The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-04
A STORY OF THE GOLD DAYS
Monte BOb'S" HeTOiSm at Lone Horse
GuICh in an Epidemic.

Man Who Was Once Gambler at
the Mines.
From the New York Advertiser
Robert Harris was his right name, but
IN honor of the calling we all called him
..Nfonte Bob" l well remember his ad-
vent among the citizens of Lone Horse
Gulch. 1t was in 81, just after rich
and had made the heretofore isolated and
lonely gulch famous in day, and
caused the eager gold-seekers to pour in
from all quarters He was at that time
very Young. His fresh, boyish face had
anDarently never made the acquaintance
of q razor His blue eyes were round and
laughing, and his mass of jet black hair,
fine and soft as silk, would have been an
enviable source of beauty to any woman.
His figure was slight and youthful, and
strongly suggestive of the truant school
boy.
A single day served to make the new
conner citizen of Lone Horse Gulch, and
and soon after his arrival THE Kid" as
he was called on account of his boyish
WAYS, his soft, white hands and apparent
inability to work, was known to the whole
camp. Every one liked him; but when
one night he won five thousand from one
Of 'Friscos most noted sporting men, and
pocketed the money with careless indiffer-
ence. his reputation was made; pity was
changed to admiration; Lone Horse Gulch
was enthusiastic, and it's citizens to a
man We'd in doing honor to the new found
hero. From that day forth he became a
leading citizen and the faro bank which
he soon after set up was well patrOniZed
Like many others, Monte Bob was
very reticent in regard TO his past history
He was frequently the recipient of letters
bearing an eastern pOstmark. Some were
directed in the weak, nervous hand pc
culiar to women of advancing years; the
rest in the round graceful hand of
school girl But it was a noticeab BILE fact,
vouched for by the postmaster, gentle
man unqUestOnable Veracity, that Monte
Bob" though he always read them care
fully. very seldom replied to the letters re
ceived. But, as the postmas ter had baan
heavy loser at Bob's faro bank, these
statements in regard to his neglect of his
private correspondence were received
with a marked grain of allowance. ON
the other hand, the agent Of the Wells
Fargo Company Express line,
gentleman of equal standing in
the community, asserted that Monte
Bob" often sent large sums of money
to a certain Mrs. John Harris in the east.
This statement was made before a crowd
OF tlllLtuS db Iilt I-uIthd SdlOOu, NucIC
the testimony of the postmaster in regard
to the domestic affairs of "a well-known
business man. were undergoing careful
examination The trusted agent of the
great express company was a warm ad
mirer Of the youthful gambler, and al
ways concluded tins evidence of his
herO's redeemiug qualities by saying:
And you may bet yer boots, he sends
that thar money to his old mother back
in the states and ten to one he is the
only galoot in this yer camp that does do
it."
And a large majority of the camp ac-
guessed in this opinion.
At an early period "Monte Bob
showed that he was a public minded
citizen and deeply interested in the wei
fare of Lone Horse Gulch. When it was
determined that the spiritual welfare of
the town was sadly neglected and that
place of public worship was one Of the
primo needs, he was the first TO head the
building subscription with a handsome
sum; and when the yonng preacher fell
SICK of fever and after a long sickness
died, Monte Bob" took upon himself the
task Of seeing that he was decently buried
and that all the debts incurred by his
sickness We're paid. Then in quiet way
he furnished the weak, frail widow
means with which she reached her
friends in the east.
[AuQ QEGtU Wutu LLt uItdu StOuEEt,
smallpox, broke out in the camp and
scores of strong men sickened and died,
unmindful of danger, Monte Bob put to
shame those who had fed in fear by clos
ing his bank and nursing those around
him as tenderly and carefully as any
woman. When the scourge died away
and those who had fed came back he re
turned once more to his fascinating call
ing and was never heard TO mention the
good work he had done.
Like many other mining towns, in two
short years Lone Horse Gulch saw its in
ception, its glory and its decay. Ono by
one the bars petered out. The dissatis-
fed miners were forced to seek newer and
more paying fields of labor, and | lost
sight of Monte Bob"
Five years had passed and I was labor
ing on one of the well known Sacramento
dallies as city editor. In the hurry and
rush of daily journalism, the old life at
Lone Horse Gulch hal long since become
thing of the past, when suddenly sew
eral things occurred to bring it back,
fresh and vivid, to my mind for going to
my duties at an early hour one morning,
CHANGED to overtake my old friend
Monte Bob" The flight of time had
left its shadow upon him, and he
was changed. heavy mOustache Gov
cred the smooth lip. The rakish high
hat had been discarded, the shiny suit of
- tiu '4OOll ldl Dct'il SuDpitultult u ny Il
plain business suit, and the diamond,
whose dazzling brilliancy had led captive
the fair sex of Lone Horse Gulch, as few
as they were frail, had disappeared. He
was taller, his shoulders broader and his
step tirmer than when last we met The
dashing reckless gambler Of five years
before was gone, and his place had been
taken by quiet, earnest man. He knew
me, and by the hearty, cordial pressure
OF ms hand, | krew was glad to meet me.
lie talked freely of the old life at the
S'ulch, and of those who had
been our companions there. We
chatted for few moments and
Then left him at the door of a well
known business house with an invitation
70 come and see me. That very afternoon
learned from another old citizen of the
Gulch that he had long since abandoned
the life of gambler, and was now and
had been for two years working as a
pookkecper. And let me say that my in
Dormant was none other than Monte
Bo0s' warm friend, the old time express
agent at the Gulch also had it from
that gentleman, that a larger portion OF
the Young mans wages was regularly
Sent TO his mother and sister in the east
contrary to my expectation, Hot
aNaleo himself Of the invitation had eX
tended to him, and soon after spent an
evening with me in my cosy bachelor