The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-09-09
a BAD MANS LUCK.
He was Not Quick Enough with Els
Ever Ready ssGun."

Scott, of Ventura-"C Oil Scott
s-is the only man who was ever too
quick for Joe Dye says the San Fran
cisco Examiner. He is a tall. nervous,
active man, who may be seen any after
noon on Montgomery street. He came
from Pennsylvania d dozen or fifteen
wears ago, and was one of the first to
discover and develop the oil wells OF
Ventura.
Joe Dye was the bad man, the gun
fighter of that part of the country, and
had a record of three or four notches
on the butt of his handy six-shooter.
Joe was tall. handsome, picturesque
chap, pleasant enough to meet under
ordinary circumstances, but his temper
and his trigger finger worked too
harmoniously to make him an alto
gether desirable acquaintance.
Once Joe had some trouble with the
postmaster of Santa Paula, and he con-
cluded that the official was not the
proper sort of person to have running
around loose. So he said he was GO
ing to shoot the postmaster some day,
and when the postmaster heard of that
he loaded up an old Henry rifle and
packed it about wherever he went.
saw Joe standing by the counter, and,
raising the rifle to his shoulder, he
pulled the trigger. 1t is not good
scheme for man to pack gun unless
he packs little common sense and
presence of mind along with it. The
postmaster forgot to put cartridge
into the barrel of his rifle, and when he
pulled the trigger nothing happened.
L. !, CiDfn % a f.
terEard, however. Joe Dye pulled his
gun and shot lot of holes in the post
master. OF course, Joe was acquitted
on the plea of self-defense-
Old man Udell has walked the streets
of Santa Paula with his heart in his
mouth for more than two years. He
had ranch adjoining Joe Dyes place
in the hills. and one Sunday Joe made
a neighborly call on him. Joe's dog
was there, too, and Immediately picked
a row with Udelrs dog Udell tried to
stop the fight but Joe said. "Let 'em
have it out. They'll fight every time
they meet if they don't have it out
now.n So the dogs had it out and Joe's
dog got beautifully licked.
That made Joe fearfully angry. He
went home after his gun, came back
and shot Udells dog and talked about
shooting Udell also. The old man fed
to town and never went back to the
ranch until he heard that Joe Dye was
dead.
Joe Dye was killed few weeks ago
in Los Angeles. He had threatened a
man, who didn't want to be shot, and
the man who didn't want to be shot
bought shotgun and resolved to give
Joe dose of Phoebe fair play.
Draw and = bang = defend your
selfl'' That is Phoebe fair play. 1t
got its name from the Nevada mining
camp where it was practiced by the
gun-fghters of early days with great
success.
The man who didn't want to be shot
located himself in second-story win
dow,on street through which Joe was
sure to pass, and when Joe showed up
within easy buckshot range he called
out to him, ''Hello Joe!n
Joe looked up. reached for his gun,
and tumbled over with so many holes
in him that he looked like an old COM
mutation ferry ticket.
But about Scott of Ventura. Scott
and Joe had legal contest over an oil
claim, and Scott being discreet man
lodged that as subject of CONVERSE
tion whenever he met Joe. One day
they met in saloon and drunk and
chatted amiably at the table. Joe led
the talk around to the oil-claim and
made some assertion about the records
that Scott thought was inaccurate.
Scott is an explosive sort of talker.
His words pop out like shots in an oil
well and he can say more words to the
minute than anybody else on earth.
Without stopping to think or meaning
to start row he popped out: Joe.
your blank-dash liar"
This is the way Scott tells the rest of
It. Before ] could wink Joe had his
gun out and poked under my nose.
Scared? Well should say I was. But
was too quick for him. l took it all
back before he could Shoot