The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-10-18
THE ARIZONA K
Some Strangers Should Beware When
They Come to Town.

copyright, 1892, by Charles B. Lewls.]
WHO WAS HE?-Monday morning at
about 10 o'clock, while his honor the
mayor (who is ourselD was in his office
in the town hall, a boy entered and in
formed him that a stranger who was
lame in the hip and could not climb
the stairs wished to speak with him on
the street on important business. With
that cheerful courtesy characteristic of
the gentleman his honor at once laid
aside his work and followed the boy
down to the street. The only stranger
in sight was a bad looking redheaded
man on a white mule, and his honor
had scarcely reached the sidewalk be-
fore this fellow opened fire and began
to yell. His honor had left his gun UP
stairs, but as soon as he realized the
situation he lodged about trying to
borrow one. The result brought out
a singulars state of affairs. Steve
Whites pistol was fouled and the
cylinder would not revolve. Abe
Johnson's was caught inNthe lining of
his pocket and could not be extracted.
Tom Williams, who is always blowing
around about being heeled for a sud
den emergency, handed out a gun
without a single cartridge in It'll His
honor got hold of five different weapons
before he found one ready for business.
Meanwhile the redheaded man was
whooping it up and the mayor was
lodging about. AS soon as he opened
fire the stranger decided 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
falling.
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 better.
He had nerve enough, but was a very
poor shot. Only one bullet out of the
ten or twelve he fred was a 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 is, but
as for the four or five of our fellow
townsmen who were standing around
with useless guns in their hip pockets,
we feel they deserve the harshest criti
cism. A gun is of no earthly use in
this county unless it is in order. II
not in order, then a man is an idiot t.
load himself down with it. He'd bet
ter carry a stone in his pistol pocket
or a club over his shoulder. AS fo1
Tom Williams, who wasn't loaded al
all, he'd better go bury his gun and
arm himself with a corn cutter or 6
buzzsaw. He'd have been in a nice
fix to have beguna religious discussion
with some of the boys, wouldn't he
We have crossed his name off our sub
scription books and we want him tc
keep away from our Office in future.
Nor ExACTLY.-An eastern sub
scriber to the Kicker writes us to in
quire if this town has mineral springs
and is 2 health resort. It has nc
springs as far as we know of, and ISM
exactly a health resort. The climate
is healthy Or unhealthy, according tc
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 thai
when hung up to a limb there was
hardly weight enough to keep the rope
taut His friends thought he was