Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-08-18
q Bad Man s Luck

the only man wh1 wss ever too quick for
Joe Dye. He is tall, nervous. active man,
who may be seen any afternoon 90 Mint
gon cry street. He came from Pennsylvania
dozen or fifteen years ago, and ~ss one OF
the first to discover and develop the oil wells
OF Ventura.
joe Dge was the bad man, the gun ghf-
er of that pert Of !he corntry, and bad re-
cord of three or four potches on the butt OF
his handy s;x-shoo.er. Joe wss tall. hand
come, picturesque chsp, pleasant enough to
meet under ordinary clrcumstsnces. but bis
temper and his trigger foger worked too
moniously to make him an altogether
desirable acquaintance.
Occe Joe had some trouble wieh the post
master of Santa Paula, and be concluded
that the fficis was not the proper sort OF
person to have running around loose. So be
said he was going to ehoot the postmaster
some day, and when the postmaster heard
Of that be loaded up an old Henry rife and
packed 1t about wherever he went. Step.
ping Into a store one afternoon, he saw Joe
standing by the counter, and raising the
rifle to his shoulder. he pulled the trigger.
l. is not good scheme for man to pack
q gun unless he packs little common sense
master forget TO put cartridge into the bar
rel OF his rife, and when he pulled the trig-
ger nothing happened. Something happen
ed Immediately a!terWard, however. Joe
Dye pulled his gun and shot lot of boles
10 the postmaster. Or course, Joe was ac-
Quilted on the plea of seli-deiense.
Old man Udel has walked the streeta Of
Santa Paula with hle heart In bis mouth fer
more than two years. He had ranch ad-
Joining Joe Dye's place in the hille, and one
SUNDAY Joe made neghborly call on him.
Joe's dog was there, too, ard Immediately
picked row with Udsll's dog. Udell tried
TO stop the fight, but joe said, "Let 'em have
1t out. They'll fight every time they meet If
they don't settle it now" so the dogs had
1t out, and Joe's dog got beautifully licked.
THIS made Joe fearfuly angry. He went
home after his gun, came back and shot
Udel's dog aud talked about shooting Udsll
also. The old man fed TO town and never
| went back to the rsnch until he heard that
Joe Dye was dead.
Joe Dye was killed few weeks ago in
Los Angeles. He had threatened man,
VINO didn't want to be shot, and the man
who didn't want to be shot bought 8 shot
gun and resolved to give Joe q dose of Plcohe
| fair play.
"Draw ard -bang-defend yourseil!" That
is Phoebe fair pley. Il got ite name from the
Nevada mining camp, where 1t was prao-
tced by the gun-fghters Of early deye with
great success
The man who didn't want to be shot To-
Gated bimeelf in a secoDd-story window, en-
street through which jos was sure to Ease,
and when Joe showsd d up within easy buck
shot range, be called cut to him, "Hello
Joe ~
Joe looked up. reached for his gun, and
tumbled over with 80 many holes In him
that ne looked like an old commutation fer.
ry ticket.
B1t about SCOTT, of Ventura. Scott and
Joe had legal COT test over an oil claim,
and Scott being discreet maD, lodged that
as subject of conversation whenever he
met Joe. One day they nett 10 saloon and
drank and chatted amio bly, ct q 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
any body else on earth. Without stopping
to think or meaning to start row. be pop
ped out: zoe, you are blank.dashed liar"
This is the way Scott tells the rest of 1t:
before l could wiuk Joe had his gun out
end poked under my nose Scared? Well
l should ssy was. But was to quick for
him, took it all back before he could
shoot. San Francisco Examiner.