The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-05

would say, TOO muchee pollyfoot." AT
last the riddle was correctly guessed. He
meant, "Too much profit"
For protection Keen Fam built his
house opposite the store. The Men-
cans were then attacking and robbing
| isolated bands of Cinnamon. At one Bar a
few miles below, then deserted by the
| whites, the Chinese had inclosed their
| camp with high stockade of logs. Yet
one night they were attacked. The
Mexicans besieged their fortress for
hours, peppering them from the hill
side with revolvers, and at last they
broke through the Monaghan works and
bore off all their dust and dozen or
| more revolyers. Keen Fann's castle
was in dimensions not more than II by
10 feet, and in height two stories. Within
it was partitioned off into rooms not
much larger than dry goods boxes. The
Railways were just wide enough to
squeeze through, and very dark. 1t was
intensely labyrinthian, and Keen was
always making it more SO by devising
new additions. No white man ever did
know exactly where the structure began
or ended. Keen was merchant, deal
ing principally in gin, fish and opium.
His store was involved in this curious
dwelling, all of his own construction.
In the store there was counter. Be-
hind it there was just room for Keen to
sit down, and in front there was just
room enough for the customer to turn
around. When Keen was the merchant
he looked imposing in an immense pair
of Chinese spectacles. When he shook
his rocker in the bank he took off these
spectacles. He was large consumer Of
his own gin. once asked him for the
amount Of his weekly allowance. Me
tink," said he, zone gallun hap" half).
From the upper story of the castle pro-
truded huge spear head. 1t was made
by the local blacksmith, and intended
as menace to the Mexican bandits. As
they grew holder and more threatening,
Keen sent down to San Francisco and
purchased lot of old pawnshop revolv-
ers. These being received, military
preparation and drill went on for several
weeks by Keen and his forces. He prac-
ticed at target shooting, aimed at the
mark with both eyes shut, and for those
in its immediate vicinity with a most
ominous and threatening waver of the
arm holding the weapon. 1t was proph-
esied that Keen would kill somebody
with that pistol. None ever expected
that he would kill the proper person.
Yet he did.
One night an alarm was given. Keen's
castle was attacked. The ''boys," hear
ing the disturbance, grabbed their rifles
and pistols and sailed from the store.
The robbers, finding themselves in a
hornets nest, ran. By the uncertain
light of waning moon the Bar was seen
covered with Cinnamon Cabling and |
wildly gesticulating. Over the river two |
men were swimming. Keen, from the |
bank, pointed his revolver at one, shut |
his eyes and fired. One of the men
crawled out of the water and tumbled
in a heap among the powders. The |
"boys" crossed, and found there strange
white man, with Keen's bullet through
his backbone.
1 Experienced about the narrowest es-
cape of my life in boat during freshet
on the Tuolumne crossing. l counteG
myself a good river boatman, and had
Just ferried over a Swett's Bar miner
He had come to purchase gallon Of the
native juice of the grape, which was
then grown, pressed and sold at Red
Mountain Bar. When he crossed with
ne he was loaded with it. Some of it
was outside of him in demijohn and
some of it was inside. Indeed, it was in
side Of US both. l set him across all
light. On returning, by taking advan-
age of certain eddy one could be
'ushed up stream counter to the current
coming down for a quarter of mile,
md at very rapid rate. It was very
exciting thus to be carried in an oppo-
lite direction, within ten feet of the
,reat billowy swell coming down. It
vas a sort of sliding down hill without
he trouble of drawing ones sled up
gain. So | went up and down the
tream. The Red mountain wine mean
ime was working. Night came on,
,lorious moon arose over the mountain
ops, and | kept sliding up and down the
'uolumne. | became more daring and s
areless, so that suddenly in the very t
ury of the mid-stream pillows l slipped
II the stern sheets at sudden dip of
he boat and fell into the river. l was
cavity clad in fannels and mining :
oots. +
OF my stay under water I recollect q
My the thought, You're in for it this I
.me. This is no common baptism" f
he next knew was clinging to rock t
alf mile below the scene of the sub l
lergence, l had been swept under :
rater through the Willow Bar, the walls
whose rocky channel, chiseled by the +
1rrent OF centuries, were narrower at S
10 top than on the river bed, and r
trough which the waters swept in a d
of boils and whirlpools. Wet
nd dripping, tramped to the nearest
abin, mile and half distant, and
aid there that night. Red Mountain
ar, on seeing the mishap, gave me up :
II lost-all but one man, who was mega y
We On that point, for the reason, as he (,
legged, that was not destined to make F
10 final exit by water. l reappeared o
le next morning at the Bar. When ! &
id the boys that l had been swept q
trough the Willow Bar they instituted :,
of similarity in the matter 4
veracity betwi1t myself and Ananias Il
old. 1t was the current impression b
at no man could pass through ,hs VIII b
" Bar alive.
Chinese Camp, FIVE miles distant, stood =
the metropolis for Red Mountain Bar. .,