The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-05-23
ROBBERS ROAD.
A Decd Of Heroism and Chew of
Navy Plug.

A Deed Of Heroism and a Chew OF
Navy Plug.
Way back, some thirty years agone,
when our Golden State was In a con-
dition OF lawlessness that has made It
the scene Of many romance; in fact,
in that epoch of CALIFORNIA; history
which corresponds closely with the
Middle Age period in the history Of
the world, there was a stage route OF
some extent crossing an inland county,
which had gainel for itself the title of
the Robbers Road Like many an
other good old name and landmark,
its appalling title has passed through
IA degeucrative process, and now its
origin lives only in the memory OF a
few white-haired cid pioneers the
remnants OF the brave and doughty
= settlers, who cleave with the tenacity
of despair to the tales OF yore.
Important business complications
necessitated my undertaking a jour-
ney through this portion ofsthe State.
where the depredations OF highway
~~fnetf resembfed= the sudden sweop-of
feudal barons on itinerant hucksters
and pilgrims, and where a heavy
purse changed hands with the celebrity
with which the handkerchief of puz-
zled spectator passes from his own
:; pocket INTO that of the performing
prestidig itator. -
Though far from a coward, and in
ured to dangercas was any one who
had made the perilous trip over
mountain, plain and desert from East
to West. | confess it was with any
thing but pleasurable anticipations
that ! took my seat in the vehicle that
B carried the occasional mail. -
/ Twill digress here to say that my
general habits are abstemions, while
as to tobacco in particu1ar-with the
sole exception of the circumstance
soon to be related-it has never in any
forms Sassed myslips; but | have found
: thy no means subversive= of success
with men to have alWays@on hand a
small supply of the article which con-
stitutes the nectar and ambrosia OF so
many, and on this occasion, as on
many others before and since, ( had
with me a pocket-case OF cigars and
large piece OF what is called by the
initiated, l believe, navy plug" an
article used for unsatisfactory purposes
and recommended by its strength to
the strongest palates. The position Of
the latter in my right-hand lower
waistcoat pocket is sufficiently inn
portant to the sequence OF the MARIA
tive to warrant my particularly in
asserting it's exact location.
My only fellow-traveler was a lady,
to whom Ehad the felicity of an intro
duction previous to our departure.
though the close proximity occasioned
by the roughness of the road would
have made that an entirely unneces-
sary formality.. Truth compels me to
. state that she was neither young.
pretty nor otherwise interesting (alas!
for the lovers of romance), and as /
know that the lady is now where no
encomiums or their.reverse could pos
sihly affect her, say this the more
unrestrainedly.'
To beguile the tedium of our jour-
-ney, and for want Of a better topic of
conversation, | devoted my energies to
blood-curdling1 tales of bandits and
highway ontrages. partly true, but
largely devolved from fertile mag
=. 4oll q
Jack" and "Bottle-nosed Billy" Of
their cruelty and cunning, and skill
fully interlarded my stories with. dark
inuuendoes and insinuations Of our
own peril. told how reviewers had
been used as effective coercive agents
in a variety of instances, and always
as sufficiently good considerations
in the transfer OF property; how
their horses outstripped the wind,
and permitted them to- take. part in
Is the stoppage of mail-coac lies
= apart; how their suspicion and greed
prompted useless outrages; in word,
! succeeded in filling the wretched
woman with the direst of forebodings,
that worked her up to pitch Of terror
:. that knew no bounds, and from thence
on every shadow concealed for her
:. some frightful shape, whose sole aim
and object, she was firmly convinced,
was her destruction, and these fears,
try as would, / was now unable to
allay. Meanwhile, our coach sped on
ward as rapidly as the nature of the
road would allow, and we were soon
plunged in entire darkness.
= The only really valuable thing on
my 'co-voyager's person was ring of
brilliants OF remarkable luster and
purity, which would in itself have
! proved no mean prize to so particular
eennoisse9r in precious stones as Red
Mike Cor this was the euphonious APP
pellation assumed by the chief uni
licensed tax-collector OF those parts)
was known to be-more particularly
as It Was darklys limited that well
known San Francisco jeweler depended
largely on this source for his supply
OF cut but unset jewels.
This ring Mrs. R wore beneath
her WOODEN gloves. but, affected, by
my tales OF murder and robbery. the
thing assumed in her eyes the
shape Of something that would goad
men on to the commission OF
atrocities more dreadful even than
those had pictured Where to con-
ceal the treasure she knew not; flrst
che tried her boot. hut she called to