The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-27
GILMAN. Nav IS. 1sc


To THE EDITOR: You have published cards
from mine owners and striking miners. Will
you grant space TO hear one word IRON the poor
guards, who are protecting the property OF their
employers? 1t makes me tired to read every
day some allusion TO ''those cutthroatS, those
hired assassins.' Please listen 10 the story of
one OF them who ten days ago half believed
that the men who composed these guards were
what they are represented to be.
am seaman. For twenty-five years have
not been one mile away rom salt water, until
the present time. For the past eight years
have run between San Francisco and Seattle.
Sickness caused my leaving my ship, and the
present dizziness in shipping circles has pre-
vented me from finding another berth was
asked 10 come TO this mine a guard, and to
get another man with me. ! made the PROPOSE
tion to chum Of mine (slso seamanJ, and we
about made ID our minds that the guards were
too tough company soT US, but we concluded to
try il for day, and If did not like IL to I'd
helm and square away for Seattle. We reached
camp about p. m. As / walked into the guards
house, expecting 70 see party of fieree-iOoking
men. desperadoes hristiing with revoiyers and
bowie knives, and whose talk would he blood
curding accounts or how many men they he'd
''done up was agreeabiy surprised to see half
q dozen fine-looking Young fellows reclining on
their cots, while one handsome specimen of six
foot manhood WAS reeitinC 'sIim BludsoT and
other poems with pathos and sense OF humor
that many an eloCutionist might envy was
introduced To the company by the very gentle
manly commander o. these terrible men The
conversation turned on poets and humorists in
manner that convinced me that they had not
only read, but studied the authors they dis
cuSsed.
! found the camp composed OF fifteen men.
every Que of them true born native Americans
well educated, bright, intelligent fellows. with
whom any man might be proud to associate
Only .our of them are over forty wears Of age:
two who served during the late unpleasautness
in the Confederate army as privstes (by the way,
the only prtva1es ever met who had so se-ved)
and two Union soldiers, snd it is as good as a
circus 20 hear them fight their battles over
l have been here ten DAYS, and have vet to
hear the FIRST suuSlou 70 shooting any one or 10
hear OF any hard words between the miners snd
our men, The only incident Of that kind that
| know OF happened 10 me on my post. and that
was from poor fellow who was so drunk that
he could not get of the log where be sat, and he
cursed me roundly in gi6berish that. had not
spent several weeks IN Monmou.hshire, Wales
l would not have understood word. ! only
laughed at him and answered him not n word
We are not here to argue with the miners or
owners. We are simply here 10 protect, aud to
prevent any one from destroying the property of
our employers. And we are going 10 do IL
We cordially invite any gentleman or lady
who dsres risk bis or her life among Us thugs
20 visit our camp. We will sing for you dance
for you, tell you good stories. give you good
squsre meal, and do sll in our power 70 make
your visit pleasant, but II you attempt to injure