Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-11-02
HAzlNG A DRUMMER.
RATTLINe RECEPTION GIVEN A COM
MeRclAL TRAVELLER.

He Was the First of His Kind to Wait the
Town. and He Took Too Serious a view
Of Himseif--It Was Put Up Job. "and
Wen Put Up, Too" Says the Colonel.
st was while was stationed a, For,
Niobrara,n Colonel George Barry began as
ne lighted q fresh cigar at the Lotus club
the other night, that the first commercial
traveler-drummers some people call them
made his appearance in Valentine. He
was slim little fellow, and he seemed 10
have given a good deal OF care TO his per
sonal adornment Where he made his
mistake was in taking too serious view OF
himself.
He dropped into Valentine on one Of the
hrst trains that got through over the new
road. He had a couple of fancy yellow
grips that must have looked very pretty TO
him, Tor he lugged them with him when he
went into Dutch Georges saloon to get a
drink. His other accouterments were a
very light striped suit and a jaunty little
straw hat which aroused the mirth of the
cowboys.
IT'S surprising how little some fellows
can pick mp in travelling around the earth.
Now, that chap didn't know any more
than TO drop those yellow grips right in
mont OF Dutch Georges bar and call for a
Manhattan cocktail. Yes sir, he wanted
a Manhattan cocktail, and he wanted it
quick too.
You ought to have seen Dutch George
look ut him. Then he winked a couple of
times at the row OF cowboys sitting along
the side OF the room and turned around
and began to mix lot of things together
for dear life. The little drummer leaned
one arm on the bar and looked around at the
row Of cowboys without seeming to see the
chap that had edged up behind him. Just
as Dutch George had finished mixing what
ever it was he had fixed up for the drum
mer, there was pistol shot, and one Of the
boys sitting at the side Of the room gave q
yell and fell ont OF the chair in a heap on
the floor. A big six shooter fell to the floor
beside the little drummer, and little
cloud of smoke rose between the drummer
and the bar
We'll, sir, you can believe it or not, Just
as you like, but am telling You that there
was row. Those cowboys yelled like the
devil and swore that the drummer had shot
the fellow who had fallen out Of the chair
Three or four of them pulled their guns
there, but one fellow proposed to lynch
him, and that proposition went through
with n whoop Some of them carried out
the cowboy who was supposed to have
been shot, and Dutch George began looking
for rope The drummer just gasped two
or three times and wilted down into chair
white as ghost and scared almost To death.
Once or twice he tried to say something,
h11t all IA gofall ant ttrl,t .1
Why, gentlemen, l-why-what-I assure
you r.
80 they started to take the little chap
out to hang him. There wasn't a tree that
would serve in 40 miles, and they were a
good deal puzzled as to how TO get salts.
factory gallows on such short notice, They
kept talking it over before the drummer In
the coolest sort Of way, and l tell you lac
was scared. just us they got to the door
OF the saloon there was shout that the
sheriff was coming. and before any one
could say jack rabbit the sheriff and an
other man were there with their six shoot
ets in their hands, demanding the prisoner
in the name OF the law. The little drum
mer was so relieved that he could have
Rugged the sheriff, and he began to try to
talk again The sheriff told him TO shut
started with him for the door. But Just as
soon as his back was turned one of tho
cowboys shoutsd
"'Shoot him Shoot himl Don't let him
get away like that
"The sheriff and his man swung round
aud whipped Out their six shooters again.
Keep bacltp he shouted. I'm shoot tho
first galoot that touches this man so full Of
Lal,- la ,t+avft ,,nol IA f,t,n,sa
"The cowboys took the challenge, and in
less than quarter of a second more than
40 pistol shots were fired. 1t sounded like
an engagement of infantry. The room was
full Of smoke Two or three Of the COW,
boys fell to the floor, and the man who was
with the sheriff went down with groan
crying that he was done for, Somehow OF
other the sheriff got of all right, and while
the shooting was liveliest dragged his man
out into the street. The little drummer
was near having fit from fright, and the
sheriff had lost his hat. 1t was particu
larry fine sombrero, with a band heavily
ornamented with silver, and the sheriff
wouldn't have lost it to save IA men from
being lynohed. So he took the drummer tC
the corner OF the saloon and said;
"'Now, Pm going back there for my hat
lJOu NOi NAhklN thA Va bhth elNb NAAA
come back. If you do, you're mighty liabl,
to lose your life mighty sudden and I'M
pleasant
with that the sheriff left the drummer
standing there at the corner and went bach
TO the saloon. He hadn't any more thar
opened the door before the shooting began
again, and what had been done befort
| wasn't marker to what il was that time
| The little drummer listened to 1t for min
ute and then all of sudden seemed to re
alizo that he was alone and that the rond
was before him. The next sixteenth of q
second he was off up the road like a quar-
ter horse, with never thought of his Two
fancy yellow grips.
He'd got about 100 yards away when the
| door Of the saloon opened, and Dutch
George and the sheriff and half dozer
cowboys jumped out into the street Will
| their guns in action. Well, tho way thu
bullets dropped around that drummer
feet would beat Kansas hailstorm, Ane
the more they droIped the faster he ran
You can talk about your Salvatore and al
the rest of theml II had horse thai
could run the way that little drummer
footed it out Of Valentine, I'd bet ther'
wouldn't another man get race. I'd VIII
iem all; by CAD, sir, would I'D break "
tbe horse racing business. And when i
| - a Il II. "a