The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-20
THEY LYNCHED BILL SMITH.
A Western Towns Ungratefa1 Treatmen,

A Western Towns Ungrateful Treatment
of Its Undertaken.
Il remember" said the Colonel when the
party reached the end of a good dinner and
the walters stood behind the chairs with
lighted matches, 81 remember an in ident
which stamped upon my mind the fact that
when man has an eye for business he has
eyes for nothing else"
The Colonel tells story WELL and paused
here, says the New York Tribune, waiting
for the cigars to be lighted and for the in
spring fragrance of the Havanas.
Il shall not tell you how long ago it was,
for | am getting too old to speak lightly of
decades. But when first set foot-it was
tenderfoot, let me say-in Hugo, Colo, / at
once conceived great respect for a man
named Higgins. l could not help feeling a
reverence for Higgins. Higgins was an I'M
dertaker. He was the only undertaken within
a hundred miles, and he was getting rich
Never day passed but my friend Higgins
had funeral on hand. He was the most
cheerful undertaken. perhaps, that ever -four
ished.
81 remember we'll the day tina. l babe
Higgins good-by. He was as Hght-spirited
as grasshopper, and thousand times ex-
pressed his regret that / was going into the
interior until l felt clammy lest he might be
grleved at the thought that some one else
might have the profitable job of burying me.
When next saw Higgins it was after a
two years experience of chasing wild steers.
l was glad to see him, he was such jolly
old undertaken.
Hello, Higginsp / said cheerfully, when
[ walked into his establishment. How are
you, old man?'
Higgins shook his head mournfully, and
then l stopped short in amazement, for |
saw that he was mailing down boxes and
packing up his stock.
=" You aren't going to move, are you?'
cried in surprise, but he only damned a roll
OF Grape into dry-goOds box and went on
with his work.
See here, Higgins cried. whats the
trouble? Tell me about it,
The old man turned on me wrathfnlly.
paint been one O Hugo's best citizens? p
he asked, Sternly.
IS You have, Higgins
Amt j paid my taXes?'
You have. my friend
Didn't L organize Board Of Educa-
tion?'
You did
Wasn't | its Presdento'
GU certainly were, and good one,
although we haven't any school yet
Didn't L head the citizens movement
for law and order?'
You did, Higgins?'
Well. that's all. Now, how do you think
this nesky town has treated its foremost cit
izen?'
Tell me. Higgins. You have my sym
pathy.'
Well, WASH. maxim decent livin'. 1
let out contracts for the only brick building
in the town
"'Yes'
IS was goin' to call it the Higgins Block.
l was goin' to let the Volunteer Fire Depart
ment have rooms in my block for nothin'. |
proposed to have temperance union in the
town. ] hoped to have free library. You
know I'm progressive citizen, don't yOu?'
You are, Higgins
We'll, what do you think this town has
done to me?'
Surely nothing bad, Higgins
N othing badp he screamed. DO you
know what they've done? They've lynched
Bill Smith, and if ever there was a cowardly
blow aimed at a foremost citizen, it was that
But you can bury him, Higgins
Bury himp he screamed. Bury him
Bury Bill SMITH Why, man. Bill Smith was
maxim fortune for me. He killed his man
as regular as the sun went down; and
buried every one Of 'em. He was worth $50
a day to me, he was. So I'm goin' to leave
'em. This town don't offer no inducements to
an honest man like me- Think what I've
done for 'em. ! was goin' to erect monu-
ment to our departed brothers. And now
there wont be death in this town once a
month. Poor Billy and Higgins seized a
winding sheet and tried to Stifle his sobs. "-Ex.