The Portland daily press., 1894-01-05

The messenger was afraid the man
would tall down if he pronounced the
amount SO he handed over the bill. The
sporting man pulled from his pocket a
wad OF greenbacks and handed over two
tens and five; twenty-five dollars for
twenty-five cards. AS the messenger
turned to 20 away the man said, Hold
on; now look here, l'mra gambler, that's
the way | make my living, but isn't
this bill just little high?"
You needed TO know something about
running newspaper in those days. There
was NJ lack of material, but 1T was not
all easy sailing in mixed crowd aggre-
eating some forty thousand people from
all parts of the world and all classes of
society. There was not what could
be called large proportion OF evangelists
in the crowd, either.
One day we were notified that we
would have to move. In fact "a force of
men presented themselves and declared
their willingness and intention to assist
us in the speedy transfer of our goods
and chatteIs to green fields and pastures
new they didn't have furniture vans,
but they had some very ugly looking
guns sticking out of their pockets. We
dldn t see 1T that way, so Davis slipped
out and got two or tree rifles and as
many more revolvers, and came back.
We closed the doors and announced our
intention of remaining swhere we were.
This kind of thing was repeated several
times, but finally quiet was restored,
our title resting in our firearms. | had
paid one hundred dollars for that lot,
and it was now worth ten thousand;
hence the contention.
The fellow who inquired for the editor
and wanted tosknow "who wrote that,
was aiarmingly frequent and uncomfort-
ably persevering One sample will do.
A gentleman dropped in and informed
me that young lady had "suicidedn
round on State street, after having some
trouble with her lover. / was writing
up murder at the time and couldn't
get away, SO asked the gentleman to
give me the ladys name as we'll as that
of her fiance, which he did, and relied
on my imagination for thesrest, reserving
this sensation for a second edition, the
murder being the scare for the first. |
wrote itaup.in ashalf funny vein-at least
it was SO intended-so it occupied half a
column. remember threw in little
poetry, something which the lady
breathed. to her lover as she fell and his
reply as he fed for doctor. OF course
had the young lady dead, as my infor-
mant said .she could not live, but the
lover found a doctor and the doctor had
stomach pump, and thesgirl was.saved.
Both lover and young lady read my
account of the affair. The next morn
ing while I was sitting in my seven-by-
nine editorial sanctum in came strap
ping fellow accompanied by little
blonde fairy; he held copy of the Even
ing Chronicle in his hand, and wanted
to see the editor
Did you write this?" asked the lover
asshe showed the Chronicle under my
nose.
I replied that the gentleman who
wrote that was out: of course he was
art nLa haan f,.1,
He wanted it understood that this was a
lady who had been Iibeled by the paper,
and he proposed to have satisfaction; he
came there to shoot and preferred to do
it; he was going to defend this lady.
The business manager heard the row
and pushed his way. into my room. Like
the wrathful lover hetalso had his hand
in his pocket, which struck me as
good sign. | addressed myself now to
the would-be suicide, and said | knew
the man who had written that would be
very sorry. No unpleasantneSS was in
tended, only a little fun.
But the lover was determined; he
thought he'd better staysright there I'M
til the offender came in. The lady finally
remarked that she believed the gentle
man who had written that WOULD give
her square deal" in that evenings
paper, which would be entirely satisfac
tory to her. Not so with her lover. He
was intent on gore, and pinned to avenge
her honor with calibre forty-fve.
Now, there was lots of work to he done
and the lover and would-be suicide were
in the way. After assuring him that
had no desire to lose any part of my
editorial force, as was somewhat short
and that I would have the reporter write
a disclaimer in that days paper, the
guns were put up, the girl smiled and
said. George, believe he will give US
square DEAL" But the lover wasn't
going to.leave without doing som athing,
SO he said: Captain, I'll tell you how
we'll square this thing up; let's go in
next door and have bottle of wine,"
and we went
I believe have written more murders
and shootings in given length of time
than any other newspaper man in the
country. One day we had four, which
we spread out over four editions of the
paper, the issue WHICH consolidated the
four having scare-head in type an inch
long, Hell Let Loose. u +
While Leadville at that time was pref
ty rough, with plenty of shooting and
killing, there has never been more
generous, open-hearted, honest and faith
full class Of people than these miners,
They gathered round and supported us
grandly, coming to our rescue as often
as our little property was attacked.
Whenswe entered on our second year we
had hosts of friends, reputation which
can almost be called worldwide, and
money enough to put us on good terms
with the rest of the world.