frieuds told me 10 .ook out, as jim
was hunting ne. To tell the truth, |
felt a little squeaky, bu, ! made up my
mind that II tlunked 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 mo.
"A day or two passed and although
saw Jim dozen times u day he never
said Il word, and began 10 feel "a little
easier and thought the thing had blown
over. But / WAS mistaken. The fellow
| didn't know me, and was looking
| for another fellow whom he mistook
! for me, as / found out ono afternoon
about three days after the thing
had been published. | was walking
down Main - ct and was within about
two hundred yards Of the Creedmoor
armory, gunshop, when | saw jim
coming up the street horseback, and
motioning TO me. You bet | didn't fool
any time, but legged 10 for the gunshop,
thinking / would get there first and nail
shotgun when ! knew was always kept
loaded for an en-, rgency. | forgot about
him being on hurs0back, and there's
where got fooled. Before | coulu get
to the shop Mr.. Levy was there ahead of
ne, standing with a six shooter IN his
hand and yelling 20 me sop. You see,
he Was onto my racket
~ stopped. Keeping me covered, he
walked toward me, and, gentlemen, II any
body ever spoRe plain English IL was Jim
Levy whom he told me what he thought of
me. All tbs time he was talking TO me he
kept that gun pointed at my head and
1uoukeyed with the trigger 1t was
self cocker, and ! was scared. He finally
told me that If it wasn't for the fear he
had OF the yigilantes he would shoot the
whole top OF my head Of but he knew
that If he did so he would be hanged in
five minutes, AZ everybody was down on
him. He said that he would let me go,
bot IL didn't rstra~' very word the next
morning he would shoot me anyway and
take his chances with the vigilantes; that
he was a gentleman and was bound TO be
treated az such.
81 wasn't working on aretraeting paper,
and in ten minutes after our little scene
every body in the camp knew of 1t, aud the
boys told r1e not 70 weaken, but to see II
through; that they would stand by me.
That WAS all | wanted, and the way
roasted that fellow the next day was a
terror The emperor was what we
called the editor of the paper thought IL
was noL severe enough, and he gave Jim
touch on the side. About noon ! crawled
ont OF my cabin and started down town
and the frst man | saw was Jim Levy
reading the Times. It didn't take me over
couple OF hours 90 get ont a self cooking
Colt'g Is caliber that 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.
I afterward got 20 be on pretty fair terms
with hi n, especially when he was drinking.
He afterWard won't 20 Arizona and got
killed in row. As soon a. heard OF It,
went and took good big hack at the
sheep Dip in fact, took two drinks,
one for myself and the other TO speed
Jim's soul on its way 10 the great home
ranch, where, they say, fellows have no
uss for guns, and where there are no
mavericks, bat ali bear the brand record.
ed on the big book that never closed
ft..rfurs an pNTuIAg