Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-02-23

tlemeng' instinctiyely addressing Gale
Whitley.
ssThe best in the land!'' readily replied
Gale. Anything in reason from soda
crackers to canyasback ham. We're
out of whisky, but there's lots of beer in
camp yet. Come in, stranger, while we
tie your hoss."
This proceeding, however, the stranger
directed and assisted in explaining that
he feared lest unpracticed hands might
cause the loss of precious gas. he then
entered the building, one story struc-
ture, with very wide doorway, where
the faro table, in full view of the street,
occupied the central space, with many
stools and narrow chairs scattered about.
The lean boy who had first espied the
balloon had been dispatched to procure
the guest some lunch, and he made such
haste that he returned with it by the
time the stranger had seated himself.
Surrounded by the crowd of rough, long
haired and bearded men he presented a
striking contrast to them in his neat at
tire. Had he walked into Evans Guloh
in Norfolk jacket. knee breeches and
a cork helmet it is highly probable that
he would have met with a far different
reception and been treated with the
scorn and contempt of the entire popu-
lace in their own wild western way.
But his attire was beftting his advent,
the first of the kind that the Gulch had
been treated to, and the Gulchers saw
nothing inappropriate in his costume.
Balloons were unique, so were bal
loonists' clothes, was the natural ver-
dict, unspoken, almost unthought. Yet
all eyed him curiously, while kindly, and
waited impatiently the completion of his
modest repast.
His eyes were busy, too, roaming
frankly from face to face in way that
80. low told them he was '.sizing them
up," as Gale expressed it afterward,
glancing at the faro table, the specimens
of quartz, porphyry, lead ores and car
Donates upon the narrow shelf on the
wall and the big broken roulette wheel
in the corner, tilted up on its side to af-
ford more room to eager gamblers around
the faro table.
When he had finished Gale tossed the
paper in which the lunch had been
brought into the street and said: "Now,
stranger, let's hear your story. This is
the first time we've had balloon up
here, and we're naturally interested"
The stranger, with q good natured
smile, looked around at the eager, toll
hardened and sin hardened faces-many
of them--and began:
"My name is Pierce-H. R. Pierce, OF
San Francisco. / left Denver the day
before yesterday in the balloon, and was
carried south till near Colorado Springs,
where the current changed and carried
me northwest. l was compelled to re-
main in the car, the nature of the coun-
try not permitting an easy landing. !
am making an attempt to cross the con-
tinent in balloon. That is my story,
gentlemen, all there is of it, snd Ithank
you for. your kindness"
Finding SO tame an explanation Of the
phenomenon, most of the crowd soon dis
persed. -
Gale Whitley and the sheriff somehow
felt themselves to be in a measure
Pierce's hosts, and felt the improperly Of
indulging in Evans Gulch's only amuse-
ment while their guest refrained there
from.
When Pierce inquired for the hotel
they both "smiled loudly" and stated
that the place had not risen to that dig
nifty yet-fourteen saloons, nine faro
banks, a postofice, a provision store (also
saloon) and lookup" constituted.
apart from sundry quartz crushers, the
entire borough; but they wished to eek
lend to him the hospitality OF their owl
shanty'-the best in the place too."
Thither they conducted him at once.
seeing therein way out Of their di
lemma, for they both felt the agony Of
witnessing the game while being pre-
vented from playing.
A long, rambling conversation ensued,
during which the characters Of the two
men unfolded themselves to Pierce's
eyes, and he recognized their thoroughly
practical American worth. The sheriff
was transparent; simply big, good
natured Jerseyman by birth, who had
lived in various parts of the west since
boyhood, having made several small for
tunes, spent them and expected to make
another-a type frequently to be found
all over the continent. Gale Whitley
was not 80 easily read. He was more
beneath the surface and was harder to
get at, but Pierce had seen too many men
of learning and refinement adrift in these
western wilds to probe too deeply into
any mystery he might imagine in Gales
past. He was content to find in them
both materials that he might use. 1t
was nearly ten o'clock when he said:
81 am here for purpose in which you
might, if you are inclined, aid me ma-
terially. It's rather q long story, but !
will make it as short as possible"
He lighted his pipe, as the other two
had done, and smoked few minutes In
silence, while they drew their chairs
closer. Then he began:
"Two years ago / had a balloon made
and left San Francisco in the month of
June, with the wind taking us rapidly
eastward. With me was a young man
named Eric Gilbert. he was about
thirty years old and one of the bright
est men ever knew. A linguist, a
scientist, n mechanic, an artist; in fact
hewas possessed of more practical knowl-
edge and cultivated accomplishments
than any ether man I have met; one Of
the most daring yet genial, good tenn
pered fellows in the world. He was
nearly six feet in height and weighed
about hundred and sixty pounds, and
he was an athlete too. He could shoot
well and ride well, just the kind Of man
in fact to undertake such an adventure
as we meditated. 1t was to cross the
contirent to the Atlantic, and for q
while all went swimmingly.
"W-e had crossed the Rockies success
fully and were in the Wasatch range, or
rather between the Wasatch and the
M, IL tah