Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-01-15
| PUBL n W

TOOK IL gOOu-ndIureuiI, anu tucS' see
| ing he was in earnest. soon let him
alone.
When a chap called Charley Ross"
in some unaccountable way held four
kings in little game wherein auoth-
er king was held by Buck Penrose,
and fingered for Ave or six days after
ward with a 44-calibre bullet inside Of
him. Brick Yates was the one who
picked him up. carried him home and
nursed him tenderly till he died, and
Brick it was who performed the last
rites. preaching a brief but forcible
homily on the advantages OF strict
honesty.
When little Sherburne, asSayer at
the Highland. was sick with noun
tain fever. it was Brick who stopped
work and stayed by his bedside for
three weeks and who took the lads
body TO LeadvilIe and shipped Il
home. And when George Hawley'
who had been Bricks enemy for
years, hovered between life and death
for ten days as the result OF an acci
dent at the Columbia shaft house. il
was Yates who nursed him and
brought him back from the jaws OF
death, a bit crippled, but strong
enough 10 work and grateful almost
to worship.
But the English company operating
the Highland mine shipped in one day
lot OF Cornish miners, rough, brut-
ish. ignorant fellows. far different
from the splendid boys whom the era
w freaks OF the manager, who sue
ceeded Wallace. had forced to quit
work. From this time on Bricks
work was hard. but he never faltered
All the old residents were his staunch
friends. but with these loutish Cor
| nishmen he could establish no peace,
though he did all for them that he
would have done for others. They
had no gratitude, no finer feelings,
end though Brick used every effort TO
establish friendly relations with them
| il was in vain.
One Saturday night there was
trouble at the Highland, and Peveril,
the new manager, was killed by the
men and his body thrown into the
gully. The word passed into camp
and Brick heard He had known and
disiked Peveril, as had every one else
in the camp. but his duty was clear.
He saddled his bronco aud rode up
and got the body.
Next day we gathered down at the
little cemetery TO see PeveriI con
signed 10 earth Brick had begun 10
read a chapter Of the good book over
the grave when there was commo-
ton. and he looked up 10 see what
was the matter. Four or five drunk
en- Cornishmen, the worst characters
at the Highland, came through the
crowd. headed by Evan Evans, the
leader OF last nights riot. They
stalked up to Brick, but he continued
hi. reading. Evans raised his big,
dirty hand and struck the Bible from
Yates's grasp. A dozen hands reached
for revolvers, but Brick raised his
hand as command 10 refrain.
Evans" he said, slowly, you are
interferin' with the work OF God:
but let us have no words. Cease this
here trouble an go yer way. I'm
goin' ter bury this here feller Fl die
fer it," And he again reached for
the Bible, but had hardly taken hold
OF il when Evans raised his heavy
boot and kicked the preachers s
lowered arm. Like fash OF light
ming Bricks hand flew TO his reOvlver,
then q report-and Evans lay on the
ground dead, the blood gushing from
a gaping hole over his eye.
Brick was very pale, as, the other
Cornishmen having been forced by
| the crowd 20 take their dead leader
and leave, he continued the service.
When he had finished he looked
around and said. quietly: "Fr'en's
I'm sorry, but thar sh'd be no inter
fprin' pith sech matters. Tell them
chaps I'll preach the service over
Evans, ef they say 80"
That night shot was fired from
the dark alley next TO Jake Smiths
saloon. and we boys. rushing out,
| found Brick, wound in his chest,
dying on the sidewalk.
As we carried him in and laid him
on the bartender's cot he signed ia
me to bend closer end whispered
BILLY, ole boy, they've got me. |
guess tn Lord wnz on NV side. but
nuther me mr. him seen that skuIkin'
cuss in the alley"
Ministers have come and gone at
H since then. They have been
scholarly and refined. ignorant aud
rough, good and Indifferent, and
some OF them have endeared them
selves to the people Of H, now
quite a city. But it is worth while,
when some one is eItolling the virtues
OF this or that good man. TO hear
some old timer say: "Wa-sl. mebbe
so. But you just oughter hev knowed
Brick Yates. Thar wuz a man"
1t is told of Bishop Doane. OF Alba
nv. that while dining recently at the