The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-11-22

! V LN
! lnggO1 / WINTER STYLES
| Mny dresses for winter wear are we
| 1 is OF heavy blue cheyiot serge cut prince
1 III taIi hopsaekilg and the underskilt is of
fancy inskirt is shown at the left.
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pushing in the door, roar like that OF {
cannon startled them, and on investiga
ton it was found that rusty old musket
had discharged about double bandful
OF slugs into the roof with force enough
TO have killed a dozen men had they
been in the way. The gun had evident.
ly been arranged so as to discharge its load
| harmellessly. However, when the affair
got to be generally known it was taken
as warning OF what the teacher would
do second time, and was respected ac-
cordingly. From that time on no noe
turnal intruder ever entered that school
house by the door, and as windows had
not yet come into fashion in this part OF
Texas the hous., was free from intrusion.
The teacher always had loaded rifle
sitting in the corner Of the school room
during school hours, and had il slung be-
hind her saddle as she rode. She was a
fearless rider and an unerring shot.
There was general impression that she
would shoot to kill if necessary, and II
was probably well founded, though there
is no record pf her ever having actually
justified it. There was one loud-mouth-
ed, blatant BLACKBOARD, named Starke,
who was once heard to make filthy re-
marks in regard to the teacher and to
boast of his personal powers of fascna-
ton for women generally. One night,
shortly afterward, his riderless mustang
came up to the ranch where Starke had
been working Nobody ever happened
to tind the body and nobody cared to
look for it. Som" supposed the teacher
knew all about it, and she may or may
not have done so.
A SUPREME JUDGE.
hitSi bhC SCuOOl dJ lh6 can udu DeeH
going on for about two years, singular
state of affairs began gradually to come
into being. The fame Of her school had
gone out over all the surrounding country
She had exactly those accomplishments
and exactly that turn OF mind calculated
to win for her the respect and admira-
ton OF the men of the frontier. The re-
suit was that they respected her. More
than they trusted her. More than that,
they almost worshiped her. BY degrees
she acquired almost unlimited influence
over the men for over 100 miles around.
They would come to her to settle all dis
putes. They would respect her decision.
If any given man felt inclined to resist
her decision, such feeling was useless, as
every other man felt honor-bound TO
help enforce it. If question arose as to
the ownership of stock the parties would
bring the cattle or horses involved up to
the Peak. Each claimant would state
his side of the case and call on any one
else he might choose to substantiate it.
II necessary, glance would be taken at
the brands on the stock Then came the
decision, from which there was no APP
peal. Ii man was suspected of stealing
stock or of committing murder, the pro-
cess was the same. The prisoner told
his story and his captors theirs. No le-
gal technically ever thwarted the ends
of justice as administered in this court.
II the prisoner was considered guilty the
verdict was, "well, he ought to die"
The sentence would be executed as soon
as passed A case could be disposed of
in thirty minutes. which in I
the present time would occupy the at
tention OF the court as many months, if
not years. On one occasion a mere boy
was brought up under accusation Of muir.
der. The case was clear against him,
and the verdict ran as follows; n ~
SWELL he ought ito die, but hes
nothing but kid. Give him a pony
and let him go, but hang him il you find
him within forty miles oil this place by
tomorrow morning"
The boy left.
When the state of affairs had lasted
some while very natural metamorphosis
occurred in the name of Peak. What had
before been known as Quinn's Peak be-
came changed into Queens Peak. 1t is
probable that at first the change was a
mere lapse in the pronunciation, but
after it was made it seemed to impress
.he hearers favoraby, and it stuck. A
little later they b gan very naturally to
speak OF the mistress of Queens Peak as
he Queen. 1t sounded better tnan
Miss Quinn" and so by that name she
8 known even to the present day.
One may feel inclined to smile at this
rontier queen, but let it be remembered
hat she ruled larger scope OF country
han King Solomon did. Hers was the
'icher kingdom, too, in all natural re-
ources, though not 40 populous. She