Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-08-26


Did When She Met a Burglar.
one day not long ago, when the afternoon
train from the south stopped at socorro
n. NJ a substantial looking man Of per.
haps 80 years OF age helped a young and
attractive woman she was not more than
20 at unost--,o leave the cars. Then a charm.
ing little iassie Of 4 jumped down, and the
three got into the bus and were driven 70
the Park House. The lady was seen to be
sick and so attracted more attention than
even good looking women usually do IN
these towns At the hotel II was learned
that the man was mining expert on the
way from one Of the camps in southern
New Mexico to Denver with his wife and
child, but bad been Obliged TO leave the
train by the sudden illness Of his wife.
Having mnde the wife comfortable (she had
not been in great danger at any time), the
husband took the next train north, leaving
the wife, with her little girl. to recover at
leisure. Il is interesting to note that there
was nothing remarkable about that In this
country, nor is the fact less interesting
when Il Is said that this wife, although
among entire strangers, was perfectly at
ease, without self consciousness, and pro
ceeded on the road to health.
Two or three days later a chance nc
quaintance asked her to go with him while
he photographed two of the points Of inter
est in the town-the adobe wall, 2l3 years
old, that fences one side Of Death alley,
and a cottonwood tree that shades it. Tue
wall when first built served as fort for
party OF Spanlards, who were well nigh
wiped out By the Indians, and the alley got
its name from tie fight that then stained
the wall with blotd and from the lynching
Of sundry bad citizens who were hanged
from a limb Of the cottonwood.
The photographs taken were Of grewsome
subjects, and the talk naturally ran to from
tier tales and experiences, especially the ex-
periences Of the young woman.
Did you ever see man hnngedp asked
the chance acquaintance. Fancy such "a
question to a Fifth avenue young womanl
But it was proper here.
mot exactly" she replied, "but saw
one hanging. l was with my husband in
one Of the camps near Denver, and when we
got up une morning and looked out the
back door Of the dining room, as we were
going TO sit down TO breakfast, we saw a
man swinging from tree there on back
street. twas a desperado, and they had
hanged him over night"
THAT was aremRrkable experience" said
the listener
Why, yes I suppose so; but he was a
tough aud deserved his fate. It did not
seem very remarkable 10 me. But then !
never do think much Of what you would
call remarkable experiences until after. l
remember being in another camp near that
one and seeing another man dead from VIC
lence. used to ride down every day quite
distance TO the postotlice. We didn't have
aHHaNH To- 4.
So one day as cantered along saw man
lying face down beside the trail My first
thought was that he was drunk of course
Then / thought he might be sick, so refined
In the horse aud spoke to him. But he did
not answer or move, and so got down and
turned him over. A great hole had been
shot through his breast. There was an
empty shotgun under him. lie had killed
himself. There was no one anywhere in
sight, so left him there and rode on into
town and notified the authorities and got
the mail. When got home to the board
ing house, told some OF my friends about
II, and they were worse frightened at the
thought Of seeing n dead man than ever
was at anything. But then they couldn'5
help II; they had been trained in the east
Were you ever really frightened by au,
such experienceW was asked.
Why, yes, after 1t was over. Twas pref
nervous over that suicide after I'd hour,i
my friends talk about II awhile Some
thing is always happening in mining
town, though, and one gets used to all sorts
Of experiences. Now l suppose that your
eastern girls would be frightened half to
death II they should awake to find a man
I'm their bedroom. woke up that way once.
My husband was IN Denver. 1t was moon
light night, and when the air from nm open
window awoke me / saw a stranger right
by the bed. lie was q thief. We had re-
ceiyed lot OF coin for IA trade. and he had
heard Of IL. What did dol always sleep
with a six shooter under my pillow and my
hand under there too. The moment saw
him l pointed my revolver at his nose.
didn't say a word and he didn't. There was
no call for words-just motions-and he
made them right away. He didn't stay u
little bit.n
According to the mine camp stories no
place is so free OF thieves and robbers as a
mine camp" remarked the acquaintance.
YES, so they say, but everybody In n mine
camp lives and talks In the superlative.
The innate honesty OF the miner Is exagger-
ated to cover all the citizens OF the camp
Now there is another thing you'll read
about-the wonderful ehivalry OF the pco-
pie in the camps. Those stories are all true
and they are not true. Women are treated
with unusual Difference there, but there are
exceptions to the rule. had an experience
In that way too"
Quite as interesting as tho stories them
selves was the manner Of the telling, The
stories would not have been told at all but
for the turn Death alley gave to the con-
yersation and for questions that were asked
by the chants acquaintance but, once she
talked OF such things, they were told as a
girl In the Mohawk valley might tell Of be-
ing overturned by snowbank while driy-
ing home from church or of any other
countryside incident.
The tourist among the mine camps will
often meet such young women, both mar
rieA and single, They are generally OF west
ern hirth--this one was a Denver girl. Most
OF them have lived in Denver at one time
or another. They have healthful forms, at
tractive faces, bright minds They are
cheerful, enthusiastic, amiabe, fearless.
They stand on their heels, with their toes
out, and look the whole world in the eve.
They have the best education that their
schools and their homes AFFORD They are the
pride and Joy Of every man In the shadow
Of the Great Divide 1t may cheer the
would be emigrant from the east to know
that they are not preiudiced against tender
feet as tcnderfeet, bat against dudes only.