New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-17


blustcred-never said much just what was Ecces-
sary, and perfectly quiet and cool, you know
and he had low, pleasant voice like woman's.
But he was-a-perfcct devil! 1on knew
| the minute you looked at him that he couldn't
be fooled with. He always wore his revolver
strapped around his wast-neVer in sight,
though-and he never drew IL unless he meant TO
| use it. And when he did draw everybody. got
| out OF the way, for he was dead shot. WHY,
after the other, the whole length of the store,
without missing ox;e. Not very often, because
it would have been making an exhibition, yOu
| know, and that was the last thing he'd do; but
| several times, on occasion. lie was brought up
| under Indian rule somewhat, you know, and used
to hardships on the frontier all his life and he
| was in daily practice shooting. Never had much
| TO say-a man Of very few words; when he was
| playing he never said a word except about the
game; and always just soft, and even, and still,
| without any rough words but everybody listened,
| for they knew he meant all he said. But he was
| as pleasant and gentlemanly and nice as any
! thoroughbred gentleman you ever met in your
| life.
lie was known all through that country-right
| on the frontier with every new camp; IT was
| Cherokee Bob everywhere. You know the style
of that kind of man. They used TO work up and
| down the river, start out i'll parties of four or
i've; sometimes there would be two or three
women in the party, but they would be dressed
in mems clothes, and when they started out YOU
would think they were all men; When they
| struck the camp they'd pitch their tent, and
start their gambling outfit The women had
their games, too-roulette, you know-thot was
|
| Chat Cherokee Bob generally worked alone,
though, unless it was some very rev, remote
camp He would 90 into a saloon, glanc around
| and pick out the best man, ask HIM up 10 drink,
and a game generally followd
Well, these fellows used TO conggTegate at the
Dalles, at the Mount Hood" That was the
| famous saloon of all that country, You know.
| Ii was kept by Fielding Brown-everybody knew
Fielding Brown, up and down the river IL
was sport and he was in Will all the gamblers
him; he knew all their secrets, and never gave
them away. He kept little suit of rooms, you
| know, in the rear of his saloon where they went,
| you know when they didn't want to go TO a hotel
| He kept irst-rate house. The officers of the
garrisons at Fort Dalles, Fort Vancouver, Fort
when they were IN toW1i, mace s1rt
of resort there, too, for they knew they'd get the
themselves when they wanted to, and everything
| was cooked i'll the best style. lie had the very
| best tabe-all the delicaces-fresh trout, young
salmon, and all kinds of game Some of these
| in game, and whatever was in the market the
Mount Hood would have. it, His was the only
| 10 pay the price The officers from the Colonel
| Wright, too. The Colonel Wright the first
steamer built up there 10 run on the Upper
| Columbia. She was built al Deschutes. and all
| the material and the men cane by way OF the
| Dalles. But Colonel Wright never went thcre--he
never went there
| headquarters, too. They made il resort. Played
| high stakes. you lnow-all night, you know, and
Well, this Cherokee Bob, he travelled up and
down the river, and he would take in the team
STEERS you know. They We're quite good in
come TO him They would take their long trains,
loaded with all sorts OF supplies away mp III the
| country, and make good wages; and then these
gamblers would fleece EN- all-sce? But one of
the sources of income for such fellows these
was the soldiers You see, they were paid oil
every mOntli. Sutlcr's always the frst
10 The other fellows Well, you See, these Sort
of fellows, YOU know-Cherokee Bob-pIcyed on
these fellows
can't tell YOU, OF course, all the scrapcs
Cherokee Bob was in cause | don't know them.
| had staled him when he was broke soon after
| came to the Dalles. You see the cue was given
yon know, always 10 give the gamblers what they
wanted because they would always pay-debts OF
there was. So would always stake them, and
| never made out any bill and by and by they
would Gene in and say, Well. how much do I
owe and would turn 10 my book ana lind OUT
| and then they would always pungle down.
Well, there were three Neds up there formed
wells faTsPo % 10 at @ PS
then-this in '50-60-but the three Neds
started route up, through that part of the
Tracy. ned James and Ned Norton The Dalies
was the key 10 the whole country then every
Idaho and Montana was distributed from there,
and all the gold dust was sent dOwn there
to be shipped to Portland. We ran routes every
two three days TO Walla Waila, Umatila, Lewis
ton, Covillc, Canon City, Eagle Creek, and every
where that new camp was opened.
The messengers were generally a pretty hard
| lot They had to run through dangerous country,
alive with Indians and road AGENTS, so We had 70
get daredevil lot. They had 10 be Straight
iorward-perfectly' Trustworthy but all other
ways they were rough. or course they
right in with all these gamblers, You know. 50
i naturally got more or less intimate with them
| too, and had done this fellow Bob good many
favors, you know, he felt frst-ratc toward me,
| and was ready to do anything he could for me.
The particular thing ! tell you in the
middle Of winter. Two men came into my store
one day One Of these men was a soldier, whom
j had seen about the post. lie was a scOundrcl,
the worst kind. The other a ranchcr from
up country, who had gold watch hc wanted
sent down 10 Portland 20 be repaired. ! took
the watch, and told him Ia come in again and
! sent it 10 Portland and III course Of time it
came back by express
| Well, one day the same two men came in
again and as il happened. Cherokee Bob was
sitting in the store. The rnchcr asked for the
watch. ! brought il out and he asked how much the
bill was. When told him, he said hc hadn't got
| the money, and would either send for il or come
| in again and get IT, In an hour OF two the sol
der came back, and said the ranchcr busy
packing 10 90 on, home, and had sent linn I"
get the watch. He threw the money on the
counter, and brought out the watch and asked
him to sign a receipt. lie signed the rancher's
name. and then made him sign his own. too.
He hadn't been gone long when in walks this
rancher, and asks for his watch.
Your watch says |. Why, that other fell
low has been in and got it," and | showed him
the receipt.
Il don't know anything about that" says he.
"a want my watch"
| told him the other fellow had got il, but
lie wouldn't listen. but kept on saying he'd got 10
have his watch OF the money for II, and began 10
talk rough. Saws |. " Look here, you got 10 stop
that right here and he knew enough 10 keep
| an even tongIc in his head he about
half drunk, though, and so | asked him how
much his watch worth. He said he wanted
sixty dollars for il. Now says l. you wait
here while | 90 see my lawyer If he says 10
give you the money. you get il; if he don't, you
don't get a cent
Well he begun TO abuse me again then | just
reached under the counter, them and pulled out
my revolver.
y" If You say another word of that" says J.
:" Pll blow yonr internal head right of. ] don't
propose % take anything Of the sort. If You
keen civil YOU can wait here in the store; if you