The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-13
AMASSED ELEVEN GIRLS.
Woes Of a Los Angeles Father Whose
Multitudinous Daughters Had
Lovers.
Young Mitchell, the Pugilist, was
Hired as Bouncer, and Had
Much Fun.
But the SWANS Rung IN Jim Corbett ON
Him and Mitchell Went to the
Hospital.

"yes.. said Young Mitchell, the popular
teacher of boxing, as he desisted from
blackinr the eve OF q favorite pupil and ex-
tended 70 Derrick Dodd, of the San Fran
cisco Examiner. the tip of a six-ounce
glove. "a man meets with some odd exper-
fences in this profession. That case l had
down in Los Angeles last summer, for in
stance"
"What was that?"
.sWell, YOU see, a w~hite-haired old resi-
dent of that city came to sec me one Gay
and after inquiring my terms and all that
engaged me to go down to his place for a
month and act as a general
Kept a eambling-house. eh!"
.sOh! bless you, no. You see, this old
party-he was a capitalist named Purfey-
had been married three times and had &C
cumulated eleven daughters"
"Cesarr'
"Wholesale stock. wasn't 1t? And the
worst of it was that as several OF them were
twins the girls averaged from 16 to 3years'
As a matter of course, therefore. they all
had sweethearts at the same time. They
had one apiece all around, except two or
three, who were terrible f1irty and had each
three or four beaus on a string. Pretty big
set of spoons, take the whole outfit ill.,"
well, but"
..The old gentleman explained that he
was almost crazy in consequence, at hrst
he tried to make things run smooth by
building an additional parlor on the house
and putting bay-windows and alcoves all
over the barn. but it wouldn't work. With.
saw, thirty one or two lovesick gushers re-
citing poetry, quarreling, and munching
saramels around the premises he never drew
aquiet breath"
''Should think not!s'
"Why, he said that the noise Of the kisses
alone could be heard clear round the block
and shook the plaster down every three
DAYS. He had to get cnstiron legs put on
the chairs. Sunday night. though, was the
worst of all. In addition to the regular
quorum, the honorary members would all
drop in and try to sit each other out. You
have been there yourself. maybe"'
Eyes, and come away"
"Weil. the old man tried most every
thing, but what bothered him most was the
difficulty in getting the young fellows to 60
he used to etny down at the club until II
and one O'Clock at night, SO as to give the
epony a chance to be over; but when he'd
get home even then he'd stumble over two
or three couples on the stairs, or sonle-
where, and hssd b be re till all th hours in the
$50 he wanted a sort of assistant fireman,
Precisely. Well, I made good terms
with old Purfey and went down on the next
train with him. 1t was about eight O'Clock
when we got in, and the streets were full
of young men. all going in the same direc-
tion. 80.
Twelve only got to follow the crowd
said old Purfey, very grim-like. They're
all going to my house, every mothers son
of 'em.'"
"Did you have much tTouble?"
"Trouble2 But listen. You see the old
gentleman waited until 11:30 and then be-
gan business by turning of the gas, though
somehow the mass-meetinR on the first
floor didn't mind that as much as he sup
posed it would. After that he blew the
danger signal three times-a fairer man
never lived-while I got into my gloves.
Then he called Time and I waded in"
Gave 'sm the G. B., emp
"Exactly. Every now and then I'd strike
some softly slowed away under the stairs or
back of the book case and I'd slam him
right through the front door. 1t was the
derndest job / ever tackled. Twas three a.
m |oefoSs l got through, and ] WAS SO played
out l couldn't walk"
"And the next night?"
The next night it was worse. The boys
had tumbled, so to speak, and us fast as I
threw one out OF the 1rOht door Ieu slip
round and come in the back way. / never
dropped on it till four O'Clock in the morn
ing, when I found that I had been keeping
the same fellow in the air pretty much all
night. The third night we nailed up the
back door and managed to get along bet
tor"
"The scheme succeeded, then?"
'Succeeded nuthin'!" replied the genial
lightweight, bitterly. 'The fourth night l
was just getting ready for the first round
when l heard a great deal of sniokering go
ing on around in the dark. Thinks l.
I'll give you something to smoker for, my
hearties, and / was just about to yank one
of the stowaways out of the refrigerator
when a piledriver or something hit me back
of the ear and an earthquake jammed me
clear through the partition. You see Jim
Corbett, the heavyweight, happened to be
going through on his way south to fight Kill
RAIN, and the admirers of the Purtey girls
had Clipped in enough-there were so many
of 'em. YOU know-to induce him to lay over
and give an exhibition in Los Angeles, and
he exhibited-on me!'
pretty tough that"
"Well. I should smile. When l got out
of the hospital l old Purfey l guessed I'd
have to call it a draw, and advised him to
try and negotiate with the Peter jackson
combination"
"And did he7"
Gle said he would; but he wrote me the
other day that they had smallpox in the
family now, and he was beginning to have
I.AAIo -I--- l.