Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-09-12

irving to borrow one. The result brought
out a singular state of affairs. Steve
Whites pistol was fouled and the cylinder
would not revolve. Abe Johnson's was
caught in the lining of his pocket and
could not be extracted. Tom Williams,
who is always blowing around about being
heeled for a sudden emergency, handed out
a gun without a single cartridge in it! His
honor got hold of five different weapons
before he found one ready for business
Meanwhile the redheaded man was whoop-
ing it up and the mayor was lodging about
AS soon as he opened fire the stranger de-
cided to git The MAYOR got three shots at
him. and the last one must have struck
him hard, as he dropped one of his guns
and clutched the saddle to keep from fall
ing.
Who the stranger was or is no one
seemed to have any idea, but it is pretty
safe to believe that he was sent in here by
the Cinch Valley cowboys, none of whom
has sand enough to show up in person.
He couldn't have been in the locality very
long or he would have known his man BET
ter He had nerve enough, but was a very
poor shot. Only one ballet out of the ten
or twelve he fired was Il line shot, and that
passed through his honor's hat Most Of
the others went into the telegraph pole IN
front of the door. We have no particular
fault to find with the stranger, whoever he
towns.nen who We're standing around with
useless guns IN their hip pockets, we feel
they deserve the harshest criticism y qua
is of no cart hly use in this county unless it
is in order Ii not in order, then a man is
an idiot TO load himself down with it
He'd better carry stone IN his pistol
pocket or a club over his shoulder. As for
Tom Williams. who wasn't loaded az ALL
he'd better go bury his gun and arm him
self with corn cutter or buzzsaw. He d
have been in "A nice fix to have begun n re-
ligious discussion with some of the boys
wouldn't he, We have crossed his name
off our subscription books, and we want
him to keep away from our office in future
Not EXACTLY-An eastern subscri beT
to THE KICKER writes Us to inquire II this
town has mineral springs and Is health
resort. 1t h"s 10 springs as FAR as we
know Of and isn't exactly a health resort.
The climate is healthy or unhealthy, ac-
corCiing to the man. We have known
strangers to come here and gain three or
four pounds of flesh per week, and again
others would fall away so rapidly that when
hung up to limb there was hardly weight
enough to keep the rope taut There was
Utah Joe, for instance. His friends
thought he was going into decline and
advised him TO come here to restore his
health During the first week OF his stay
he was so quiet that every body took him
for a theological student, and he gained
almost pound Il day. He began the sec
ond week by Dragging of the number o.
men he had planted, and ended up by
shooting pipe ont of Alderman Hender
sons teeth and threatening to clean out
this Office. He didn't gain any that week,
and when he left town Saturday night he
was losing fat at the rate of pound nile.
We have but very little sickness here, ald
malaria is entirely unknown. The deaths
are most always very sudden, and the
coroner feels called upon TO hold an in
quest and search the pockets Of the de-
ceased. We think the right sort of man
can continue living in this locality until
he gets so tired of drawing his breath that
he will go out and suicide unless tied to
post.