The morning call., 1892-07-05
THEY DIDN'T WANT 1T.
Story OF an Attempt TO Jump q Claim a
Cripple Creek.

Story OF an Attempt TO Jump a Claim at
Cripple Creek.
Among the earlier residents Of this camp,
says Cripple Creek correspondent of the
New York Sun, was an old prospeetor
named II. c. Sheffield. He was one of the
long-haired men-was bad friends with the
barber. as they say here--bat. nevertheless,
man who knew pay streaks when he saw
them, AMI was withal quiet and unassun-
ing man who attended strictly to his own
business, and never had any trouble with
anybody but once. Even then lie didn't
have any trouble-it was the other fellows.
The story as told Is that, after locating
claim in promising spot, Sheffield took in
q tenderfoot as a partner to help on the
development work. They got on unexpect-
edly well, and on the strength of it Sheffield
took day off and went hunting TO kill a
buck. They had lived on bacon and meal
long enough 10 raise a greas appetite fer
yenison and Sheffield was crack shot.
Leaving their little shack among the asp
ems near Requa Greek before daylight. Shelf
field went far away TO the west. expecting
TO be back In three or four hours, but the
forenoon wore away and nothing was seen
Of him, and so after dinner the tenderfOOt
wandered around the spur of the mountain,
just 10 take another look at the big strike
they had made.
Coming in view of the windlass, he was
somewhat astonished to see a couple of men
standing beside it and talking. evidently, to
third man down in the shaft. They had
their coats off and lying on the dump. How
ever, the tendeTfoOt had seen good many
people come along during the course of the
work and examine the rock taken out, and
at first he thought il was the usual curiosity
of prospectors that had led the men to GO
hosting ore from the shaft. The next min
ute he thought IL might be a party who
wanted to buy good prospect, and with this
cheering notion In his head he made haste
TO the shaft.
"Good-day, gentlemen" he said. "What
do you think of it?"
One of the men at the windlass eyed him
for minute and then said:
WHO the devil are you?''
my name is ID. g. Alger," he replied.
''Tm one of the owners of the shaft. You
can see my name on the discovery stake
there"
"oh. you're one of the owners of this
shaft, are you? l like that, | do Your
names on the stake. is it? Perhaps you'll
be kind enough to point IL out to Us. Well
be right glad to see it there, for we're Just
aching to have partner OF about your
size"
The tenderfoot stared in amazement, re-
aliZing for the first time that he was con-
fronting caim-jumper.
Come, hurry up and show us the name,
because If you can't you'd better make
tracks with the heels this way. IL you
think we'll stand any nonsense from q
~
mistake in the community here gathered
together" continued the jumper.
There was nothing to do but to make
tracks as suggested, for the jumpers had al
tered the stake. and, moreover, carried re-
volyers. So the tenderfoot sneaked back to
his shack aud snXiously waited the coming
of old Sheffield.
1t was a weary wait. The work OF the
prospectOrs had driven the deer long way
back from the camp, and it was not until
N
ryiDg big saddle OF yenison on his back.
The tendsrfo0t fastened to meet him to
take the burden. and while yet they were
some rods apart the old man saw the tender
foots agitation and laughiugly asked what
was the matter. When the story was told
Sheffield laughed again.
81 don't think they want that claim" he
said. They'll let us have it again when
We want it."
"Don't want it? Why, they've been work.
ing 1t all day. They fred blast with our
dynamite not 20 minutes ago. They've
Jumped Ii sure"
''0h. / guess not. They don't want IL.
Put down the meat and let's go see."
The lay of the land was such that Shelf
field and his companions arrived within 20
rods Of the shaft without seeing 1t or the
men. Then they emerged from a thick
clump Of aspens, and there stood two of the
jumpers leaning on the wlndlass and looking
into the shaft having evidently just lowered
next instant old Sheffield squnted over his
rifle aud a bullet knocked the splnters
from the windlass over the men at both
ends of 1t.
Strengthening up. they gave one wild look
at the old man with the rifle still at his
shoulder, and then fled precipitately down
the slope, leaving their jackets and every
thing else behind. The one in the shaft
began 10 shout, and then minute later his
head showed above the shaft as he climbed
up the ladder that stood in one corner. He,
too, gave one scared look at the owner, and
then ran as the others had done.
81 didn't think they wanted that claim"
said old Sheffield, quietly. ''Shol / wish
they'd taken their duds. but we'll carry 'em
up TO the Buckhorn; most likely they'll see
'en and claim 'em there"
If they saw the duds there they never
claimed them, and the curious tourist
could, until within a day or two. see two
coats, check jacket aud a red cotton hand
kerchief in one corner of the saloon, with a
pacard OH them. which read:
"The property of the three men who tried
to lump the Jay Gould. The owners can
have them on application at the bar"
Edison's Predecessors.