Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-08
OUT IN THE FAR WEST.
One Of Bill Nye's "reminiscences Of
Frontier Life.
How the Genial william Sustained Ono
Corner of Our National Fabric-"Soiled
Smiths" Affinity for Mother Earth
and Aversion to Courts.
IRilI Nye. n \. Y. World

1rccall to-day the memory OF peculiar
man This is the anniversary of MS death,
and it is easy to remember on this day the
odd looks and the quaint life led by that
singular character. l do not know his
United States name but in the Territories
he lived and died under the nom de plume OF
Soiled Smith.
Seven years ago Soiled Smith ceased to
exist In the capacity of man, and began TO
mingle with the dust from which he came.
] presume that since the early dawn OF Gre
alton no man ever died who became at once
so thoroughly identified with the geological
structure of the earth as did Soiled Smith
He had prepared himself for it by careful
training, and ''dust thou art and unto dust
shalt thou re turn had no terrors for him.
He told me, however, that once he was
pure as the beautiful snow.
Ny first acquaintance with Soiled Smith
was in the autumn of 1876 was then sus-
tanning one corner of the National fabric as
United States Commissioner Of the Second
Judicial district of Wyoming and eX-of1iclo
notary public for Albany County The OF
flee of United States Commissioner was
fraught with the most innocuous disuetude
that l ever laid lip over. The United
States required me TO buy set of books,
including large, dappled-gray docket, in
which TO keep a record Of each and every
case which the United States appeared as
plaintiff. The first day after | was APP
| pointed | had all l could do to keep down
feeling of the most violent intolerance
and arrogance. That night l did not sleep
much, because expected at any moment
to be called upon by the Government to
try a case.
That fall | met General Sherman on the
frontier, and l remem Der / told him that |
did not wonder his hair was gray. He asked
why and I told him that since ! had been
placed in a position Of grave responsibility
myself could see that my own hair was
getting sprinkled with silver too. Then
he asked me what special corner OF the
universe | was then engaged IN holding up.
l told him that I was United States Com
missioner for the Second district, recently
appointed. He did not seem to fully real
ize the importance of the Office, l thought
had not held the Office over year when
suddenly, like clap Of thunder from a
clear sky, case was brought up before
me for preliminary examination. Three
greasers, named Don Colorado Jabacos,
Jesus y Fabricante and Tufa Firecente
Maduro, We're charged with selling liquor
to Indians on the reserv alton, and l tried
them for four days with ell the earnest and
ACQUIRED momentum Of a man who mas been
saving up his energies for nearly year. /
can truly say that l never tried
more faithfully to sift the evil
dence and get at the truth in any case
with which | have ever been connected.
We did not spare mileage or per diem in
efforts to obtain all the knowledge we
could. l issued subp6nas for people who
were unable to come and people who
wouldn't come In answer to the demands
of the plaintiff, l sent every kind Of sub
pGna, writ, bench warrant or requisition
that the statute allowed a fee for, and
among the rest subpenaed Soiled Smith.
He did not come.
issued a quo warranto, but he came not.
I then made out large blue requisition for
him. with an acknowledging and a green
notarial seal on the back, but he sent in his
regrets and went up into the Diamond
Peak country for change of scene and rest
The case had to proceed without the aid
of Soiled Smith, but with the aid of the
United States attorney, l succeeded in con.
victing the greaserS without leaving my
seat l was as successful in this trial as an
old gentleman in Maine who said he had
served on the jury for four years and never
lost a case"
bub the government very near us
allowing my bill for fees because l omitted
to put a double red line under my footings.
This, however, was soon remedied. re-
vised The bill, adding three dollars for an
item that | had overlooked, put a double
red line under the footings and got my
money. The accuracy with which the
Government works in the Department of
Justice is truly remarkable.
o,.5 loo, cd hot no Ial
Smith did not respect any of my writs was
that he did not like to come within the
jurisdiction Of the court on account of an
old indictment against him which was still
in a good state of preservation.
few month later was sent out to take
the deposition of Solid Smith in another
case. He had been subponas,d, but just as
court was about to convene he had broken
his leg. So an order was made that | should
go out to his cabin and take his deposition.
had never taken any body's deposition be-
fore and so l felt little nervous about it.
Knowing that Soiled Smith was a quick,
impulsive man, with pie-knife down the
back of his neck, feared that if | took the
deposition and 1t didn't look like him, he
might get up and embrue his hands in my
gore.
But | was agreeably surprised in his APP
pearance. He was not ferocious in his nat
ure generally, but meek and gentle in his
ways Though he was alone when his leg
was broken, he did not murmur or repine.
He bore his great misfortune there in the
lone foothills and made no moan. What
ever may be said against Soiled Smith So
cially, he never paraded his woes before
men or begged assistance and sympathy of
others. | shall never forget the cheerful
smile with which he welcomed US to his
cabin that day. l recall now, as l write,
also the triumphant air with which he
showed US his poor broken leg, together
with the new one he had made from pick
handle, just as much like the old one as it
was possible for two legs to look alike.
While took his deposition he gently took
the spike out of his broken leg and put it in
the new one. l learned afterwards that
when he wanted his deposition taken he
generally broke his leg.
Eugerife's Stolen Wealth.