The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-05-16
II IS 4 FELL ON EARTH.
THAT Is TIE WAY A CORRESPOND
ENT DESCRIBES PERRY.

of Pioneer Mining" BIack Nell's" Dance
House Open When the Settlers Arrived.
From the New York Recorder.
On land as barren and Deserted as that
from which grew Jonah's gourd sprang
up in a day, as did that gourd in a night,
the town of Perry, in the newly settled
Cherokee strip.
All have heard the story of that wild
race IF boomers, who, at the rifles crack,
spuned their horses over the boundary
line of the Cherokee strip and sought for
themselves or their masters claims and
quarter sections, in most cases of less
value than the flint rock on the New
ENGLAND farm. Few, however, followed
their movements further or know aught
otlife in such frontier towns
As the town of Perry stands to- day,
thrown, pitched, tumbled into place by
its $1,000 inhab' tants, its streets present
a nllre conglomerate picture of struggling
humanity than any seen in Chicago's
Midway Plaisance.
There are four distinct classes of peO-
pie in Perry. First, men who have mon
ey, and are improving the strip in prom
ising localities in the hope Of adding still
rLore to their wealth. Second, the men
who haze but little ready cash and have
come with the determination of making
home for themselves. their wives and
their children. Third, the class of shift
lsss men who have never done well and
never will do well, because they believe
that 'Iuck is agin EN-" and are too lazy
to make an effort to disprove the fallacy,
and last, the set of gamblers, thugs, and
b,acklegs of every description always
found in new and half-civilized COM
munity.
The man, woman, or child possessed
with other than strong eyes, accustomed
to wind and weather, life in the strip
would be a he'll on earth. The soil is
strongly alkaline. Wind drives the white
dust into the ears, mouth and nostrils
until it bites and burns Huge goggles
are necessity. They are made of mica,
leather bound But even with these
protectors one dare not venture out in
the face of such wind as at times comes
sweeping across the desert.
The daily routine of life in Perry is
wearisome and monotOnous. With the
sinking IF the sun and the closing of the
land office, however, the men seek their
houses, camp fires, or whatever they call
home. The evening meal of bacon and
coffee, common with banker and squat
ter (for Perry has bank, IS disposed of
and then back into the streets goes the
throng, uneasy with the unrest which
pervades everybody and everything in
the territory Settlers from outlying
claims ride in to join the gaunt, begog-
gled throng which collects on corners, in
barrooms and around poker tables, try
inc to forget each in his favOrite way,
the trials, troubles, and suffering, both
mental and physical, of the daylight
hours.
A PRIMITIVE DIVE.
One of the finest houses built in Perry
was a combination saloon, dance hall,
and gambling den. Other similar re-
sorts were soon running in opposition,
but this one, owned and conducted by
woman called "Back Nell" will proba-
bly always hold more than its share of
hi icf 10 haupTa a
In demand. Most of it, compared with
that which is dispensed in New YOrk's
famous South street saloons, is truly
nectar, was at first sold over the tail
boards of prairie "schOoners," as the
long bodied wagons are called. A W
more enterprising settlers erected bars
in the open air and under the protection
of tents by the very simple process of
laying board across two barrels, on
which was displayed all or most of their
stock in trade.
But "Black Nell" with her following
of women, Mexirans and half-breeds,
was among those camped in the river
bottoms Before the famous race for
claims began hers was staked out. When
the wild throng reached the site where
Perry now stands the corner posts of
Nelt's establishment were in place. BY
nightfalf she was doing a rushing bust
ness. The hOuseis made of pine boards.
Along one side ILns the bar, behind
which canteens and bottles are arranged
on shelves and barrel tops On the
other side of the room are tables for
poker, faro, KEN and craps. Crowds of
unkempt, sullen-faced and desperate
men throng the place, hoping against
hope that they may win enough to tick
them out of the territory and bs's&