The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-01-11
DEAD AND ALIVE.
AN DER TRUE TALE OF LOVE
AND WOE.
4 Romance Of the Salmon River Country.
BY LEONIDAS LYRE.
CHAPTER THE I.

Our story opens out in the earl
days of Loon Greek, then pros
porous placer mining camp lynn
twenty miles northwest of Ronanzs
; 1t was on the first or second day {
December, 1870 or III, or some
where along there. 1t had been
successful mining season at Loo
Greek, and the town of Orc Grand
was in the zenith of it's boom AM
resplendent with prosperity. Ful
purses and good ground, with
prospect of a coming season of BIZ
clean-ups, made the boys happ,
and jolly. About 500 men and sew
eral women were wintering in tn
camp. The fall had been UNUSUAL,
mild, and all were predicting al
open winter and early spring.
On the evening above mentioned
three miners, named respectively
Jack Doe, Dick Roe and Jesephu:
Donks, stood at the bar of one of the
big saloons of Orc Grande Smiling
and talking over their prospects
About the time of the fifth "smile'
the conversation changed in this
wise:
"Oh, by the way" commenced
Dick, addressing his friend Jose
plus, Il thought you were going to
get married all so fast this winter,
and bring your bride to Orc Grande
to spend the honeymoon
"Well," replied Josephus, in a
drawing manner, "the truth of the
matter is that old man Shellbark,
my intended father-in-law, is win
tering in the bosom of his family
at Salmon City, and he swears by
everything good and bad that he
will fill the body Of that Josephus
Donks full of buckshot if he ever
comes around his house to court
his favorite daughter Juliann. He
says when he goes to the trouble
and expense of raising gal he pro-
poses to have a say in who she
shall marry" And Josephus, when
he had done speaking, looked on
the ceiling vacantly, and drew a
long sigh that seemed to come from
the bottom of his chest.
"Oh-ho! That's what's the mat
ter! Then, why don't you steal
her?' whispered Dick.
"Steal her Well, now, l wouldn't
want any better fun if | could get
little help" answered Josephus, as
his eyes frightened at the thought,
'sfor the gal loves me from the bed
rock up, and don't you forget it |"
GLOW about the old lady?' in
quired Jack.
sob, the old woman is all right,
you can bet. When the old man is
against fellow you can just gam
BILE on it that the old woman is for
him first and last and all the time.
1t is kind o. natural like, you see,
for the old folks to disagree on these
fine points" replied Josephus.
YES" Clipped in Dick, who was
a confirmed old bachelor; II sup
pose it is, because after a man and
woman have lived together long
enough to raise a family of children
they disagree on most everything
except the partnership of the chill
aren; and even on that particular
point the old man sometimes has
his doubts. have noticed this
much myself, and hence / take no
chances on the matrimonial lasso."
maybe you are right" answered
Josephus. "but don't care for that
f l can get my Juliann. I'll take
chances on her, and the old man
,an go and drown himself in the
Salmon river, if he wants to. l will
no trouble over it"
"Well," said Jack, eff you are
anxious to get the girl we will see
hat you get her, won't We, Dick?'
Now you touch my tenderest
ooint," answered Dick. II feel for
hese young folks who are dying to
,et spliced and the old man stand
ng between with breech-loader
louble-barreled shotgun. l have
Helped steal awaymany a girl for the
,oys, and l enjoy the excitement.
But" he continued in solemn un-
lertone, 81 don't believe these stolen
matches always come out right in
he end. I have noticed that gen.
rally they turn out poorly and
make lots of trouble and bad feel
ngs among the connexions. But
hats their business, not mine; we
will get the girl for you, and the
ooner it is over with the better it
will be, while the weather is good.
(ou know that the old Sheepeater
MEMS hanging around the camp
ay this is going to be the coolest
inter within the recollection of the
ldest native, and some of them
re awful DID,"
10 make a long story short enough
0 ut the columns of the KEYSTONE,
be parties then and there agreed to
tart the next day for Salmon City
steal away the beautiful Juliann
hellbark and transplant her in the
'rtile Loon Greek field of society.
CHAPTER THE II.