Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-11-10
JOHNSON'S DEBTOR.
IT Was an Extraordinary Job to
Collect from Him.

COlleCC from him.
."When o. M. Carter, now president
of the American Loan & Trust COM
pany of Omaha, sold his post traders
outfit at the Rosebud Indian agency in
South Dakota to Charles Stelnwinder
johnson, as Ed Hall used to call him,
there were some accounts on the books
which he threw in as uncollectable.
1t was Col George Barry starting an.
other story of his frontier life In the
cafe at the Lotus club the other even
ing after the coffee, says the New York
San.
F'Well, one time, after he'd got pretty
fairly well used to the redskins and |
some of the surrounding territory it |
stf3ck Johnson one day that it would
GSe good thing to collect some of
those uneollectabIe bills. Every cent
he got out of them was clean
profit. The worst man on the whole
list was Frenchman named Buche,
who was ranging some cattle over
toward the head waters of the south
fork of the White river Carter had let
Buche run up bill of one hundred and
sixty dollars, and he couldn't get
cent Of it.
COURTS, the head clerk, who had
been at the post for years, told Johnson
that II he could collect Buche's bill he
could get every dollar every other man
on the Rosebud owed him. Well, one
day johnson got Buchc at the agency,
and jollied him along until Buche actu-
ally agreed to pay.
81 tell you vat, Zhonson,' the
Frenchman said, 4 got some cattles
opon re reevaire. Igif you some of zem
cattles.'
"' All right Buchc, johnson said.
Jack Arkwright an I'll go up an get
'em some day before long
$50 they had drink and Buche went
away In ten minutes he'd changed his
mind about the cattle and concluded
not to pay the bill. He bounced back
into Johnson's store and excitedly ex-
claimed:
Thomson, keepozose cattles my
self / don't tsink gifts you zose cat
ties. Zose is my cattles'
"'All right, Buche. You can keep
your cattle said Johnson But the
cattle you gave me are NIUE an Jack
ArlSwright an I'll go up an get 'em
next Sunday
81 Diet you ain goin' get zose cattles.
Nevaire! Zose is my cattles. Eth?
keep zem. | know. Eth? You see me?
am Buche Zose is my cattles. So
keep zem. Vat you can do? Nozzng!
know. Eat is good 'ead. Zere is
worse 'eads as Eat in con-n-gress Eh?'
And out of the store he strobe.
johnson saw him once or twice after
that before the next Sunday and each
time said: ls-
'''l'li be down on Sunday for my
cattle,
'Buche raved around the agency and
swore by all his vigorous oaths that
he'd fill johnson full of Winchester
holes If the trader made an effort to
get the cattle. So on, Saturday John
son wentto the agency building and had
Jack Arlswright sworn in as deputy
United States marshal There isn't
very much law on an Indian reserva-
ton, and il most cases might is right;
hut Arkwright's long official title had a
terrifying. sort of sound to the half
breeds, and Jack thought himself only
second in Importance to the president
lie had Mexican, Indian and Negro
blood in his veins and was as fine q
specimen as you'll see in many days
travel in that country of stalwart men,
Besides that he didn't understand how
to be afraid of anything, and he be
lieved that six-shooter was made fol
use rather than ornament.
well on Sunday morning johnson
and Arkwright, with his commission a,
deputy marshal and herder, started
for Buche's headquarters scventy-fivt
miles away on the river, leaving Rucht
boiling around the agency and swear
ing all sorts of things They rode
pretty hard, and made about sixty-fivt
rifles before shutdown. They hadn'
much more than gone into camp befor,
Buche came by riding like whirlwind
with Winchester balanced on the sad
die in front of him.
BE down in the morning, Buche,
shouted johnson, an get my cattle
with an angry shout, Buche rode o,
toward his camp. Very early the mex
morning Johnson's party started. The,
made the ten miles to Buche's camp il
about an hour, and couldn't find a sigl
of life.
lowell, I'm gormed,' said Jack Arl,
wright, if the d Frenchy hain't hi
his cattle in the buttes
"They separated and began to hun
for the cattle. While they were a
work Buchc came riding up at furiou
gait from the Nebraska line. 1t turne
out afterward that he'd been over afte
the Cherry county regulators to bel
him fight the cattle thieves, But tn
first person he met after he got acros
the line was o man whom he owed fo
wagon. The man spotted him for tn
money, and Buche fled for the reserv;
ton again.
"Well, when Jack Arkwright sa'
Buche coming he pulled out his eoIi
mission as deputy marshal and rod
down to meet the excited Fsenchmar
Look here. Buche,' he shouted 8
he got within Mailing distance, here
my commission as marshal
"The~Frenchman turned and ran {
hard as his pony could GO
AZ Won't hear no papers, he shoute'
I don't want no papers,
well, sir, hell-to-spht over Il
prairie went those two men, Bucf
shouting that he wouldn't hear Ar
wright hawling out his commission ;