Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1891-11-20

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ten military uisooofS III Octobes,
1861, there kDppens4 . 1lttie incident
dufine III mr. Tint ~ a1nu1ine ~
III about tht mil. excerpt - vic1ims
Of the drunken frsak which, whils
happily turnine into . joks, might
have proven To b D horrible amir.
The hre sheets Of the boilers In
Tatlow's mill had given ont. Tho
boilers were leaking and must b -
paired, and men were brought from
Quincy, ILL.,, to do the work. Now
blood hatred was rampant and man
and women and even children were
reckless regarding life. The Whispef
OF word, the crook Of . finger would
prove the straw to break the camel's
back and cause q fight between neigh
bors who had always been fast friends
and who were brethren In the same
secret society and church; or send .
son from some one family into the
Union ranks, while another brother
would leap into the saddle and turn
his face southwark and Join the Con.
federate army, and everybody from
across the Mississippi River WAS
counted a Yankee. The boiler mend.
ers arrived about noon, and, knowing
the state OF affairs, yer anxious to
get through and place the Father Of
Waters between them and Missouri,
so they at once went to work, arrangs
ing to keep 1t up night and day until
done. The ''lour packer boys" were
detailed to hold torches, and oil
seemed favorable for rapid work. But
about 3 o'clock the writer, being In
another part OF town, saw . party OF
rakish looking horsemen ride IN from
the outskirtlng woods. Fierce look
ing, dead game and deadly handed
men, with no more noise than that
made by horses hoofs In the simple
swing OF the route step and know.
ing no law but that Of ball and blade.
He was personally acquainted with
some Of the grim visitors, but not all,
and not knowing what might happen
to the boiler men II their presence
was known, he got out Of their sight
quickly as possible n d.went to the
mill and told them that the ''Salt
River Tigers" were In town. In less
time than it takes to tell 1t the noise
Of the hammer and chisel was
stopped, the lights exttnguished and
all was dark and quiet as the grave.
The men were advised to 60 to their
boarding house for the night, but
there was greater alarm among them
than was at first supposed, for after
the writer left the men crawled into
the boilers and got one Of the -four
packers to put up the man-head and
screw it tight. Then the boy, prom
Using to return quickly, went up town
to see what had become Of the Tigers.
He found them in charge Of all the
saloons In the place, and instead Of
returning according to agreement, he
got wild and woody drunk and went
of with the guerillas never to return
killed In battle at Champion Hills,
after winning q record as the bravest
of the brave. The boiler-makers re-
NAMED in their bullet proof retreat
until the millers returned next morn
ing. Thanks to the air supplied by
the safety valve and mad-drum which
were wide open, and the rivet holes
they had cut free, they had received
enough air to live on. But their
escape was narrow, for had the des-
perate gang known that those boilers
were full OF what they termed
.sYanks," they would have built q
fire in the furnace just a. surely az q
gun barrel Is made of iron.