The National tribune., 1892-01-21

restless Texan; the jauntily- dressed CONNER
cial traveller, with his samples Of bad whisky
and worse cigars; the swarthy Mexican, with
his broad sOmbrerO, scarlet sash and irrcpressi-
bic cigaret that darker specimen Of the genus
| homo, the negro, aud, last Of all. the heather
/ Chinee. Nearly every State had its dozens of
| representatives in the motley group Of indiyid-
uals who had come 10 seek their fortunes i'm this
| new EdOTadO. lt was q grand place 20 study
| character; to learn how all the finer attributes
OF n}sn may be completely crushed out Of his
nature by years OF adyersty, and how under
the same circumstances, in others all that is
noble and pure predOmnates, nO matter how
hellish or pestilentisl, morally, may have been
! their surroundings
The principal store OF the town was owned
and conducted by Jemuel kuaEgs, a man Of
reputable character an old plainsman and
mOuntaineer fuu Of enterprise and grit, the
/ acknowledged leading citizen Of WhOoping
| Hollow. In every community, whether the
] most enlightened or harbarOus, there is always
1 20 be found some individual who, by his force
/ OF character aud other inherent attributes, be-
comes foremost in all that concerns the vel
fare and prosperity Of the people who compose
! il, and this was the role that Jemuel kHRRgs
! played in the rough mining camp Of Whooping
Hollow He was a veteran miner, too, Of Cali
fornia in 40; Pixies Peak in 80 and Frazcr's
! River, in British Columbia, in SIS But haV-
Ing amassed several thousand dollars
DURING HIS ERRATIc WANDERINGs
in 1859 he abandoned thep pick and shovel for the
more pleasant occupation Of keeping general
miners store, whose necessities none knew
better than he. So he opened up in Whooping
Hollow in the days Of its inciniency. He was
a man about 50 years old, rather slender than
otherwise, but there was something in his air
and features which distinguished him from
common men. The expression Of his cOunte-
nance was keen and daring; his forehead was
high, and his lips thin aud compressed, indi-
eating great determination Of will. One would
not have hesitated 10 cOntide in his honor or
courage, but would have been extremely re-
luctaut 20 provoke his hostility. He always
dressed in a dsrI-bluo navy shirt at the collar
of which he wore a curious button. Around
his waist was tightly bucllIed broad leather
belt in which a formidable looking bowie
kniie was stuck; 10 be used, MS is usual with
all irOntiersmen, for various purposes inGideT-
ent.y-SIll man. cut food, pick his teeth, or
for whiting. when he had nothing else TO do.
Matters progressed very smoothly in Whoop.
lng HollOE Tor two or three years, under
the watchful care Of Knaggs and a few others
OF like sterling character, who will be hurriedly
described as they appear IN this sketch. But
at the end Of that period pail suddenly fell
| on the place. Men would leave for a visit 10
some neighboring camp or on hunting ex-
peditiOH, and never be heard Of again. Some
~
would disappear al at once, the number Of in
stances Of this character in one year aggregat.
| ing 20! At last the whole town became
AROUSED AND suspicious
Of foul play entered their heretofore apparently
too lethargic brains in the matter. no one felt
safe, and when, 10 cap the climax" as il
were, Jemuel Knaggs was declared - missing"
an investigation was Immediately but secretly
instituted.
1T then developed that with one or two ex-
ceptions all OF those who had disappeared had
lett NhOoping Hollow for Sandy Bar, the near
est mining camp, 60 miles distant, and 20 which
there was only one possible trail over the di-
vldei that the parties had been murdered was
now conceded, but upon whom could suspicion
rest ana where on the lonely route were the
damnable deeds e0mmittcdG That was the
question discussed one evening by half n dozen
prominent men Of WhoOping Hollow, who had
secretly met In a room about a week after
Jcmuel knaEgs failed 10 return at the appoint
ed time lie was last seen on the day OF his
departure from town by some reputable miners,
who had met and cOnversed with him on the
tran 70 Sandy Bar, not more than u miles
from his home He never arrived at Sandy
Bar, however; that fact was asccTtained 10 n
certainty through diligent inquiry there. IL
was only small camp Of less than 800 people,
aud he was as well known there as in MhOop.
ing Hollow.
! About half way between Whooping Hollow
and Sandy Bar there was a narrow rocky val
! Icy known as Willow Springs Gulch; aban-
! o0ned long ago rs a mining region. the ore In
that vicinity having consisted Of a series Of
small pockets only, which were naturally ex.
hausted IN less than six months from the date
OF Their discovery, and That was more than two
years before operations had begun IN whoop-
ing Hollow. Bat the place was still famous for
/ ITS pure water, which Rushed out Of the indu-
rated wall Of g small canyon in a stream as
large Hs a mans Hrm-ciear cold aud shark
ling; the best water 10 be found Ia the whole
90 miles ride. The entrance 10 the rocky can
/ yon was almost concealed by dense growth Of
mountain willows; hence the name But the
beautiful spring was
THE ONLY REDEEMING FEATURE
IN the otherwise barren and desolate Landscape.
] Near this lonely spot stood a small adobe cabin
or rather hut, the only habtation anywhere
within 20 miles Of tho dreary place. It's sole
occupant was ostensby a miner who pretend
/ ed 10 own claim near Sandy Bar: but il was
! alleged that DO one ever saw him work t. vet
/ he always bad sufficient money, apparently, 20
supply his wants, ever paying gold for bis pur-
chases. lie was tai, angular, villainOus-
/ looking specimen Of humanity; rough, Hitter
ate dialcctc In his talk, but possessing tho
! physique Of giant as courageous as a she
] grizzly with cubs, dead shot with tie revOl-
Yer, and, withal, believed by everyone TO be a
! desporado In The most rigid acccptatiOn Of the
| term. viewed supcrhcially, for nobody at
Nhoopng Hollow or Sandy Bar knew any
/ Thing about his autCccdcuts, he was apparently
/ without one redeeming quality, except that ho
! was KIND 10 hls dog, NANCY, spotted, wicked
| looking yellow cur, with only one eve and
/ taillcss-iit companion for such a surly-dgposcd
master! This strangely mysterious being. with
! whom no ono had any more intercourse than
was absolutely necessary, and that confined 20
| the limited conversation required when he
entered stores TO make purchases, lived a su-
prcmely isolated sort OF an existence, for he was
as carefully avoided by everyone as were the
rattlesnakes that infested the rocky arT0yOs Of
the bald, bleak hills where his hat was located
Upon him, then, black suspicion naturally az
once fell, 40 prone Is human nature 10 be guild
ed by visible forms, though there was not an
/ mixing OF proof, either circumstantial or di-
rect, upon which 10 base this mans guilt
fortunately they who were quietly invcsti-
eating the cause Of the disappearance Of Jsmuoi
| knaggs were men o. excellent judgment: cool.
calm and deliberate in their proceedings,
BUT TERRIBLY IN EARNEST.
they had received their education IN the great
school Of the world; they knew that sus-
pieions were not facts; that appearances are
too often deceiviDg and they were n0uplussed
because convincing proof was not forthcoming
20 convict the only man upon whom a shadow
OF probable guilt could fall
This strange creature, about whom nobody
knew anything, was called, whenever reference
TO him became neccssary-Often now, for he