Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-25

and four lot holders on tho other too
Ipiacs, which, strange to say, resulted in tn
death OF only one man, and be had q,
hand in the fight. The fight came about ii
this way: Some OF the leading gamblers il
the town possessed considerable property
some OF which they had purchased, SOM
they had located and some they had de
iberately and forcibly taken from rightfu
owners. 80 strong was the gambling ele
ment at Eagle that peaceabls citizens. O,
rather those in the minority, did not car,
to antagonize any OF the gam bling fraterni
ty, knowing full well that an injury to one
was the concern Of all, and when Wyatt
Earp, Jack Enright (not the meek little
| fellow who was murdered BY Bernard) and
other bad Iuen ordered man off his own
lot the man generally went and allowed ths
gang to take full possession.
One day in the spring of 1885, Big john
Enright ran across lot owned by man
named Bussard, who, prior to that time,
bad been e. resident. OF Butte.
Enrsght Immediately became imbuetl
with the idea that he wanted the lot, as it
fronted on the main street. He went.to
Buzzard and informed him that be must
vacate immediately and without ceremony.
Buzzard objected to this mode of pro-
ceedure, but Enright was obdurate, and in
language more forcible than polite com
manded Buzzard to git of. and that d.
quick, too." Enright's boisterous talk
didn't seem to frighten Buzzard and he in
formed Enright that the ground was his
and that he calculated to hold it, "I'n
see about that" said Enrigbt, as he turned
and walked down the street in the
direction Of his saloon. Buzzard ex.
pected trouble from the gamblers and
made arrangements to give them warm
reception. Four persons, including Buz.
zard. were interested in the property, and
they all concluded to fight for what they
thought belonged to them. On the back
part OF the lot stood d log cabin, which
was occupied by the four men. Into this
the men went and awaited developments.
Enright soon returned from his down
town trip, accompanied by three other
fighters named AL. Holman, Bill Payne and
one Ferguson, all OF whom were armed
to the teeth, Payne and Enright
having Winchester rifles and revolvers,
Holman having double barroled shotgun
and a revolver and Ferguson having two
large navy revolvers. When the gamblers
arrived at the battlefield. the Buzzard
party was still in the cabin, which stood
about forty yards FROM the street. In front
of the cabin was a pile Of logs, which were
to be used in the ers ction OF house on the
breastworks for the BuzzarI party. On
the other side, along the line of the street,
the snow, which was at that time very
deep, had been thrown up to a heighth OF
about four feet, it having been shoveled
from piece OF ground on which log cabin
was being built. The gamblers got behind
this snowbank. Enright, however, who
was the leader OF the party, stepped out
toward the center OF the lot and called for
Buzzard, who Immediately came forward
with q Winchester rifle in his hand. Both
n en- stood about ten feet apart and did
what talking was done. The men behind
the breastworks silently watched the pro-
ceedings. Suddenly, and before the conver-
sation had become, monotonous between
Buzzard and Enright, both raised their
guns and fred at each other, the bullet
from Enright's gun passing through Bnz-
Yards hat, and the ball from Buzzard's
gun grazing Enright's cheek. Then. they
firing as they went. the gups in the hands
of the men behind the breast orks joining
in the fusilade. The men were soon under
cover, however, and from that time until
the expiration of fifteen minutes regular
battle ragged between the two parties, Fl
nally bullet from q gamblers gun
struck a disinterested party named Bur
dette, Black Hills man, in tie groin and
laid him out. Then a Iong-legged fellow,
whose face was seen on the streets of this
city only a few days ago, rushed out to
about the center OF the lot, threw up both
hands and commanded the ce essation OF
hostilities. While the fight was going on
and others who desired peace
in the community could he seen shoulder
ing their guns anc going in the direction OF
the fight, with a look of determination on
their faces. 1t was afterwards whispered
blers and thus stop the bulldozing bust. |
ness, but as the fight did not result III the |
death of more than one innocent party, |
they allowed things to move along in the |
oven tenor of their way. At last accounts
the Buzzard party was still holding the !
lot, though it ia not supposed to be |
worth more than q milliC II dollars at |
present.
A few hours after the fight between the |
Buzzard and Enright parties took place, |
another alteration occurred between two
men in q down street saloon, which re-
suited in an exchange OF shots, but without |
injury to either party. The very atmos !
nosphere was full OF fight, and everybody |
was armed. Among the many men who |
we're just aching to kill somebody was one |
Coy, OF the saloon and gambling firm OF
Coy & Hess. Not day passed but that
COY did not single out some easy.going fel- |
ow and inform him that if he opened his |
mouth in defense OF his own rights he would |
,erforate his frame with 45.calibre bullets. |
)ne fine morning he notified little man
With blonde hair and blue eyes shoveiing
NOW from the lot which adjoined the prop
rty belonging to Coy & Hess. Coy wanted
% gobble this property without paying for
t, as he supposed tn It by and by he would
reed an addition to his house. He ap-
,roached the slender little fellow, who pre-
ented every appearance OF having just
ome out OF his mothers arms, and after
arefully sizing him up, said: Look here,
7oung fellow, what in h are you doing? |
)on't you know that I'll shoot your d -
read off il you don't stop shovelng that
Inow?" l.
The mild-mannered little fellow looked at
COY q few moments and then, dropping his
shovel, walked around on the other side OF
she bulldozer and took position on top |
,f the snow he had shoveled off the lot.
he then sized Coy up from head to foot;
reached his right hand under his coat tall
aud called Coy q coward, a bulldozer, a |
norsetbief, a burglar and everyt ing else
vile he could think OF. He dared Coy to |
put his hand on his revolver. Be- |
lore this kind of talk had proceeded !
lar Coy realized that he had awakened the
wrong passenger, and contented himself
during his few moments of suspense by |
toying with the pistol cartridges at his
belt. He did not touch his pistol, how.
ever. After that little episode with the
Coy became a pretty good
citizen, and il some one has not killed him
in some other community he is possibly
acquisition to elite society in
some other portion OF the West. /
The Ceur d. Alene country was bad
one from beginning to end, but it could not
have been otherwise when it is taken into
that every pound OF food
and every keg of whiskey, the two great
pillars on which q new mining community
rests, that went into Eagle City md Muir
ray during the excitement was hauled in
on hand sleds drawn by able bodied men:
The freight alone on articles hauled
in was 25 cents per pound. In tbe
early!days OF the excitement postoffices were
not known in the Ceur d'Alene. Letters
addressed to persons at Eagle or Murray
would be taken from the train at Trout
Creek or Thompson Falls and carried
across the mountains on the back OF some
stalwart who received so cents for each
letter delivered. This money was paid by
the man receiving the letter. 1t was not
nm uncommon thing for q man to receive