Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-02-01
UP THE " DRAW"


The gang at old man Sigsby's com
bined saloon, postoffiee and general store
had waited for the coming of the mail
carrier ever since the saw mill shut down
at sunset. The time was passed in ours
ing the tardy Government official imbib-
ing Sigsby's villainous whisky and dis
cussing the occupant of the little log and
slab shanty, half mile up the heavily
timbered ''draw"
They looked a 'shard crowd" and
their characters did not in the least belle
their personal appearances. The scum
and offscourings of many communities
they were, held together by their cause
against the common enemy, the United
States Government. The sawmill, deep
in the wilderness, turned out great guam
titles of lumber from trees cut from Gov
eminent land, and its owners, in their
Eastern homes, knew little and cared less
of the rough men whose toll increased
their employers i'll gotten gains.
Old man Sigsby was the worst man in
the whole gang that seemed composed
of the champion profane, shock headed,
tangle-bearded and desperate men to be
found in seven States. They growled at
the generalities of life, cursed each other
and drank great potations of fiery wills
ky, and Sigsby growled the loudest,
cursed them all individually and collec-
lively and drank oftener than any other
of his customers.
The matter had been canvassed thor
oughly, and the opinion was general that
the occupant of the s.lanty up the
draw" was none other than a Govern
ment detective.
oval growled big Jim Perdue,
I'm yere to say that his story's purity
tkinl If he's takin' up claim as he says
he is, w'yn't he go out on the prair' like
a wife man stead o. comm up yere whur
squatters haint wanted now, say?"
The question was addressed to no one
in particular, but Sigsby took it upon
himself to reply that he didn't know
an didn't keer cussl"
wal, you needn't be so brash!" re-
torted Big Jim, with an oath. "I-''
A clatter of hoofs interrupted him.
The door was flung open and the tardy
mail carrier threw the wrinkled pouch
into the room.
Then Sigsby distributed the mail
This was done by opening the pouch,
pouring its contents in heap on the
floor and; with several forcible epithets,
telling the company to ''drive in. y There
were few letters, but bundle of news
papers provided nearly every one with
something to read.
When each had got his own and the
wrangling had ceased, one letter re-
manned It was addressed to the occu-
pant of the cabin up the "draw"
wal, remarked Sigsby, "that cuss
gifts entirely too many letters for squat
ter. One every week or oftener. An
NV all dad blamed directin' this beats
any l ever seedm
The address was printed in struggling,
irregular characters and with shocking
disregard for capitalization. Several
examined the rude characters and all
were of the opinion that they were
traced in that manner to disguise the
writer's chirography.
'Le's open itl'' cried Perdue.
s'Not much!' objected old man Sigs-
by. Nobody opens any letters in this
we're postoffice but mel Understand
The postmaster mentally resolved that
while the gang might do as they liked
outside of the Office, he was not going to
allow them to commit any act within the
office that would incur the wrath of the
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