Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-06-25
MEDICINE. LODGE KANSAS WEDNESDAY. JUNE Is 1890

uown ana saw SneeL IRON JACK repeat
the operation with half the girls in the
room. Then with smile and bow the
merry brigand said: "Such charming
ladies / have never seen before, but
really the men OF this district are not as
brave as they might be-" Then he
kissed his last partners hand, walked
out of the door and disappeared in the
darkness, leaving dozen very sheepish
young fellows behind him.
Like most typical highwaymen, Sheet
Iron Jack was e spendthrift, and be-
lieved in the Robin Hood political econ
omy. He helped many a poor fellow,
footsore, homeless and weary, to new
start. He once saved stage from an
accident by repairing broken bridge
at the bottom OF a grade, just before the
belated stage tore down the rain-swept
mountain. People told stories of him
that would have done credit to the best
of men. He often flung five, or ten,
or twenty-dollar gold piece at dead
broke" man, with the terse command:
Don't you drink whisky, and don't you
believe all the bad stories you hear
about Sheet Iron Jack
The following incident is perhaps as
characteristic as any that are told Of
this genial outlaw:
One day in August German was rid
ing along the mountain paths of South
ern Trinity His horse, fine and valu-
able animal, suddenly went lame, and
in an tour was only able to hobble for
ward. The ignorant youth was in de-
spair. He had paid $3.50 for the horse,
and now he expected to be compelled to
abandon the animal.
AT this juncture a mild-voiced,
benevolent old man, the shrewdest
horse-trader in the Coast Range, over
took the poCr German, won his conf
dence, examined the horse and pro-
nounced the trouble clear case of
founder"
"'Twill take him year to get we'll,
an he'll never be much of a horse
agin."
After awhile the shrewd trader offered
the German $50 for the horse, saying
that he should turn him out in a pasture
for year or more. The unhappy young
man consented, took the money and
started down the hill to walk to the
stage station. The sharper waited un-
til he was out of sight, then took a pair
of pinchers from his sad addlebags, and in
five minutes had taken off the four new
shoes of the lame horse. In half an
hour the animal was able to walk with
comfort.
Il tho't So" the new owner said.
The minute l seen them new shoes 1
knowed the trouble. That boss is worth
$500. Wish | could find such fool
every day"
The poor German toiled on for nearly
an hour with his heavy saddle-bags,
when man rode out of the bushes and
asked: Where in the devil is your
horse?" The hesitating youth related
what had happened, blushing with the
rising conviction that he had made a
mistake. The stranger sat sideways on
his great brown horse, with one knee
thrown over the saddle, and broke into
merry fits of laughter as he listened.
He asked a few questions about the
ancient and friendly stranger. At last
he said:
well. this is my territory, so I'll help
you out. You go under that oak in the
gulch and you'll find my camp. The
dried venison is hanging to limb. Don't
you build a fire, but turn in whenever
you choose"
With such a horse as Sheet Iron
Jack rode it was easy to overtake the
swindler, and he then proceeded with
great dignity to reprove him at the point
of a revolver.
"a bargains bargain, said the man,
"but you've got such takin way that
yo can hev the hoss when We give me
back my S2O''
That goes for my fees as lawyer"
Sheet Iron Jack responded; "but now,
that think of it, my time is worth more
than that. Shell out!' and he took over
$500 from the discounted speculator in
horseflesh, tossed him back a twenty
dollar piece, and rode back to where
the young German lay asleep under the
oak
"Climb on" he said, ''and ride to
WeaverviHe. Hold your tongue about
this performance for a few DAYS, and
don't try any more horse trades That
is fine animal; if had come along
first 1 might have taken it myself.
Goodbye"
few years later Sheet Iron Jack
grew tired of his old stamping ground"
and went on long ride into Idaho and
Montana, then just coming into prom
inence as a mining region. Jack is now
serving sentence in California pris-
on. He is an old MANN. Y. Press.